Resources for Infant Educarers RIE

We have been taking the RIE parent-​infant class with Jill Getto Lee– Truly amazing work. I cannot speak highly enough about the value of this approach to seeing children. I mean it when I say I believe it «saved» my baby on so many levels, and it is giving him the best start in life any parent could wish for. It has made me see my baby with new eyes, and has completely changed my experience as a mother– I never get «tired» of a diaper change, or feeding, or the daily activities we do to care for our babies. Now I observe and relate to my son with awe and respect for the brilliance they are born with. (If we just allow). Ive learned so much from RIE, and am so grateful. Our teacher Jill Getto Lee is such a compassionate, knowledgable, gifted teacher, we are blessed to have found you all. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

So I recommend RIE to every pregnant woman that I meet. It is the BEST thing we ever did for ourselves as parents and for our child… I wish every person was raised by parents who were versed in the RIE philosophy. Simply put, the world would be a much happier place… because everyone would feel seen, heard, and respected. It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing, and sadly, all too rare it seems. But it’s never too late to learn something new, and if you are bringing new life into this world, this is a great place to explore clean and clear and loving communication between parent and child… And– bonus– it extends beyond that, too. My husband and I felt our own communication blossomed greatly as a result of what we learned in this class, and we took the philosophy beyond our home lives and into work as well.
The books are amazing, the Before Baby class was amazing, the program we attended with our child from 5months old to 2 years old was life changing, and life shaping, and I am so so pleased with the results across the board… See their website (
) for a list of all the places RIE is taught in Los Angeles and beyond. Every teacher is different and has a different style and it’s important to explore which center is right for you, but at the core, they all adhere to the same core principles and your life will benefit so much from learning and incorporating them, too.
Side note: my child is now ‘graduated’ from the RIE program, and I definitely miss our weekly classes… however, I am currently reading Janet Lansbury’s book «No Bad Kids» and very much enjoying her website and online community. I highly recommend that for people interested in learning more, or continuing to learn after RIE class is over… so so so so so so good!

There is too much to say about RIE in a Unilocal review. It is basically an entire philosophy about raising children, but specifically about caring for infants and toddlers, ages 0 – 2.
The basic tenet is treating infants with respect, honoring their young, enigmatic place here. Yet, unlike what most people think after hearing just that, it is not about «permissive parenting.» It’s actually nitty-​gritty thoughtful parenting, requiring a ton of parent-​introspective stuff about authenticity and expectations. As a parent, the class and philosophy are quite often challenging, but in a good way— it will require you to do more work as a parent than the average. It is not easy, period, but the experience is also magical. When you are here, you see how important the first two years of childhood really are.
My son and I had a lot of starts and stops with RIE b/​c their administration is (mostly) inefficient and at times, incompetent. And though I could go on and on about this because I had such difficulties with them over time and through several separate issues, I have to say that their classes are invaluable. From what I have heard, all of the teachers («facilitators») are good and ours have been great.
I have always loved kids, but I didn’t really know what kind of parent I would be. RIE never comments on that at all, and even though I think of it more of a «parenting» class than an infant class, the focus is 100% on the children and not the parents. So if you are looking for a support or «moms» group, this is not the place (though your facilitator will surely be supportive of your concerns and questions). It is a place to learn and challengeyourself for, and in the best interests of, your child.