Elevating Child Care

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Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting – Janet Lansbury

1. Full Citation

Lansbury, J. (2014) Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting. Los Angeles: JLML Press.

2. Introduction

Elevating Child Care presents a calm, grounded approach to parenting infants and toddlers based on the respectful parenting principles of Magda Gerber’s RIE philosophy (Resources for Infant Educarers). Janet Lansbury, a former actress turned early childhood educator, invites parents to trust in their child’s competence, slow down, observe, and engage with mindfulness. The book challenges the anxiety-fuelled, performance-driven parenting norms with a style of caregiving that nurtures autonomy, dignity, and mutual respect.

3. Author Background and Credentials

Janet Lansbury is a certified RIE Associate and an internationally known parenting educator. She studied under Magda Gerber, the founder of RIE, and is widely followed through her podcast (Unruffled), blog, and workshops. Lansbury has played a central role in translating RIE principles into accessible advice for modern parents.

4. Summary of Contents

This book is a curated collection of short, reflective essays that address common parenting questions and challenges with RIE-informed strategies. Key themes include:

  1. Respectful Observation
    • Encourages parents to observe without judgement, allowing children to initiate learning and exploration.
  2. Infant and Toddler Autonomy
    • Advocates for giving children space to solve problems, experience frustration, and develop self-confidence.
  3. Crying, Tantrums, and Emotional Validation
    • Emphasises that emotional expressions are not problems to fix, but feelings to acknowledge with calm presence.
  4. Boundaries and Discipline
    • Teaches that firm, consistent boundaries can coexist with emotional validation and kindness.
  5. Care Moments as Relationship Builders
    • Diapering, feeding, and bathing are seen not as tasks but relational rituals where connection and cooperation are fostered.
  6. Parental Presence and Self-Regulation
    • Urges parents to prioritise their own emotional regulation, modelling calm leadership for their children.

Each chapter includes practical tips, common misconceptions, and real parent–child examples.

5. Critical Evaluation

a. Coherence and Argumentation

The book delivers a consistently structured argument for replacing reactive parenting with respectful, observational caregiving. Each essay builds on the central thesis that children deserve to be treated as full people from birth.

b. Originality and Intellectual Contribution

While rooted in Magda Gerber’s RIE framework, Lansbury has become the leading contemporary voice of respectful parenting. Her ability to translate RIE into modern, everyday parenting dilemmas is a significant contribution to the child care discourse.

c. Evidence, Sources, and Method

The book does not rely on academic citations but draws from practitioner wisdom, RIE theory, and early childhood development principles. It aligns with attachment theory, autonomy-supportive parenting, and constructivist pedagogy.

d. Style and Accessibility

Written in a gentle, non-judgmental tone, the book is ideal for overwhelmed or anxious parents seeking reassurance. Its short-form essay format makes it easy to read in small portions, yet thematically unified.

e. Limitations and Critiques

Some readers may find the tone overly idealistic or lacking in concrete scripts for high-stress scenarios. Additionally, those unfamiliar with RIE may struggle with non-interventionist principles when toddlers exhibit aggressive behaviour or developmental delays.

6. Comparative Context

This book is often read alongside:

  • The Montessori Toddler – similar respect for autonomy, different classroom-oriented methods
  • The Whole-Brain Child – more scientific and structured
  • The Gentle Parenting Book – more behaviourally-focused

Unlike mainstream discipline guides, Lansbury’s work is rooted in slowness, trust, and emotional transparency, not correction.

7. Thematic or Disciplinary Relevance

Relevant to early childhood education, attachment parenting, infant mental health, and family therapy, the book promotes a relationship-centred, observation-based caregiving model that informs both parents and professionals.

8. Reflection or Practical Application

Readers often find that applying Lansbury’s ideas results in more confident toddlers, fewer power struggles, and deeper emotional connections. The focus on slowing down and staying present transforms routine caregiving into relationship-building.

9. Conclusion

Elevating Child Care offers a calm, insightful vision of parenting that prioritises respect, dignity, and trust in the child’s inner growth process. Through simple, practical reflections, Lansbury equips caregivers to meet the emotional needs of toddlers with grace and intention.

Recommended for: Parents of infants and toddlers, early childhood educators, nannies, and anyone interested in respectful caregiving philosophies.

10. Other Works by the Same Author

  • No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame
  • Unruffled podcast
  • Elevating Child Care blog and online courses

11. Similar Books by Other Authors

  • Magda Gerber – Your Self-Confident Baby
  • Deborah Carlisle Solomon – Baby Knows Best
  • Simone Davies – The Montessori Toddler
  • Sarah Ockwell-Smith – The Gentle Parenting Book

12. References (only if external works are cited)

  • Gerber, M. (1998) Your Self-Confident Baby
  • Brazelton, T.B. (1992) Touchpoints
  • Emde, R.N. (1993) Early Emotional Development
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