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Expectant Parent Offerings
Get on the same page as your partner about respectful caregiving and child development during the first year of life
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Play Groups in Portland, OR
Join us for sensitive observation of uninterrupted infant play and warm & supportive adult conversation
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Electronic Guides
Dig into these clickable, curated, information-packed guides to help navigate early parenthood
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Virtual Coaching
Parenting is hard and dynamic and sometimes it helps to chat about tricky diaper changes, boundary setting, or anything else
Becoming a parent is a huge transition — for you and your baby.
Beech Street Parenting is here to guide you into your parenting journey using the RIE-inspired principles of respectful caregiving
Infants deserve informed and intentional care
Parents deserve to feel competent and confident in their caregiving practice. Beech Street Parenting supports new and expectant parents in learning about child development and principles of respectful caregiving. When parents show up with a shared, guiding philosophy, they help their child feel seen, connected, and respected.
“I didn’t even know what I didn’t know.” -Maia H. Portland, OR (second time mom-to-be and parenting prep participant)
“Learning about parenting from Courtney has been so eye-opening. Approaching my (first) newborn with deepened intention and respect has not only helped me feel more competent and calm but has helped me feel more bonded with my baby. Acknowledging personhood from birth or earlier and treating my baby with the same respect I would any other human feels like a departure from the parenting I grew up exposed to. It has also helped my husband and I think through our relationship goals with our babe and our partnering goals with one another. She also shared some great tips for maintaining some semblance of calm during *high-energy* diaper changes. I look forward to continuing to learn from Courtney and can't recommend her enough!!”
— Kira T. San Francisco, CA
Your baby is a person and it’s worth being intentional about creating an authentic relationship with them.
Infant & Toddler Education Specialist and Founder of Beech Street Parenting, Courtney Dern, on a beach!
My name is Courtney and I’ve been in the field of early childhood education for over a decade as a graduate student, classroom teacher, and instructional coach.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Education, and a graduate certificate in Infant & Toddler Mental Health. I’m a credentialed teacher, Reading Specialist, and “Master Trainer.”
I have the courage to teach parenting classes because I have the humility to know that parenting is imperfect, challenging, and worth preparing for.
My classes help expecting parents gain clarity about relating to and caring for their baby intentionally, respectfully, and confidently.
I use some personal examples (mostly to illustrate learning from “mistakes”) but the course is largely inspired by Dr. Emmi Pikler’s study of natural motor development and Magda Gerber’s RIE(R) philosophy.
Ask me a question!
Thinking, reading, and talking about caring for babies and toddlers is my true passion — please feel free to ask me a question!
“When you hold an infant, hold him not just with your body, but with your mind and your heart.”
— Magda Gerber