Meet Sarah Markel | Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, Early Childhood Consultant ,and owner of Raised with Respect

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Markel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have worked as a speech-language pathologist, in early intervention, for over 15 years. In this work, much of my therapy visits consist of sitting on a family’s living room floor, demonstrating techniques and talking through strategies with the parents. While speech therapists are trained to help communication, I found that parents inevitably asked me to assist them with a wide range of other issues – tantrums, hitting, sibling dynamics, picky eating – and much more.

For years, I pieced together strategies to troubleshoot these issues, but I never felt like I had a unified philosophy to guide me. In 2017, I was introduced to Janet Lansbury’s podcast “Unruffled”. Her philosophy is sometimes referred to as “Respectful Parenting”, also known as the “RIE® approach”. RIE® stands for Resources for Infant Educarers® and is a parent education organization founded by child development expert Magda Gerber.

I immediately saw that the Respectful Parenting philosophy aligned with what I knew to be true from my experience working with families — and provided an overall philosophy that “just made sense”. I began to study RIE® in earnest (completing the RIE® Foundations Course), use its techniques with my own son, and pass along its principles to my clients.

In early 2022, I formally started my business – Raised with Respect – offering parent-infant play groups and seminars for parents of young children.

Somehow the message has been spread that you have to be a martyr to be a good parent or that parenting is inherently grueling. While there are certainly ups and downs, I believe that parenting can be easy(er), and my hope is to help parents learn the framework and strategies to make that a reality.

I want parents to maintain a sense of self, feel confident in their parenting decisions, find joy in caring for their children, and generally feel much less stress in this very important job. My goal is for both children and parents to thrive and I believe these are not mutually exclusive.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

The philosophy that I promote is unique because it recognizes young children as innately competent people. This means that children (even infants) are deserving of the same respect, honesty, trust, independence, and forthright communication that we (ideally) afford to adults. Adults are accustomed to loving and caring for infants, but this is different than treating them with respect. Treating them with respect means talking directly to them, allowing time for them to respond (in whatever way they are able), telling them before you manipulate or move their bodies, allowing them to feel their feelings instead of bribing or distracting, supporting and encouraging their autonomy from day one.

I am excited to see that this philosophy is growing in popularity, and parents are working hard to raise their children in a different way than many parents did in the past. They are learning to parent in a way that balances high expectations and clear boundaries with love and kindness.

Starting my own business has been the most difficult professional challenge I have faced so far. It has also been extremely rewarding. I have learned the importance of meeting people where they are while also providing education and support to make small changes. No parent or caregiver is going to be perfect (myself included). Perfection is not the goal. The goal is to build a positive relationship with out children built on mutual respect and love. Any positive relationship includes imperfections, mistakes, rupture, and repair.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Early fall is my favorite time of year in Fort Collins so I would encourage my friend to come then. The air is cool enough for a sweater and the leaves are gorgeous. We would spend a day hiking Grey Rock up the Poudre Canyon or going on a long bike ride along the Poudre River Trail. I’d take them for a walk around Old Town stopping for coffee and pastries at Little Bird Bake Shop. We’d also go for a brewery tour at Odell or New Belgium staying for a beer, a food truck, and some live music.

For a fancy night out, we’d do cocktails and appetizers at Social followed by dinner at Jax Fish House. Long walks in my Old Town East neighborhood checking out the CSU annual trial flower gardens and having deep discussions along the way would be a must. We would end the week with a potluck dinner in my backyard with my family and local friends.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Despite having an extensive background in early childhood development, I had not encountered the Respectful Parenting philosophy until well into my career as an early intervention therapist.

This discovery completely changed how I saw myself as a parent and a parent educator, and I will be forever grateful. I realized that parenting did not have to be so hard, and that I (and all parents) could be kind AND firm, take time for ourselves, care for and treat children with the respect they deserve, and provide a nurturing, loving, and supportive home. Janet Lansbury, her mentor, Magda Gerber, and the RIE® organization have had a huge impact on my understanding of parenting and child development and I tell anyone who will listen about them.

The other person I have to recognize is my son, James. He has been the best teacher I could have ever asked for, and I feel so lucky to be his mama.

Website: www.raisedwithrespect.org

Instagram: @raised.with.respect

Facebook: Raised With Respect