This past week was so exciting – Cohort 7 began at the
infant house, as did I! We are all
new to Tumbleweed, and our first week was spent not only getting to know each
other, but also coming to know and love our new space that we share
together.
There is a lot to think about as I begin building
relationships with the infants in my group. Amy gave me a book on Magda
Gerber’s RIE approach that I've been reading throughout the week. The book primarily focuses on what it means to be an infant educarer. An integral part of this concept is the idea that the
education infants receive is 100% imparted by the care we provide. When we care for infants, we are
teaching them what respect feels like.
We are honoring them as individuals and teaching them that their bodies
are theirs alone – as care providers, we assist children who cannot yet walk or
feed themselves, but by doing this carefully and thoughtfully, we teach them
what is and what isn’t acceptable in how others treat their bodies. This idea resonates strongly with my
previous ideas about infant care, but seeing this concept articulated so
clearly was amazing, and really shaped my week with the infants.
As I engaged with LT and AJ (my only two full-time kids,
for now) in diaper changes, feedings, and play-time, I made it a goal to focus
on courteous, respectful engagement with their bodies. For example, LT played freely on the
rug for many minutes at a time throughout the week, and I always avoided
picking her up abruptly or changing activities without proper communication first. When the kids needed diaper changes, I would let them
know where we were about to go, and I talked them through the various steps so
they were attuned to the process, and felt like active participants in their
own care. When AJ woke up from her
naps, I would lift the blanket hanging above her cradle, and wait for her to
make eye contact with me and show that she was ready to be picked up before
doing so. CS stayed with us for a
few hours on Thursday for the first time, and there were some tears when his
mom first left for the day. I took
special care to acknowledge and respect his feelings about saying goodbye, and
made sure to offer him comforting hugs, but not to simply scoop him up and
quiet him down without asking. I
wanted to make sure he felt welcome to express his emotions however he wanted –
comforting was always available to him, but I didn’t wish to impose this on him
without his permission.
Of course, the kids are also learning how to interact with
each other, and this means I have been narrating their interactions with the
same things in mind. When LT and
AJ were lying on the rug together, we worked on listening to AJ as she reacted
to LT’s curious touches. These
were such sweet moments, as AJ and LT looked at toys together, or curiously touched
each other’s faces. I gently explained
AJ’s protests when LT touched her ear a bit too roughly – LT looked at me
intently when I narrated this for AJ, and simultaneously removed her hand from
AJ’s head. We are all learning
each other’s limits, and how to engage with one another respectfully and
lovingly, which is such an important
part of getting to know each other!
These are just some of the things that I have been
reflecting on as I engage with the children, and I am eager to continue
learning about the babies in my group, as well as reading more about Magda
Gerber’s philosophy. Our first
week was amazing, and the kids really seem to love the space, and our time
together! We are patiently and
respectfully learning each other’s rhythms and personalities, and I couldn’t be
more excited to continue this bonding.
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