RIE® Nurturing Nanny™ Course
Caring for a baby is an extremely important job. All babies deserve to be cared for with respect, which is the hallmark of Magda Gerber’s Educaring® Approach. This course for in-home caregivers offers knowledge and practical suggestions that can help make this work easier and more enjoyable, resulting in advantages for the infants and young children who receive professional care.
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Designed to encourage nannies to work more effectively and pleasurably, topics of study include:
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Diapering, dressing, and feeding with respect
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Creating safe places for play and learning
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The caregiver’s role during play
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Setting appropriate limits
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Establishing a healthy sleep routine
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Supporting secure relationships
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Enhancing employee-employer relations
Jump to:
What is class like?
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This course is taught in a mixed format that includes four weeks of independent study, videos, and live Zoom discussion.
Zoom Classes
We will be using Zoom for our live (synchronous) class hours. In order to receive a certificate of completion, you will need to give the course your full attention and have your video on to demonstrate that engagement. You should expect the Zoom sessions to be interactive and full of discussion, questions, and group activities.
A Group Learning Experience
You will learn in a cohort of your peers, with time spent in large and small group discussion. Small groups are arranged so that students with similar interests are in the same groups and get to know each other over time. This course is intentionally kept small at 10-14 participants, so you will have ample opportunity to come to know your fellow students as you learn together throughout the course. ​
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Assignments
Each week you will have one short assignment. Your assignments will be completed independently and discussed in Zoom class. Here are some example assignments:​
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Share thoughts from your independent study book
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Practice techniques for respectful care with a child or adult in your life
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Watch and discuss a 30 minute recorded lecture
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Prepare a five-minute presentation of a concept for your small group
A Reasonable Time Commitment
You can expect to devote a total of 3-6 hours per week to this course, including Zoom discussion, assignments, reading, and videos. This includes:
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2 hours in a live Zoom class, doing group activities and participating in discussion
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1.5 hours watching prerecorded lectures and other videos independently
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1-3 hours on reading and assignments
You may complete work early to distribute the time needed to complete the course.
All Students Are Treated With Respect
Respectful Caregiving courses welcome all families. As a woman in a nontraditional relationship with another woman, and as a person who lives in a community house with several other families, I understand how important it is to make sure all types of families and caregivers know they are are welcome in my courses. Same gender families, families with more than two parents, adopting families, trans parents, and all other forms of alternative families can join this course knowing that their pronouns, gender, sexual identity, and role in their family will be respected.
Racial and cultural diversity is the norm in my courses. As a white woman, I do my best to educate myself in things outside my everyday sphere of life, and I encourage a student mindset that invites us to approach cultural differences with welcoming curiosity and thoughtful reflection instead of judgment.
I am committed to a high level of accessibility for my courses. As a neurodivergent person, I know that good course design is important and benefits not just students with disabilities, but all students. I am working to implement Universal Design For Learning in my courses. I offer multiple ways of accessing the course content and of demonstrating your knowledge. For example, you might submit your weekly journals and assignments written, typed, as recorded audio, as recorded video, or during office hours according to your learning style. All video content in my courses has subtitles and auto-captioning is available in the live Zoom sessions.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions about fitting into the social or cultural space of my courses.
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Questions?
Check out the FAQ below.
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Note:
In order to participate in this course, you will be asked to agree to a code of conduct. View the code of conduct here.
Tuition & What's Included
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Your registration for the online course includes:
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directed assignments
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8 hours of live online instruction via Zoom
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6 hours of recorded lecture and other videos (approximately 1.5 hours per week)
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access to the instructor's office hours for questions and help
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a digital copy of the RIE® Nurturing Nanny™ course handbook
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digital access to Magda Gerber's Educaring Approach, an Audio Guide for Nurturing Nannies and Other Caregivers.
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access to a private Facebook group for graduates of the course, where you can ask questions and network to find good job opportunities
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a digital certificate of completion, with a professional, full-color design
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the opportunity to join my official list of RIE® Nurturing Nannies™, which families and nanny agencies reference when placing nannies for families that use this approach
You Will Also Need
There are a few required textbooks and other materials that you will need to participate in the course:
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access to a computer with a consistent internet connection (not just a mobile device)​
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optional: a baby doll of realistic size, (20+ inches), with clothing and a diaper (example)
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...and one additional text of your choice from this list:​​
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Your Self Confident Baby by Magda Gerber
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Respecting Babies by Ruth Anne Hammond
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1,2,3 The Toddler Years by Irene Van der Zande
If you are already familiar with these titles, you may ask for approval to read a different book that will help enhance your understanding of the approach.
Tuition: $450 USD
(Early Bird Pricing - use coupon code EARLYNANNY for10% off if you register at least a month prior to course start date)
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Limited needs-based financial assistance is available. Students may pay in nonrefundable installments upon request.
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Peaceful Learning Alternative Nanny Agency is helping nannies afford this course. Any Peaceful Learning registered nanny will get a full reimbursement for the cost of the course if they are placed with a Peaceful Learning family full time.
A Note For Families
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Families, this course is an excellent way to add to your nanny's caregiving repertoire and to bring value alignment to your caregiving team. All families that pay for their nanny's registration will receive a free 15-minute consulting session where you can share your nanny's strengths and areas of desired growth.
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Please note, this course is for nannies only. Parents, if you are seeking knowledge about this approach for yourself, please let me know and I will guide you to the appropriate course.
Upcoming RIE Nurturing Nanny Courses
Summer 2024
Zoom sessions on four Saturdays in July, 10:00am - 12:00 noon Pacific Time.
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July 6, 13, 20, 27
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Registration opens in Winter 2024. Waitlisted participants get 2 weeks of priority registration.
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Early Bird Pricing - Register by June 1st with the code EARLYNANNY to receive 10% off on tuition.
Winter 2025
![Mother and son playing with a dandelion in the park [16 months].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/44f7fd_d2667f990a7343b0a6e342282ea8ccfa~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_228,h_131,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Mother%20and%20son%20playing%20with%20a%20dandelion%20in%20the%20park%20%5B16%20months%5D.jpg)
Zoom sessions on four Saturdays in January, 10:00am - 12:00 noon Pacific Time.
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January 4, 11, 18, 25
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Registration opens in Summer 2024. Waitlisted participants get 2 weeks of priority registration.
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Early Bird Pricing - Register by December 7th with the code EARLYNANNY to receive 10% off on tuition.
Looking for a possibility not listed here? If you have a group of 10-14 nannies who would like to take the course, you can contact me to schedule a private course.
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Can you help me find a job as a nanny?Yes, almost certainly! I get many, many requests from families looking for nannies, and relatively few requests for nannies looking for work, so the odds of me being able to find a family for you are good. If you have not yet taken RIE® Nurturing Nanny™ or RIE Foundations™, I recommend you do this as soon as possible. Families who are interested in this approach look for these qualifications when hiring. Please fill out this form and I will let you know if I can think of a match for you. If I can't find anyone for you, I will forward your information to a nanny agency familiar with helping nannies find jobs with families that use this approach.
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Can you help me find a RIE® nanny?I can try! Since I train nannies in this approach, I do sometimes hear from nannies that are looking for work. Please fill out this form and I will let you know if I can think of a match for you. If I can't find anyone for you, I can forward your information to a nanny agency familiar with helping families find nannies that use this approach. If you do not want to use an agency and are local to the SF Bay Area, I recommend posting in the Berkeley Parents Network or in the Facebook group I moderate, RIE in Northern California. Most nannies with RIE training charge $35-$50/hour. If this is outside your budget, I recommend finding a nanny you love without RIE training who is interested in learning and send her to my RIE® Nurturing Nanny course.
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Will you be my nanny?Sorry, my schedule is full! If that ever changes, I will offer my availability to my mailing list, so I invite you to subscribe.
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Can you train my nanny or childcare provider in RIE®?Yes! I can teach any nanny that is actively curious about the approach. You can sign your nanny up for one of my RIE® Nurturing Nanny™ courses designed to introduce nannies and childcare providers to the Educaring® Approach (RIE). You can go ahead and register your nanny for the next course. If your nanny would like more advanced training, I recommend a RIE Foundations™ course. I can also help train and support your nanny via individual sessions. Check my consulting availability and book a session! More tips on training your nanny here!
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Can you consult with me, either in person or over the phone?"Yes, I would love to! You can book a session online here.
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Can you help me find a playgroup or RIE® Parent Infant Guidance™ class?I have created two wonderful resources to help you find classes and community near you. The first is the Bay Area Infant Toddler Network. This is a group of RIE Associates, Interns, and Practicum students offering services in the Bay Area. Please check out the many classes offered on that website! If you are local to the SF Bay Area and surrounding counties, you can also join my Facebook group, RIE in Northern California, and find a playgroup or other families to spend time with. I wish you luck!
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Can you appear on our podcast, write an article for our newsletter, or teach at a conference I am organizing?Yes! I would love to speak to your audience on a variety of infant and toddler topics, and I am experienced with educating groups of 5 to 100+ people. I can usually book webinars and podcasts without too much issue. I am also happy to teach in person for courses or conferences. Just contact me using the Other Inquiries form at the bottom of the page to arrange the details. I welcome the opportunity to write for your online or print audience. You may reuse the articles on this website with permission, or you can contact me to request something different.
Scholarship Fund
Are you looking to make a difference? Every session, I have many students who would like to learn about better ways of caring for infants and toddlers but who can't afford the cost of the course. I have set up a scholarship fund to allow more of these people to attend. By contributing to this fund, you are sponsoring someone to learn about RIE® in a certified course such as Nurturing Nanny or Foundations. 100% of what you donate will be used for scholarships for my courses.
Thank you for helping to improve the lives of infants and toddlers!
