Respectful Parenting - Raised with Respect

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About Sarah
My Approach
Learn More
Work With Me

About Sarah
My Approach
Learn More
Work With Me

learn about respectful parenting

Below you’ll find the content I post to Instagram (@Raised.With.Respect). Click on an image to learn more.

I also suggest listening to my appearance on the “We’re Winging It” podcast with Kalea Feltner and Kristy Winter. I discuss my philosophy, tips for promoting language development, and key components of respectful parenting (35 minutes; interview starts at 5:30).

Your needs matter too. Yes, there are times that w

Your needs matter too. Yes, there are times that we have to prioritize our child’s needs first, but our needs must be a priority as well.

Parental capacity building is necessary in order to parent respectfully.

One of the things I love most about the RIE approach is that it provides simple strategies to build that capacity and make parenting (especially in infancy and early toddlerhood) easier. It also helps parents to get in the habit of paying attention to and accommodating their own needs (as well as their baby’s of course💕) which is a great skill to have as you grow into parenting older children.

With love,
Sarah

✨Reminder!✨ Our kids need our help going THR

✨Reminder!✨

Our kids need our help going THROUGH their tantrums, not distractions, bribes, or threats to make them stop ❤️

#respectfulparenting #toddlertantrums #parentingtips

This workshop is full of super valuable informatio

This workshop is full of super valuable information to help make caring for your infant so much easier and enjoyable. This is knowledge that I WISH my husband and I had had before becoming parents. It would have been a game-changer and I know it can be for you 🤍

✨Respectful Caregiving for Infants✨ is ideal for expecting parents and other caregivers for infants. Parents of newborns are a great fit as well (I’m just guessing those folks are less available for a workshop).

Tickets are $55 and include an (optional) partner. Your partner can be any support person of your choosing.

I look forward to sharing with you!
Link in bio for details!

With love,
Sarah

Just a quick recap of the rules BEFORE starting ro

Just a quick recap of the rules BEFORE starting routines can help so much. This not only reminds your child, but it helps them to get prepared.

And when they are more prepared, they are more capable of participating.

You may have to give these reminders several times before it becomes a habit, but it just takes a couple seconds. Seconds that are usually well worth spending.

With love,
Sarah

Great toys do not have to be expensive! One thing

Great toys do not have to be expensive!

One thing that I love about the RIE philosophy is that there isn’t a big emphasis on fancy schmancy toys. Those toys are great too, but they just aren’t accessible to many(most?) families.

I’m also not posting this to encourage you to go out and buy more stuff! Goodness knows, most of us have too much already.

I’m sharing to invite you to look at what you already have around your house and consider if it could be a good play object for your child? There are so many great objects already available to us in our homes.

Have a look around and see what you can find, and if you think you need to add a couple things, the dollar store can be a great option!

With love,
Sarah

In the Respectful Parenting world, there is a lot

In the Respectful Parenting world, there is a lot of emphasis placed on being consistent and sticking with your routines. I totally agree, AND I know that we must also allow space for nuance and exceptions.

One big thing that I've learned along the way is that, as the parent, you are totally allowed to change your mind!

✨If you were too quick to give a “no” and then thought about it for a minute, you can reverse your decision.

“You know what? I’ve thought about it, and we do have some time to play outside before dinner. What should we do?”

✨If a current routine is getting a little out of control and you need to reign it in, you can make that change.

“Honey, our bedtime routine is too long. You get extra tired and so do I. I’ve decided that instead of reading three books, we’re going to read one and we aren’t going to do any extra snacks after bathtime.”

✨If there is a boundary that you’ve been a little loose on that’s starting to drive you nuts, you can re-establish the parameters.

“I know that I used to let you walk around with your snack, but I’ve thought about it and decided that, from now on, we are going to sit at the table to eat.”

Also, there are a few things I try to do when changing my mind:

❤️ I try not to tie the change in decision to a tantrum. If we do that regularly, tantrums will only increase.

❤️ I try to give my child a heads up about the change “We used to do X, and now we are going to do Y.”

❤️ I welcome any feelings they may have about it “Yeah I hear you. You wish we could still do X.”

❤️ I still try to change my mind pretty rarely. We do want to be consistent and firm in our decisions most of the time.

What’s something that you changed your mind about recently?

With love,
Sarah

I think all parents want their children to enjoy i

I think all parents want their children to enjoy independent play. The truth is, I haven’t met a kid who doesn’t! Even babies enjoy uninterrupted time to explore. Especially babies, actually.

It doesn’t “work” though, if they never get our undivided attention. There must be a balance.

In Respectful Parenting, we prioritize using caregiving routines as times for unhurried and focused connection with our child. When we do this, this “fills their tank” and allows them to relax into deep play, knowing that they are fully loved and that we are there when they need us.

With love,
Sarah

Welcome to Raised with Respect!! ❤️ It's so fu

Welcome to Raised with Respect!! ❤️
It's so fun to curate the space for the different groups and to welcome so many amazing families every week😊

I have this sign above the shoe rack outside of ou

I have this sign above the shoe rack outside of our space. A shoe free zone, I think, is pretty obvious - I want a clean space for all the kiddos to explore.

But why do I recommend socks off for babies and toddlers?

❤️Because being barefoot makes it so much easier for them to walk!

❤️Because grippy socks can prevent slips, but they also inhibit the muscles of the foot from building strength and doing what they are meant to do.

❤️Because I want them to feel the different surfaces in the space - the fuzzy rug, the squishy mat, the wooden ramp and climbing rungs.

❤️And for pre-walking babes, I want them to be able to wiggle and move their WHOLE bodies as freely as possible. I also recommend bare knees (and stretchy, comfy clothes) for the same reason.

Are there exceptions? Of course! There are always going to be individual cases that might need a modification, but for most babies and toddlers bare feet (and bare legs, and clothes that are easy to move in), as much as possible, are ideal.

With love,
Sarah

Final call! 📣 I have 2 spots left in this Older

Final call! 📣 I have 2 spots left in this Older Toddler Play Group. This cohort meets on Thursdays from 10:30 to 12 and the winter series starts this Thursday the 11th.
All other groups are full! 🎉 I'm so excited to connect with more families in our new play space!!

Link in bio for all the Play Group deets!

Raised with Respect is MOVING!!! With the move, I'

Raised with Respect is MOVING!!! With the move, I'm adding 2 new groups!
Link in bio for all the schedule and new location details ❤️

I get it, you need a safe place for your baby to b

I get it, you need a safe place for your baby to be while you:

🚽go to the bathroom
🚿Take a shower
🍽️Unload the dishwasher
🥘Cook a meal
💕Or (gasp!) take a moment to yourself to do whatever you please!

But, here’s the thing. The safe space doesn’t need to be a container, and your baby doesn’t need to be in the same room as you at all times.

The safe space, or “yes space” (coined by Janet Lansbury because you don’t have to hover and say “no” constantly) can be a playpen, a gated off section of a room, or even an entire room if it’s fully baby-proofed (and you have the space).

A space like this allows your baby to move their body and explore how they wish! They are not strapped in, and therefore are much LESS likely to get frustrated (babies love to move!) and are much MORE likely to play for longer periods without your help! Win-win!

I am all about reducing parental burnout. Creating a “yes space” and allowing your baby time to themselves to play (assuming their needs have been met) is key to this goal and provides you with time to do the other things you need, and sometimes, just want to do.

With love,
Sarah

Come tour the Infant Play Group space with me! Li

Come tour the Infant Play Group space with me!
Link in bio for all the Play Group details 😁

I had a dad in a recent play group ask some import

I had a dad in a recent play group ask some important questions about saying “no”. Is it ok? How do we know if we are using it too much?

“No” is an important and powerful word, and I am a big proponent of using it with babies and toddlers (and welcoming them to use it as well!), but I think it’s valuable to be mindful of how often we use it.

If you find that you are getting frustrated and saying “no” a lot throughout your day, it probably means that your child’s environment needs tweaking.

My guess is that their play space isn’t safe enough, and there are too many hazards. Is there a way that you can baby/toddler proof a bit more? I’m a huge fan of creating a “yes space” - a space that is entirely safe for them and in which they are completely free to explore how they wish.

This space allows them to explore and relax into deep play, and (bonus!) it allows you to step away with the peace of mind that they are safe. A total parenting game changer.

With love,
Sarah

If you are: ✨An expecting parent ✨Considering

If you are:
✨An expecting parent
✨Considering becoming a parent
✨A parent to an infant
✨A birthworker
✨A caregiver or otherwise passionate about babies
… then this workshop is for you!

We will discuss the RIE approach, which emphasizes the importance of respectful care for infants.

We will also discuss how to support overall development without buying a bunch of gear.

And finally, we will learn how to balance your needs with those of your baby - a skill that will aid you throughout your parenting/caregiving journey.

This workshop will be interactive and you will come away with actionable tools and strategies.

See the link in my bio for all details. I hope to see you at an upcoming workshop!

With love,
Sarah

I don't know about you, but I love structure, fram

I don't know about you, but I love structure, frameworks, and scripts. I don't always (or often) follow them exactly, but they allow me a place to begin with confidence. So, I hope this helps!

HIERARCHY OF HELP

1. Do nothing.
Observe. Consider if you need to intervene.

2. Sportscast.
Describe what you see.
✨“That looks tricky. The car is really stuck.”
✨“You are working really hard trying to climb that.

3. Offer a verbal suggestion.
✨“I wonder if turning it would help?”
✨"You could try putting your foot up here.”
You are still not physically intervening at all.

4. Offer to get involved (minimally).
✨"Would you like me to hold the bottom while you turn the lid?”
What’s key here is that they are still doing it. We are just assisting in some way so that they can complete the task themselves.

5. *Pick them up and reset.
⚠️I use this for motor skills ONLY and only when they are scared or fully stuck.
✨"You’re really stuck up there. I’m going to take you down and you can try again if you’d like.”

Other thoughts:
I try not to ever actually complete the task for them. Remember, this is play. This is not something that MUST get done. If they get frustrated, I support them in their frustration and maybe suggest they try a different toy for now.

If they are consistently frustrated and overwhelmed, that tells me that the particular toy is too challenging for them at this time, and I would remove it and bring it out again in a few weeks.

This topic is very wide and of course there are always nuances and exceptions, but this is the framework that I have found to be the most helpful most of the time.

With love,
Sarah

This is not to say that these are the only “corr

This is not to say that these are the only “correct” phrases to use in these situations.

There are so many great options, and our demeanor and intention is more important than the specific words we use.

But I do find scripts to be helpful and I think many other parents do too. These are some of my favorites, so I thought I’d share🤍.

With love,
Sarah

Play is not neat and tidy, and it really shouldn't

Play is not neat and tidy, and it really shouldn't be! Especially for infants and toddlers. Embrace the mess as best you can ❤️.

Something to ponder 🤔❤️

Something to ponder 🤔❤️

Playing with your child can take a lot of differen

Playing with your child can take a lot of different forms. What's your favorite way to play with your little one?

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