I believe music can enhance all our lives and have made some suggestions here, as to how to provide musical experiences for your child in your home and everyday life. Recent research suggests that babies can not only hear sound at the prenatal stage, but may also have some memories after birth. A baby will turn their head towards a recognized voice. Music played during pregnancy can soothe a baby to sleep after they are born, suggesting that there is a memory of what they heard in the womb. I actually had this experience with one of my own sons!
Babies don’t come with manuals and just when we think we have “it all figured out”, those sweet little babies become toddlers and young children with ALLL the questions. People often wonder HOW do we answer their questions? What information do we provide? What is helpful? There’s also a debate about nature vs. nurture, but what if, it’s both!? You see, there is so much value in leading by example, however, environment matters, too and while children come into the world as they are, they are not born with biases and they don’t understand sarcasm! What offerings exist in a Montessori classroom and how do the materials and experiences support a child’s development in regards to awareness and acceptance?
Montessori education and experiences are framed by opportunities for independence, choice supported by freedom within limits, promotion of participation in the experiences within the environment, and available activities presented based upon the child’s needs and interests. With these components in place, each child is able to have a unique experience shaped around their individual needs; despite their presence in a classroom or family environment where other people have other wants and needs. The experience promotes joy and provides windows for power that lead to stronger relationships with adults and others.
Often times, in the “heat of the moment”, in all of our interactions, we FORGET to set the expectations and instead proceed to become increasingly frustrated (physically, emotionally, and or verbally) by our children’s “misbehaviors”. Believe me when I say, your child will RESPECT you if you stay true to yourself and voice your expectations (or preferences). When a child realizes they can “walk all over you,” they may lose respect for you, not value your opinion or expectations, and “act out” in an effort to further “get their way.” If the child realizes you mean what you say because you show that you are serious, then, they will likely decrease their “button pushing” behavior.
As adults, we have experiences, beliefs, concerns, and awareness. For children, they are just developing these aspects of their thought processing and problem solving. From a very young age, children are able to sort and categorize information based upon basic characteristics. Often, the categorization they complete is unbiased and solely based in a general, “uneducated” manner. Not to say that our children are uneducated, but at times their conclusions are based in very little fact or with a lack of understanding. As children grow and learn, they further develop their ability to deepen their understanding of the outside world, their reasoning abilities increase, their problem-solving skills sharpen, and their ability to further understand other perspectives also improves. With all of this in mind, here are three common misconceptions that parents must face. These misconceptions speak to the insecurities within our children and within ourselves.
Montessori environments are UNIQUE because the curriculum supports the teachers’ ability to follow the child. Each child has their own individualized curriculum that is centered around the child’s abilities, capabilities, and interests. The 10 aspects that I’ve highlighted will provide a window into an authentic Montessori classroom. There are many more aspects of the classroom that may exist, however, these tend to be the most common components.
Others have experienced THE SAME feelings of self-doubt, confusion, being conflicted within, and stricken with guilt. The KEY is what support system do you have or can you create for yourself (and your family)? Usually, it would be a matter of surrounding yourself with people that support you; family, friends, and neighbors. It can be hard to ask for help and at times, difficult to accept help, even when it’s needed. Imagine, how can your family and friends support you and help, when help is needed? What changes do you need to consider making in your life to improve your relationship with your kiddos?
Do you feel like you’re constantly “fighting” with your child? Disagreeing on everything or feeling the tugs of power struggles!? THIS is your child’s cry for power. WHAT can you do to turn over some power in a way that you can get behind and feel good about supporting?
It’s the first day, you are TRYING with allll of your might to keep it together; trying to be on time, trying to look put together, trying not to cry, and show your kiddos your most confident side (that you can muster after a broken nights’ sleep of less than 6 hours, ahem, and no coffee yet). The first childs’ school drop off: you hold your breath and it goes well, no tears all around for your first. Then, the (partially dreaded) 2nd school drop off, you know the one...you fear the child won’t need to pried-off-of-you-kind!? Ya feel me, keep reading, even if you’re not feeling like a hero for your kiddos in this moment.
Every day without fail, directly following breakfast, your son selects to play with play dough. You are ANNOYED, despite that he’s ready and willing to play happily and independently. Why are you annoyed? Likely because he has LOTS of other toys to play with and because he’s always making a mess with the play dough and then doesn’t bother to clean up afterwards. AMIRITE? Consider a few things: If you don’t want the child to engage in a specific activity, don’t make the activity readily available OR EXPLORE WHY the child is drawn to a specific activity AND what can be changed to encourage cleanup to be part of the process. Often times, it’s a matter of reframing what the child already knows and sharing it back to them (and usually) without judgement. It is also possible that the child does not understand that the play dough will become ruined and he may need to experience the natural consequence of seeing the play dough dried out and ruined to understand the importance of taking care of his toys or belongings. OR, maybe, this activity is a “default” activity for him because it’s “safe”, familiar, and doesn’t feel challenging. How can the activity be modified to spark his curiosity and further exploration? What if using play dough promoted hand strength, encouraged writing, and offered opportunities for counting activities. The play dough activity could be the beginning of so much learning, just imagine the possibilities!
When I’m talking to my kids at home, my children in the classroom, the baby, or even other adults, I’m using almost the same exact language and the younger the child, the more I provide opportunities to explain the words and concepts within the context of my message(s). These moments provide for learning experiences and in time, the child will understand the context of the word or concept and be able to use it within their world. You may wonder, do I use the same (actual) words and phrases? Yes.
Hi! New here!? Welcome! Been following along? Welcome back! I have some FABULOUS news for you! It might be...THE BEST NEWS, YET! A great majority of the content shared on my blog can be implemented at ALMOST ANYTIME, regardless of experience or knowledge of Montessori! Whether your child is younger than a year, three, five, or even older, you can utilize the content that I share and determine what your family needs. All content WILL NOT apply to each age group or to all families and that’s ok, take what you need. As you read an article, categorize the content into 3 categories: I need this now, I might need this in the future, and this does not apply. Give yourself a timeline to revisit the items designated “for the future”. And, of course, contact me if you need help implementing an idea and would like a consultation!
Travel The World: A Night out of Town to Traveling the World
I had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview a few Expert Travelers. Be sure to read their story about the thought process and the planning they put forth to travel to countries all around THE WORLD with two children, four and younger, including a 3-month old baby. Read on to soak up their journey THROUGH IT ALL!
If you’ve ever traveled on your own, you know the potential challenges. So, you know or could guess that traveling with little ones isn’t easy, sooo, what can we do to reduce stress? And, wait ‘til you see my interview with a few World Travelers; whom almost exclusively travel with their children, sometimes for 3 months at a time with a newborn and later with two children, ages 3 months to almost 4 years.
By implementing these strategies and preparing the environment and the child, they learn (natural) key times to use the bathroom in coordination with a familiar and consistent routine, using the bathroom becomes a habit! Toileting is a process that comes together by learning a variety of skills, so the process of learning takes place over time.
What is Home Day Hero? Some days are school days, while other days are home days, such as the weekends, holidays, sick days, and days that school or daycare is closed. When you are at home with your child, YOU are THE HERO! How will you be a hero on your home days? Home Day Hero’s Montessori Inspired Solutions to the rescue! Born from the idea that Montessori components can easily be implemented at home with tips and tricks from a certified Montessorian (Montessori teacher), that’s me! Follow along in my adventures through teaching hundreds of children and raising my own kiddos.
THE REALITY: Outbursts are reality and they are going to happen, no matter what. It’s how you respond that determines how the outburst(s) play out. To be a Hero on your Home Days, I bet you’d love to decrease the number of outbursts AND decrease the duration of them, too, don’t we all!?
Have you found yourself stuck in a parenting rut? Digging your heels in the mud for the sake of a power struggle? By establishing expectations, you can shape your experience and your child’s by disengaging in power struggles through being consistent.
Your Child’s Bedroom - SIMPLE is best. A child’s room can GROW with them AND change over time. HEROES would not allow the “pressure” of nesting to cloud their ability to allow for a simplistic space to exist that meets your child's basic needs: Eat, Sleep, Diapering, and Play.
