What if there were an easier way to raise children? Right now we are juggling work, home, wanting to enjoy ourselves and our family, as well as being a part of our community, alongside serious concerns about humanity, the impact of technologies, and our planet.
We believe that Montessori is the antidote we need. Instead of raising children from fear, we can raise them with joy. Even, and especially, for an unknown future.
The Montessori approach offers what can be affectionately called the “triumvirate.”
First, there is raising the child with respect, love and understanding. We are like our child’s guide rather than their boss or servant. We are on their side, on this journey together, seeing every opportunity (good or bad) as an opportunity for learning and growth.
Second, we have the prepared environment, setting up our homes intentionally (and as they get older, going out into society) so that our child can be capable, feel like they belong, and become a meaningful member of our family and the community.
Third, there is offering activities that meet the needs of our unique child to support their development in a holistic way – cognitively, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
Dr. Montessori developed this approach to children’s education over 100 years ago. We might wonder how it is still relevant in today’s world. To that we would remind the reader that the needs and characteristics of children have not changed. Children need to move, to express themselves, to connect with others, and learn about the world around them. Montessori children love to learn, not because someone is forcing them, but because there is an intrinsic desire and flame inside them that has not been put out. In addition, we have an approach that has worked for all types of children around the world for more than a century. A philosophy that allows every child to develop uniquely on their own timeline, with their own way of learning, with their unique interests.
Our children can benefit from the Montessori approach whether or not they attend a Montessori school by applying the Montessori principles in our homes. In fact, this makes Montessori accessible, equitable and culturally responsive as we apply the principles for our unique family and circumstances.
Many people might say, “Well I turned out ok without Montessori.” That may be true for a handful of folks who had families that were able to offer unconditional support and opportunities or who were able to take care of themselves in spite of their circumstances. Far more often we think we are doing ok, however, if we dig a little deeper, we may have dreams we never fulfilled; or followed a path set by our parents or societal expectations; or perhaps we feel like we cannot be one hundred percent ourselves; we may hold resentment and anger towards people who think differently from us (be it politics, religion, interests, cultural background, economic status etc.) or our own family members; or never learned how to express our emotions, or to set kind and clear boundaries with others; or we have old wounds and unresolved trauma. So we think we turned out ok, but we are only beginning to unpack that we also would have benefited from a Montessori upbringing.
Montessori is booming in popularity not because it’s a trend. It’s because we are looking for a way to raise our children to be creative and critical thinkers, who know how to live in society with others, and to be caretakers of the earth.
We are going to share with you all the secrets we know about raising capable children with creative minds and compassionate hearts. We’ll be referring to the child, the adult and the environment a lot. There is a dynamic relationship with them. We’ll learn to understand the child, and how we can prepare ourselves and our environment. You’ll see that the principles are quite common sense and intuitive, yet we have forgotten them. We’ll show you how to observe, how to respond rather than react, to understand the needs and characteristics of children as they grow, and so much more.
Let’s learn about more about The Montessori Child.
Article Source: Montessori Notebook
