Who Can Attend

Parent 'n' Me  is for anyone who wishes to observe competencies of infants and toddlers. Children must be between one month to twenty-three months of age by February 20th, 2004 and be accompanied by a parent. Parent 'n'  Me encourages an child-oriented environment that allows children to become attentive, active, exploring individuals who reward themselves in the mastery of new tasks.

About Parent 'n' Me

Parent 'n' Me enables the child to become an active participant rather than a passive recipient during self-help activities such as diapering and feeding.  Traiing is based on the RIE Philosophy (Resources for Infant Educarers). Founded in 1978 by Magda Gerber and Dr. Tom Forrest, RIE is a nonprofit organization concerned with improving the care and education of infants. The RIE philosophy espouses a humanistic-therapeutic way of working with infants. The goal is an authentic child, one who feels secure, autonomous, and competent.

Includes the following topics:

• How to observe, understand, respect, and enjoy the individuality of each child.
• What can parents realistically "expect" of their child at any given stage of development.
• How to set up an child-oriented environment in the home that is physically safe, cognitively challenging, and emotionally nurturing during uninterrupted play.
• How to synchronize children's needs and wants with parents' needs and wants, including discipline, communication, health concerns, and guidance techniques.
• When to intervene in the child's activities, and even more importantly, when to leave them alone!

From RIE Brochure, by Magda Gerber Resources for Infant Educarers.

Classes

Parent 'n' Me will be held Friday mornings for eight weeks at the Fitchburg Senior Center (14 Wallace Ave., Fitchburg MA), starting February 20, 2004. Classes will continue on February 27, March 5, 12, 19, 26, and April 2, 9, 16. 

Classes for toddlers will be held from 9am -10:20am.  Included is an optional "snack time" around 9:30am where the children will help peel a banana and pour their own water!  It is a little messy at first but it is so much fun to watch! (bananas and water provided) 

Classes for infants will be held from 10:30am - 11:45am.  Please bring fitted crib sheet  (for infants), diapers, wipes, powder, etc., and bottle if needed (a small area will be sectioned off for feeding). 

Limited free parking is available in the library parking lot across the street. Parking is also available on the street and behind city hall at the rate of 25 cents an hour.

• Parents must attend the Introduction/Orientation. (date to be announced)
• Commitment to attend all course sessions.
• Will allow video/still photos of parents and/or child to be used for instructional and training purposes.
• Review instructional materials and complete questionnaires.
• Responsible for child's diapers and food during class.

How to register

Registration can be done by email or by phone.  Please include date submitted, infant's name, child's date of birth, sex, mother's name, father's name, address, home phone, email, child's doctor and doctor's phone.  For more information or to register* please contact Elaine Donovan, (RIE 1 and parent) email: edunna1@netzero.net, phone:( 1 (603)889-9356), or Diana Suskind, (RIE Associate and instructor) email:  Suskindd@aol.com. 

*Space is limited so register today!

    Diana Suskind, Associate Professor of  Early Childhood Education at Fitchburg State College received her Ed.D  from the University of Illinois in 1979.  She was recognized as a  RIE Associate after study and mentorships with Magda Gerber, founder of the United States RIE program, and Anna Tardos at the Emmi Pikler Institute in Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Suskind, has worked as a practitioner, teacher and consultant for early childhood education and RIE in schools and communities in Germany, Israel, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Romania, Australia, and throughout the United States. Diana was selected as a Fulbright Senior Scholar Specialist for the New Zealand Child Care Association/Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa in 2003 and shared RIE philosophy and her early childhood knowledge to many early childhood professionals in Auckland, Hamilton, Nelson, Dunedin, Wellington, Christchurch and Whangarei.

Quotes

"Thank you so much for helping Victoria and I to strengthen our bond. I enjoyed your classes. I learned so much from your classes. I know Victoria is a much happier, competent, and inquisitive toddler because of the RIE techniques you teach. Thank you again. You have changed our lives forever."

Virginia, Parent of Victoria, 14 months

"Diana examined with understanding eyes, good observing ability the quality of the local nursing, the life of children. Concerning the gentle way of 'educaring' of the babies she brought together with our help a publication, which was illustrated with photos of document value, made by her.

Diana is talented, aligned person for this profession and the children, who is untiringly enthusiastic, open for the receiving of the new humane educational conceptions."

Anna Tardos
Leading Child Psychologist
Picker-Loczy Association for Infancy
Budapest, Hungary

"We allow infants to do what they are ready and willing to do. We reinforce their self-initiated activities by applying full attention, while being quietly available, and by appreciating and enjoying what the infants actually do. Occasional reflections such as "You touched the ball and it rolled away" reassure the child of our full attention. Saying "It's hard to separate the two cups" shows our empathy. A joyful smile when the infant solves a problem conveys our pleasure in his success. As we value inner directedness in a child, we prefer gentle validations to instructions, to criticism, and even to praise.

Parents in the RIE program learn how infant and family rhythms develop into predictable routines and how 'separate time' and 'together time' can be enjoyed. When infants are allowed uninterrupted play time between care giving activities, parents can have their own time as well. Children who have learned to rely on being stimulated, manipulated and entertained by adults may lose their capacities to be absorbed in independent exploratory activities. Their parents easily become slaves of the nagging child/tired parent syndrome they themselves helped unwittingly to create."

From "Caring For Infants with Respect: The RIE Approach", by Magda Gerber, Zero to Three, February 1984.

Diana is "very knowledgeable, talented, intelligent and passionately interested in young children and infants. She is a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher, full of original and innovative ideas." 

Magda Gerber

"I am so happy you have started the classes and I am a firm believer in the philosophy, so keep up the good work. I am proud to have been a part of it while you were here in Australia. My granddaughter is growing very beautifully and has developed very nicely. My daughter has used the techniques of Parent 'n' Me philosophy and she is very happy with her child's progress. Zara, my granddaughter, has just started to walk and she had developed all of her motor skills in her own time. My daughter did not force her to sit up or walk, but let Zara do it when she was ready. She is getting to the stage of independence now where she is doing things on her own and at times, she lets you know when she is not happy about something. She is a beautiful little girl and I am so proud of her. "

Virginia Skuse, Family Support Worker 
Acacia Ridge, Australia

Apply through email!

View RIE.org here!