Model the behaviour that you want to teach. Do not preach.

Recognise problems as learning opportunities, and let infants and toddlers try to solve their own. Don’t rescue them, constantly make life easy for them, or try to protect them from all the problems.

Build security by teaching trust. Don’t teach distrust by being undependable or often in consistent.

Be concerned about the quality of development in each stage - Do not rush infants and toddlers to reach developmental milestones.

The foundation of the RIE philosophy and its principles are about respect. The meaning of the word respect is somewhat abstract and not usually associated with infants and toddlers. Respecting young children, unlike other child rearing fads that promoted the use of flash cards or teaching a baby to read, is unlikely to go out of fashion or be found to be damaging to the child. Caregivers that respect infants and toddlers have learned to see them as competent human beings deserve to be treated respectfully.

We honour each child’s unique capabilities and do not expect them to do what they are not yet ready to do. Babies do not need to be pushed or taught the next milestones. They will do it all by themselves when they are ready. nfants are perfectly designed to do exactly what they should be doing to achieve the next milestone. When adults put infants into positions they cannot get in and out of themselves, they deny the child the opportunity to practice the skill on his or her own.