Educaring^® Principle: Consistency and Limits

“Sometimes people get the impression that RIE children are allowed to do whatever they want, all the time because we let them play freely – but this is not the truth.

Parents and caregivers need to provide consistent expectations and limits for children in order for them to be able to know what to expect in their day.  And we offer them the security of being able to anticipate what is expected of them.

So even if a child needs to test – which of course they need to do because that’s in their genetic makeup, is to try things out — we don’t want to shame them for their desire to try, but we just stop the behavior – for instance if a child is very disappointed that there aren’t strawberries at lunch, but only apples, they may decide they’re going to throw their milk on the ground in protest, and we can sympathize with their sad feelings of not having strawberries, while at the same time stopping the behavior in a firm but kind and calm manner.”

– Ruth Anne Hammond, RIE Associate