Pikler: What happens in a Pikler course?

What is the Pikler education concept?

The paediatrician and director of the Loczy infant orphanage in Budapest, Emmi Pikler, stands for a change of consciousness in early childhood education, on which many parent-child programmes, such asFenKid, are based. With these programs, experts assume that your child opens up the world at its own rhythm and can develop without your active help and guidance. This means letting go for you, even if it is sometimes very difficult.

Emmi Pikler claims that every baby has its own time measure for its development in autonomy, individuality and personality. In her opinion, these characteristics can only develop sufficiently if you let your child experience as independently as possible. Your child should gain self-confidence through the joy of having achieved something himself. It is also important to be attentive to your baby. You take on the task of encouraging your child to try things out and to support it in its independence through the security in your upbringing. In a safe and stable environment, your child will learn best how to act on their own initiative. Thus, in addition to self-confidence, it can also reduce dexterity and

What happens in a Pikler course?

The approach of a Pikler group is the independent play of your child. During a group meeting, the parents sit down together to talk to exchange ideas. Strengthening parents and accompanying them in the education of their children is a core point of Pikler. Only when the parents feel confident in the education of the child, they have enough confidence and can give their children free play. In a Pikler course, you do not give your child any concrete play offers, but let it play alone with the other babies, so that it can move freely and try out itself. For example, your child has to try to stand up without you reaching out your hand for support or discovering for yourself how to play with the objects lying around. These can be tires, cups and plastic buckets, balls, baskets or rings – all sorts of things become toys at Pikler. The babies are not pushed or guided. This allows each baby to take time, research and learn according to its own development process.