Montessori can be beneficial even to babies as young as nine months of age, though many parents begin exploring its methods when their preschool-age child reaches preschool age. Montessori goes far beyond an academic system or method: It encompasses an approach and philosophy towards raising children both inside the home and school environment.
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Here are five simple (and free!) strategies you can implement the Montessori philosophy with your newborn from birth, or older children alike. Don’t worry–all these principles apply equally well when working with older kids as well!
- Promote Freedom of Movement
From birth, children should have the ability to move around freely within their environment.
Assuming you have a newborn in the household, providing enough unstructured time is the answer for the best development possible.
Your time with your child could involve sitting alongside them as they lie on a soft blanket indoors or out – either inside the home, outdoors, or both! At this stage they won’t yet have enough independence to move freely through their environment, yet can practice moving their arms and legs and supporting their heads without their movements being restricted by anything externally limiting.
An older baby may benefit from more freedom of movement through being allowed to climb objects and explore at their own pace instead of being placed into a jumper or held while walking.
Freedom of movement can help foster not only gross motor development but also confidence-building by sending a clear signal that they have the ability and the right environment to explore all their muscles and capabilities at their own pace.
Freedom of Movement can also include clothing designed to encourage movement. Dressing your baby in loose fitting pants and shirt helps them maximize their ability to move freely; and giving young babies plenty of opportunities without shoes to use their muscles is another essential aspect.
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- Employ Respectful Communication
A hallmark of Montessori for all age levels, respectful communication should start right from birth. Although this may feel awkward at first, tell your infant every time it’s time to pick them up or feed or change diapers; eventually it will feel more natural each time!
Permission may help. Try asking, for instance: “Can I pick you up right now to change your diaper?”
Even though they cannot respond directly, babies understand your tone of voice, and if you ask frequently they might start responding in different ways such as reaching for you or smiling.
Respect can also be demonstrated through language usage: instead of telling a baby they see in a picture that something looks like “doggie,” use more precise terminology such as calling it a dog and even specifying its breed/name if possible.
Communication like this builds the basis for mutual respect between you and your child and introduces him/her to an expanded vocabulary at an early stage.
- View Caregiving as Bonding
Caregivers’ tasks like feeding and changing diapers may become tedious over time; in Montessori, however, we use these activities as opportunities for bonding and connecting – an opportunity to give each child our undivided focus and attention.
In a classroom full of babies or in a household with older siblings present, this moment can be especially crucial to take some time and connect with each baby you care for. While it might be tempting to scroll through social media while breastfeeding or rush through diaper changes to move onto more exciting activities sooner, these are truly opportunities to slow down and make eye contact with each one of your charges – they deserve our undivided attention and be present during these vitally important interactions!
Montessori educators consider these activities collaborative activities; we aim to do things “with” children instead of doing them “to” them.
Collaboration for infants may simply involve explaining what you are doing to them or following their lead when it comes to feeding and sleeping needs.
As soon as they’re old enough, older babies can participate more by inviting them to crawl to the diaper changing area or bring you one, or giving them two options of apparel or food to choose between.
Reframing caregiving activities not only makes them more enjoyable for us parents, but it ensures we have regular check-ins where our babies feel cared for rather than like burdens. It makes their world seem easier instead.
- Allow Time for Independence
It can be daunting trying to give babies space and time for independence when so much of their welfare depends on us: warmth, nourishment, safety and love–yet we can actually aid infants’ independence-building from an early age. We should provide time and space for independence development from birth on.
At times when our baby appears calm and alert, we should allow him/her to “play,” such as sitting or lying on a blanket without holding, without interrupting or distracting their exploration of their new environment. By giving our child space and time alone to explore it without our constant interaction.
Responding to mild fussing should always start by talking, gently touching them or holding their hand instead of immediately picking them up in our arms – sometimes all they need is some assurance they’re there.
Every baby is different and everyone’s tolerance for transition periods varies accordingly. While some babies might prefer being on their own for some period of time, others will want constant comforting from you and may require constant holding. Follow your child’s lead but look out for opportunities that allow for their independence early on.
- Engage in Active Observation Active observation is one of the central tenants of Montessori for all age levels.
Every child follows his/her own developmental pathway and the only true way we can understand their needs, their challenges, and where their strengths lie is by watching closely and carefully observing.
As parents, you will naturally spend lots of time watching your newborn. But observation involves looking with an aimful mindset – watching to observe which new skills your infant is developing as well as which areas in their environment they pay particular attention to.
By making careful observations about what toys your baby prefers and discovering more about him or her in depth. You will learn to select appropriate toys. This approach to baby care also builds connections.
Montessori may appear daunting or complex at first, yet much of what makes up its core lies within reach of most families and educators alike. At its heart lies an approach characterized by care for our children rather than emphasis on academic attainment or material possessions.
No matter which school your children will attend, adopting these principles from day one can greatly enrich your parenting journey.