The Nurtured Child

10/23/2025

The Legacy We Carry 🐣

Most of us were raised in environments that valued achievement, tidiness, and “getting it right.”

Maybe we learned early that mistakes made others uncomfortable — that adults sighed, frowned, or quickly fixed things for us.

Those small, repeated messages form deep patterns.

They can make it hard to relax when life 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 messy.

In the Pikler® and RIE® approaches, we are invited to observe without judgment, to allow a child’s process to unfold naturally.

But when we notice tension rise in ourselves, it can be worth asking:
* What part of me is uncomfortable right now?
* What story am I carrying about what should be happening?
* Whose voice am I hearing — mine, or someone from my past?

Sometimes, the hardest work isn’t about our child at all. It’s about gently tending to the traces of our own upbringing 🙌♥️

10/09/2025

Leith here 👋

Sometimes the most powerful moments of parenting aren’t about teaching a lesson.
They’re about sitting with the hurt — without rushing to fix it.

This is a story about a child, a magic rock, and a small heartbreak that became something bigger:
a chance to practice empathy, presence, and connection.

No moral to tie it up neatly. No life lesson wrapped in a bow.
Just a moment of truth-telling. Of sitting beside someone you love and saying:

“𝒀𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆.”

This is the kind of teaching that lasts.
This is the kind I try to practice — 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 and 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.

10/04/2025

Before a child knows the word “I”,
before they recognize their reflection in a mirror—
they see themselves in you.

In your eyes, your voice, your presence.

They don’t ask: Am I good?
They wonder: Am I seen? Am I safe? Am I welcome?

And your gaze answers those questions before language ever can.

When we meet their moments with presence instead of praise, recognition instead of evaluation, we help build something far deeper than self-esteem:
a felt sense of self-worth.

This is why connection matters more than performance.
Why observation is more powerful than interruption.
Why your attunement today echoes in who they believe they are tomorrow.

You don’t need to do more.
You just need to see them.

🐣 You are their first mirror. Reflect back love, safety, and truth.

09/30/2025

This week’s cover by — titled “Free Play” — stopped us in our tracks. It shows a child quietly immersed in simple, open-ended play, with no flashy toys or distractions — just space, time, and trust.

For those of us who follow RIE® or Pikler® principles, this image beautifully captures what we believe: children thrive when given the freedom to explore at their own pace, with just the simplest materials and plenty of unhurried time.

Let’s remember: it’s not about more toys or constant entertainment — it’s about presence, respect, and the gift of open space to play and grow.

💬 How do you create space for free play in your home or care setting? Share below!

08/16/2025

https://nurturedchild.substack.com/p/this-is-not-that-kind-of-class ✨

Why a RIE® Class isn’t just another activity for your baby—and why that matters.

07/26/2025

https://nurturedchild.substack.com/p/speak-honestly-to-children

Real questions, true words, and the dignity of honest dialogue from the start.

07/02/2025

What does 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 mean to you? 🐣

Anna Ruth explores this fundamental principle in our 70th post 🎉🎉♥️

Read the full article and more at nurturedchild.substack.com

As always, link in bio. too 🐣

06/07/2025

An amazing opportunity!

We have received a generous donation for the Course Fee and Accommodation, and will make space to accommodate one more person. Please inquire directly theRIEway@gmail.com.

05/14/2025

“These investments might not look like much in the moment. A diaper change with full presence. A pause to let your toddler climb up the steps on their own. Choosing to narrate what’s happening instead of rushing through it. Allowing your infant to play uninterrupted. These moments might feel modest compared to flashy milestones or curated social media moments. But like compound interest, their effects are exponential.”

Read more via the link in our bio. 🐣

05/12/2025

“When children are treated as active participants rather than passive recipients of adult agendas, they develop a natural inclination toward collaboration. They move to assist their caregivers and each other in their respective goals rather than fighting against it. Instead of seeing an infant as an unruly being that must be controlled, the child is actually someone who wants to be in relationship, to connect, and to contribute.”

Read more via the link in our bio. 🐣

05/04/2025

“Only once (a) parent is comfortable with the child-sized risks their infant wants to take will the infant be able to take them.”

This week, Anna Ruth wrote about one of the most important considerations for parent- and caregiver-child class facilitators 🐣

Read more via the link in our bio. ♥️♥️

03/20/2025

Progressive early childhood education has a long tradition of resisting fascism.