Hi Hilary and Julie! Here’s a post I’ve written all about diapering the RIE way. For cleaning faces and hands we take a similar approach. It’s all about slowing down and communicating, inviting the child to participate as much as possible, respect: https://www.janetlansbury.com/2010/05/how-to-love-a-diaper-change/

Like Julie, I too would like to know how to bring RIE to the diaper changing process, and also cleaning face/hands after meal time.
Thanks!

I have tried to bring RIE to the diaper change process, but am struggling. Would anyone be able to tell me what it would look like, not at the end when we have come to understand how this works and implement it fully, but how it might look in the shift stage?

Thanks!

Great story, Sarah! And this certainly isn’t the first time I’ve heard this. Children just want to be included and feel like their participation is valued. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Ren,
Thank you for your question! First of all, I truly believe that the children you are working with will develop into healthier, more whole people as you incorporate RIE philosophy into your interactions. People of all ages deserve respect – and by sharing this gift with young children, they learn they deserve respect.

I share some of your struggle. I am an in-home preschool teacher/daycare provider, and I can empathize with the need to prove ourselves — our clients have expectations for what we do with their children, and measuring productivity in early childhood settings can look very different, depending on who’s observing.

My experience has taught me how critical communication is. Have you heard the prase, “Expectation is resentment waiting to happen.”? 🙂 If parents expect daily craft products, lists of “we did this, and this and this…” — then they may be surprised to find you sitting and engaging *with* children rather than doing things to and for children. From my experience, the RIE philosophy makes a lot of sense intuitively, but it has to be explained. The tricky piece is figuring out how to explain without sounding condescending or “know-it-all” — perhaps you can send a link to some of the articles you have read on Janet’s website and ask, “What do you think? This feels very natural to me…or this makes a lot of sense.” When I had my first daughter, someone gave me the book, “Your Self Confident Baby” by Magda Gerber, and I gained a whole new perspective on some of the behaviors I would not have otherwise questioned: tickling, diapering, assisted motor development, etc. By sharing some of your thinking with your clients, it will probably pave the way for a healthy parent/child/care provider relationship. Being on the same page as the parents will be critical for a healthy relationship.

The RIE philosophy is not lazy or disengaged, in fact, it is the opposite! Engaging with chilren, observing and supporting their natural growth and learning takes a very intentional and present mind. Have you read any work by Magda Gerber or Emmi Pikler? The more versed you are in the philsophy, the more confident you will feel in communicating with your clients.

Another suggestion I have is transitioning slowly into a more RIE-esque approach. Beginning with diapering, you might decide to bring a respectful eye to your routines. After this begins to feel comfortable, maybe you would try chunks of 15 or 30 minutes at a time, sitting with the children and respectfully reflecting their play.

I hope this is helpful!
Emily