Comments on: Respect, Trust, Acceptance – Magda Gerber’s Therapeutic Approach To Child Care

By: alicia

alicia — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 09:32:27 +0000

In reply to janet. Hi Janet, i'm quite curious on what was it like in its original conception on Magda Gerber’s approach to Professional Infant and Toddler Care?

By: Alayne Stieglitz

Alayne Stieglitz — Sun, 13 May 2018 17:43:21 +0000

Hi There,
Do you or Magda Gerber have any advise for adopting a RIE approach for children with developmental variations. Specifically with regards to not positioning babies in ways that he is still unable to get to himself. I know an 8 month old infant that has severe eczema. He finds it extremely uncomfortable to be on his back. At times I sit him in front of me to allow less of his skin to be touching a surface. He can sit by himself but can’t get to a sitting position without assistance. Sitting up allows him relief and encourage the development and strengthening of his core when he reaches forward, shifts his weight to his hands, lifts one to grab a toy and lifts himself back up to sitting. This does, however go against our basic philosophy of allowing gross motor development according to the child’s own internal timetable. I can’t find anything about children with development variations in Gerber’s or RIE literature. I’m also interested in your thoughts about this.

By: Patty Feder

Patty Feder — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 23:46:42 +0000

Janet,
Facebook is new for me. Memories Gloria and her daughter Annabell were in Magda’s class
While I was interning. RIE 2 .I encouraged Gloria to interview Magda. Magda agreed . Great article.
Gloria and Annabell were in our class at least one year.I lost contact with Gloria is she still writing in the Los Angeles area?
By now Annabell would be 22 or 23 years of age.So many awsome children and their parent and sometime nannies.
Years I will always remember dearly. Magdalena,Carol PintoHariLiz MemelObserving their class’s and being their intern.
So much fun I worked in the classroom and the office. I lived at RIE. Magda’s assistant.It was a holistic experience.
Respectfully
Patty Feder

By: Ruth mason

Ruth mason — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 23:48:44 +0000

Thanks for reprinting this, Janet. Very useful. U don’t want to set the Montessori lady straight? (I tried to reply but couldn’t.)

By: John S Green

John S Green — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 21:20:49 +0000

Hi Janet,

This is my first glimpse into Magda Gerber (+ Pikler). I began studying ECD in 1985 when my daughter was gestating, and I now seem to have found another person who gets it. It is always a pleasure to find another soul mate in early childhood development philosophy. I speak of Magda Gerber and Janet Lansbury with this comment!!!

I look forward to researching much more of Gerber’s and Pikler’s work. And, the same with yours…

By: Harmony May

Harmony May — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 23:09:18 +0000

Wonderful succinct comments especially from other readers. As an ECE teacher I have discovered many urban mythis being practiced by teachers who have not understood the various theories they have read, and rely on ‘gossip’ to underpin their practice. Some very good examples here to suggest other ways of thinking and understanding what one reads!

By: Laura Grace Weldon

Laura Grace Weldon — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:36:44 +0000

Thanks for this glimpse of Magda’s wisdom. I remember learning from my first child (soooo slowly) as he taught me what he needed. Not a lot of interference but my presence, not adults centered solely on him but adults who did interesting things nearby, freedom to be held and cuddled as he needed but not restrained by arms when he wanted autonomy. Real respect for the child teaches us what they need. At least in my case, it took quite a while to figure out. I wish I’d found Magda (and you!) earlier.

By: Buffy

Buffy — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 14:22:22 +0000

Janet, I fully agree with Rich Ackerley that this “is a wonderfully succinct summary of what Magda Gerber stood for,” I am (as always) looking forward to sharing this with my clients clients and friends.

I remember when I first learned about Emmi Pikler and Magda Gerber in my Feldenkrais Training. I was in awe of the simplicity, respect and “elusive obvious” of what Magda was teaching. My life and my work are forever changed by these wonderful and insightful human beings.

By: janet

janet — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 02:30:30 +0000

In reply to Kashmir Kambata.

Kashmir, I totally agree with you that this teacher has a misunderstanding of Magda Gerber’s Educaring philosophy. Your instincts are spot on! It sounds like she was trying to follow a RIE “rule of thumb” — to wait for an infant to open her mouth before feeding. But she wasn’t being sensitive to this particular infant’s experience or listening to what the infant was really communicating. She wasn’t being nearly as patient and respectful as she could have been.

Unfortunately, philosophies like Magda Gerber’s RIE Approach, Montessori, Waldorf, etc., are sometimes misinterpreted… It usually happens when people don’t take the time to really understand a particular approach from the inside out and just try to follow some of the practices.

By: Kashmir Kambata

Kashmir Kambata — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 02:00:35 +0000

In reply to janet.

Hi Janet,

I once observed an infant in a centre during meal time. My student whom I had visited during her practicum was feeding the infant. I noticed that the girl took a piece of broccoli with both her hands, sucked it and then placed it on the table.She repeated this experience and it was a pleasure watching her explore this new taste and flavour of the broccoli.
The infant while exploring got the broccoli out of her mouth and the student teacher put the spoonful of food in her mouth (I overheard the student tell her associate teacher how the infant is not fond of broccoli, but gave it a go.) The infant pushed the food out of her mouth and got up from the chair.
During my conversation with my student teacher I suggested that next time she might allow more time for the infant to suck on the broccoli especially since she was aware that the infant is not fond of brocoli rather than putting the spoonful of food in her mouth.
This suggestion was taken as criticing the centre practice as according to the student she was suggested by her associated teacher that she should feed the infant when she sees the mouth open. The teacher said that they follow the RIE philosophy.
I appreciate Magda Gerber’s philosophy and implement it, and from my experience I saw it as been implemented without really understanding it fully in this centre especially when they say they are using RIE.
This experience that I share is in response to how often Magda Gerber philosophy is sometimes misunderstood and the concept of RESPECT is seen differently by different educarers!
I would appreciate if you could share your perspective on this scenerio. Thanks.