Babies – Babies Project

Chaos Theory & Babies

written by Sarah Barnaby on 07/09/2023

…development is the outcome of the self-organizing processes of continually active living systems

…development does not “know” where it is going from the start

…the very nature of development itself — its contingent, evolving, emergent nature

(Esther Thelen, 1941-2004)

We’re inspired by the writing of Esther Thelen, a developmental psychologist and multidisciplinary out-of-the-box thinker who applied chaos theory (or dynamic systems theory) to infant development. Per a colleague’s tribute, Thelen “saw a child’s development more akin to a jazz improvisation than to a biological process driven by genes.”

Esther Thelen’s approach and research ring true for us: it … Read more

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Q&A: Follow-up about tummy time

written by Sarah Barnaby on 06/14/2023

In our previous Q&A post, we responded to a mother’s question about whether we recommend tummy time on a pillow for her 4-month-old. Our short answer was that we don’t think propping a baby on a pillow is particularly helpful for their movement development. What we encourage instead is supporting a baby to develop their midline and hands skills so they can spend time on their belly while engaged in play with an object.

We’ve since heard back from the parent, who sent new photos of their now 5-month-old engaged with toys on her belly and for contrast, propped … Read more

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Q&A: Tummy time on a pillow?

written by Sarah Barnaby on 05/31/2023

Question from a mother of a 4-month-old: Someone told me that it’s good to put babies on top of pillows (on the floor) so they can get perspective and help them develop. I am a bit hesitant but wanted to hear your thoughts on this.

Our response: Thanks for asking for our perspective – we’re happy to share our thoughts on the topic!

In short, we’re not huge fans of the practice of using pillows when positioning babies prone (on their belly). We don’t agree with what seem to be the reasons behind it – particularly focussing on strengthening muscles … Read more

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Guiding Principles: Safety, Orientation, Comfort, Bonding and Curiosity

This is the first of four in a series of companion articles and recorded zoom sessions. It is part of our Preparing for Caring Project to build awareness and educate about the importance of handling skills in caring for a baby. Read more about how these ideas play out in practical suggestions.

We have built our work at Babies Project around the progressive states of safety, orientation, comfort, bonding and curiosity. While it is similar to Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs”, this layering of ideas comes out of a Body-Mind Centering® approach to developmental movement.*

Watch a recorded Zoom session

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Update: Preparing for Caring at Early Head Start

Our project with Ellyce DiPaola, IDME and EdD candidate at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, which involves offering our Preparing for Caring: Touch, Handling & Bonding Practices (PFC) workshop to an Early Head Start community in NYC, continues.

In March 2019, we held a focus group with prospective participants and received valuable feedback about how we can best present the material to suit the population.
The three of us (Ellyce, Amy and Sarah) gave a presentation titled Preparing for Caring: Circles of Support about the project at the Body-Mind Centering Association annual conference in July 2019. We were heartened by the

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Big Picture, Little Picture

(from Fall Fundraising 2019 Newsletter #4)

…there are so many things to love besides one’s own offspring, so many things that need love, so much other work love has to do in the world.
– Rebecca Solnit, from The Mother of All Questions

We unpacked our tagline one sentence at a time in our previous letters, and in this last letter, we’ll wrap it up by adding context and perspective. (You can catch up here on “be with,” “be a witness,” and “be in relationship.”)

Why did we choose our tagline and why are … Read more

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Unpacking “Be in Relationship”

(from Fall Fundraising 2019 Newsletter #3)

I learned a great deal about how to interact and hold my baby, along with how to encourage play and curiosity. Equally as important, I feel more grounded and confident in my approach to raising my baby.
– Laura, mother of Oliver

My daughter’s confidence and curiosity has grown, and our relationship is stronger, because of the knowledge we gained at the Babies Project.
– Kimberly, mother of Laura

Each day, Olivia moves more independently and we observe that she is becoming more confident and happy. As she is blossoming, we also feel empowered

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Thoughts on Meeting a Baby

written by Sarah Barnaby on 10/21/2019

In our work at Babies Project, we meet new people every day. Many of them are babies. We’d like to share what we’ve learned from our experiences, with the support of our values, principles and ongoing conversations and questions. We offer this in the hope that it might lead to more fruitful, mutually enriching meetings between babies of all ages.

As a foundational principle and framework, we believe that babies come in as whole people with a sense of agency and the ability to make choices. The non-verbal aspects of an interpersonal interaction, which are always present, come forward … Read more

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Unpacking “Be a Witness”

(from Fall Fundraising 2019 Newsletter #2)

We’ll continue unpacking our tagline, this time focusing on the second sentence, “Be a witness.” That can mean so many things – what do we mean by it?

Being a witness means being aware of our own experience and responses as we witness a baby (of any age). Can watching and noticing our own experience help us not project our experience onto the baby?

The intention to “be a witness” means reserving judgment and evaluation, at least in the beginning. It’s a commitment to not start with a polarized lens – of good/bad, success/failure, … Read more

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Unpacking “Be With”

(from Fall Fundraising 2019 Newsletter #1)

I have learned to get on the floor more with him.
I have learned to observe more and entertain less. 
I have learned to be present with him.
– Hedy, mother of River

We’re hoping to persuade you to support us by unpacking our tagline:

Starting with the first sentence, what do we mean by “be with”?

“Being with” is a counter-balance to “doing to” and “doing for.” It’s an alternative to already thinking we know what is needed, to going in with an intention of fixing or of making progress … Read more

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