IDME = Infant Developmental Movement Education
or it can refer to an Infant Developmental Movement Educator
I am currently offering private infant developmental movement education (IDME) sessions:
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In person at my home office in Prospect Lefferts Gardens
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Online via zoom
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Small group IDME sessions can be arranged with one or two of your friends and their babies.
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In person or online sessions with expecting parents to learn skills before baby arrives
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IDME skills and principles are incorporated into my craniosacral work with infants!
Read on to find out more and
Some questions and curiosities that bring parents and caregivers to IDME…
“How can I help my baby reach their developmental milestones?”
“My baby hates tummy time. What should I do?"
“We are doing tummy time, but what else should we be doing?”
“How can I make sure my baby is getting everything they need to thrive and learn?”
“Why isn’t my baby rolling/crawling/walking yet?”
“My baby only turns their head one way/ only rolls one way/ has a funny way of crawling.”
“My baby can sit, but they’re stuck there and can’t get into or out of sitting on their own.”
“I’m expecting and don’t have much experience with babies. Before my baby arrives,
I want to learn the basic skills of holding, picking up, putting down my baby
as well as gain an understanding of what's important for their development.”
Intro to IDME:
A baby’s primary way to learn is through movement and touch. Babies are constantly following their curiosity and exploring through all of their senses - movement, touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste. It’s a rich experience for them and as parents, caregivers, and playmates, we can join them in this exciting exploration! Our role is not to teach them to move because they’ll do that on their own. What we can do is provide a supportive environment for them in which following their own curiosity leads to becoming agile little movers who are comfortable in their bodies and have a robust sense of agency and confidence that allows them to connect deeply to themselves and thrive in relationship with others. These foundational skills support them throughout their lives.
As IDMEs, we help illuminate all the little steps that are happening along the way to reaching the developmental “milestones.” As a parent or caregiver with this expanded awareness, you may find yourself more deeply engaged and interested by what your baby is up to. You may also find you have a greater capacity and confidence to communicate with your baby through touch, movement, and play.
What does an IDME session look like?
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I am here to support you as a parent or caregiver just as much as I’m here to support your baby.
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We will observe and marvel at all of your baby’s moves as we play with your little one together.
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You can tell me what you’ve been noticing and what you have questions about. I will point out all the amazing skills that I see, so that we build appreciation for what your baby is already doing.
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We will talk about what your baby is currently “working on,” as well as what might be the next steps to look out for and how to support them.
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I will share tips on how to hold your baby and put them down and pick them up in ways that will facilitate their fullest movement development.
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If there are certain movements that your baby seems to be struggling with, I can offer specific ways to support them in finding a way through this challenge.
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Along with skill sharing, my intention is to model and share the underlying principles of IDME. You are always welcome to take on what makes sense to you and leave behind the rest.
Some IDME guiding principles:
We support all the micro-steps between each of the developmental “milestones,” so that it’s not just about reaching the goal but valuing the rich process along the way. And every baby will do it in their own way and at their own pace!
We don’t need to teach babies to move. They will learn through their own exploration. What we can do is be conscious of how we hold, handle and interact with babies so that we are not interrupting their capacity to become fully agile and comfortable in their bodies.
We place equal value on being able to skillfully get down - to lower down to the floor and to tumble and fall with grace - as we do on getting up into sitting, standing and walking. If we can get down just as easily as we get up, that serves us for our entire lives!
We respect a baby or child’s timing and rhythm. For instance, when in a new place some little ones are ready to explore and interact right away while others may need more time to cling to their parent’s side. We don’t value one way of being over the other.
We believe our capacity grows through following our curiosity within a supportive environment. In other words, we grow by gently expanding our boundaries, not by pushing past them before we are ready.
We value the skill of knowing when you’ve had enough and need to rest and recover. We share ways to recognize when a baby might be getting overstimulated and how we can offer them a secure base to return to in our arms and in their own bodies.
We believe self regulation is learned through co-regulation. Babies learn to cope with the whirlwind of emotions that comes along with being a human by being held, listened to, and acknowledged. Just as we adults need someone to be with us and listen when we’re upset, babies need the same thing. They develop the capacity to self regulate as a result of this empathetic support.
We support babies and caregivers where they are. We have a lot of ideas that we are excited to share. At the same time we respect and trust that you are the expert on your baby, and you will find your own way!