Distance learning has become the norm with lockdowns closing down schools everywhere. While older children can cope with online classes and learn independently to a large extent, preschoolers require special attention. With ...
Incorporating Montessori principles at home involves creating an environment that motivates your child to be creative, independent, and self-confident. From infancy, there are several ways to exercise Montessori values and beliefs with your family, as these benefits will be felt for a lifetime. Dr. Maria Montessori said that children have an absorbent mind and...
Incorporating Montessori principles at home involves creating an environment that motivates your child to be creative, independent, and self-confident. From infancy, there are several ways to exercise Montessori values and beliefs with your family, as these benefits will be felt for a lifetime. Dr. Maria Montessori said that children have an absorbent mind and that their brains develop rapidly, based on the stimulation and care they receive, underscoring the importance of creating a wholesome, nurturing environment for your child.
As a parent, there are many ways you can encourage constructive behavior and habits at home to ensure that your child grows and develops to their fullest potential. Here is our guide to parenting preschoolers the Montessori way:
You can encourage an independent spirit in your child by giving them a space to explore things on their own. Set up an area in your house with simple toys and activities and make it conducive to hands-on learning and discovery. You will be amazed at how well your little ones can amuse themselves and stay occupied when their curiosity is ignited. Teach your child to pick out their clothes and dress themselves every day. This will help them learn how to plan ahead and decide what their unique styles and preferences are. You can also inculcate good decision-making skills from an early age by allowing them to deal with problems and find solutions on their own. Resist the urge to mollycoddle and shield your little one from obstacles that may arise. Instead, help them face their fears by identifying the source of the problem and then determining how to solve it.
A crucial part of enabling your child to reach their potential is to create an environment of exploration and learning that is the most stimulating. Carefully observe their expressions, movements, and interests while moving around a room. Note the items or activities that they reach for and what sparks their interest. Use this to curate an environment that can keep your toddler actively engaged as they grow and learn new things. You can incorporate various activities for your child to complete using objects and resources at home. Such activities could include discovering new smells using perfumes or kitchen spices, guessing mystery items while blindfolded, learning how to match items at home, identifying people and items at home, making sticker patterns, arranging toys and books numerically, etc. These activities will help your child absorb, identify, classify and adapt to new information and aid in sensory, linguistic, and mathematical skill development.
Every family member must contribute to the household and you can get your kid to start early on by delegating age-appropriate chores. They can be easy chores like putting away toys, tidying up their play area and bedroom, watering the plants, feeding the pets, helping during meal prep, and setting the dinner table. These practical life activities will help them develop their motor skills and concentration. Accomplishing these tasks on their own will give them a sense of confidence and pride and motivate them, even more, when they see the tangible contributions they are making to the family.
Motivation is key to moulding good behaviour in children. Everyone, including your child, likes to feel appreciated. Recognising the effort put into completing a task is important, irrespective of the end result. Praising the effort and work your child puts into completing a school activity, participating in a competition, or even behaving well while interacting with others can go a long way in reinforcing positive behaviour. You will teach your child the importance of perseverance and empathy by doing so.
Although Montessori principles encourage freedom of movement for children to express themselves, boundaries need to be established. It is important to teach your child the importance of being respectful and compassionate towards others to be a contributing member of society. You mustn’t give in to your child’s temper tantrum because this will lead to a continued pattern of bad behaviour. When your child breaks the rules, you can instead explain the benefits of following the rules and the negative consequences of not doing so. Dr. Maria Montessori stated that children flourish when they are treated respectfully just like other human beings, irrespective of age. Children model the behaviors of those around them and will imitate you. Therefore, if treated with love and respect, your child will learn to respect themselves and be respectful of others.
