I am Janet Lansbury. Welcome to my blog. As Janet Julian, I acted and modeled for many years, but it wasn't until I became a mother and sought guidance from infant expert Magda Gerber that I found my life's work: parent education. Since 1994, I have enjoyed teaching RIE parenting classes in Los Angeles.
I have also been a presenter at early childhood conferences, written infant/toddler parenting articles, and served on the board of directors of Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE). Raising a child is one the most important and challenging jobs we will ever have. It brings a considerable amount of joy. It can also be confusing, discouraging and haphazard. My goal is to provide clarity, inspiration (and maybe a smile or two) by sharing insights I've gained through my parenting classes, my experiences as a mother, and studies with my friend and mentor Magda Gerber. This blog is dedicated to her memory.
Posted by janet on Jan 15th, 2015
Sleep is not always a problem to fix. There is a large part that remains a mystery.That comment from sleep specialist Eileen Henry nails the reason I find it far more challenging to help parents with sleep issues than I do all other aspects of parenting. Sleep is deceptive and ambiguous, and I am infinitely more comfortable with clarity. This is also the reason I often ask Eileen - always fearless and...
Posted by janet on Jan 8th, 2015
Children act aggressively to express a variety of feelings that all come under one heading: Discomfort. Understanding this truth is crucial for parents committed to respectful care, because our perceptions of our childrens behavior will always dictate our responses. When we treat an uncomfortable child in need of our help and safety like a bad kid needing scolding, a lesson, or punishment, we create distance,...
Posted by janet on Jan 2nd, 2015
I have a personal holiday tradition that I began spontaneously a few years ago. On one of the nights between Christmas and New Years Day, I sit up late in our living room, basking in the glow of scented candles, shimmering Christmas tree lights, a blaze in the fireplace, and the music of the Chieftains or one of our other Celtic CDs. I imagine myself in a cozy, wintery cottage in the Irish countryside (a place...
Posted by janet on Dec 12th, 2014
Our second daughter started college this fall. Shes an old soul whos always strummed to her own beat, so it wasnt surprising that shed found high school restrictive and uninspiring, both academically and socially. But, as wed hoped, college has been a different story. Shes thriving in the freer, more diverse atmosphere, more fulfilled and content than shes been in years. Recently, while...
Posted by janet on Dec 4th, 2014
One of the greatest challenges for parents and professionals practicing mindful care is allowing children to struggle as they develop skills. It is far easier for us to do for them than it is to trust their natural process and offer hands-off encouragement. Good things often come to those who wait, but sometimes the wait can be excruciating for us.I recently had the pleasure of meeting Mercedes Castle, a passionate...
Posted by janet on Nov 27th, 2014
Rarely can a response make something better. What makes something better is connection. Brené Brown, Ph.D. I once entered an elevator to the sounds of a crying infant. The mother faced forward and was holding the baby up to face the rear of the elevator. She was shifting her body from side to side and patting the babys back in an attempt to quiet...
Posted by janet on Nov 21st, 2014
Thank goodness for those occasional, special moments of deep connection and elation that punctuate our daily lives with children, because without these bonuses, parenting can be tedious, monotonous, and just plain hard.We may not remember these experiences as the years pass, but our hearts will. They were our much-needed proof that we were bonding. It was working. Our efforts were actually paying off despite...
Posted by janet on Nov 14th, 2014
Im blessed to work with mindful parents, most of whom have sensitive and respectful down. Theyve made a concerted effort to develop a quality connection with their children, and their behavior usually reflects that. So theyre understandably thrown when resistant or defiant behavior occasionally crops up anyway. The good news: getting back on track is simple, because all thats usually needed...
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