Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...     3:23 - The developmental appropriateness of independent play - it might not last as long as our culture might lead you to believe it should.   4:25 - To foster independence, you might have to first allow your child to be dependent on you. (And the psychology of how and why this actually works!)   7:05 - The difference between independent play versus "why can't they play quietly so I can take a phone call?"   10:12 - In our culture, we're often taught that we should always be engaging, stimulating, and entertaining our kids to help them reach their full potential.   11:40 - When we say "play" what we really mean is exploration and engagement and by understanding this, it shifts what we think our role is in this interaction.   12:30 - How to foster independent play with older kids if you didn't start building this skill from a young age.     WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PLAY? ? Listen to my podcast episode with The Workspace for Children's Lizzie Assa ? Listen to my podcast episode with Jennie Monness ? Listen to our BTS discussion about enrichment classes and brain development   WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RIE (RESOURCES FOR INFANT EDUCARERS)? ? Listen to my podcast episode about using RIE with babies with Deborah Carlisle Solomon ? Listen to my podcast episode about evolving RIE into respectful parenting with Janet Lansbury     ✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨