Moms play the biggest role in their children’s lives more than any members of the family. A loving and supportive mom is an essential element in children’s success. Have you ever wondered about the concept of a Montessori mom?
Discover the transformative power of embracing Montessori principles and becoming a Montessori mom. In this blog post, we will explore the 7 steps to become a Montessori mom, unlocking the potential to create an enriching and empowering environment for your children.
From incorporating Montessori by mom techniques to understanding the benefits of Montessori for moms themselves, join us on this journey of self-discovery and intentional parenting.
What is a Montessori mom? A Montessori mom embraces the Montessori lifestyle completely to support the overall development of her children. She follows the Montessori philosophies and principles and applies them at home and in their daily activities. Â
What Is A Montessori Mom’s Lifestyle
The Montessori lifestyle is all about embracing a child-centered approach to parenting and creating an environment that fosters independence, curiosity, and a love for learning. As a Montessori mom, you strive to provide your child with opportunities for self-directed exploration and discovery.
You create a thoughtfully prepared environment at home, where your child can freely choose activities that align with their interests and developmental needs. You encourage hands-on learning experiences and value practical life skills, such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for oneself. By following the Montessori principles, you support your child’s growth and development in a nurturing and respectful way.
How to Become a Montessori Mom
To become a Montessori mom, one has to accept the Montessori style of parenting. You have to do your due diligence to fully understand what it takes. Montessori parenting requires a great amount of patience and an open-mindedness.
Montessori moms put their ideas and thoughts aside to accommodate the Montessori method. Here’s how:
Respect Your Child
Becoming a Montessori mom means showing your child a tremendous amount of respect. Children need to be respected and feel respected because;
- Children are autonomous beings that can think on their own and do things independently.
- Children are inherently capable individuals.
- Children should not be underestimated just because they are young and inexperienced.
- Children have full control of their bodies.
You can show respect to your children by listening to their views, opinions, and ideas. This does not mean you agree to everything they say and give in to their demands. You just need to let them know that you are listening to them. Acknowledge their thoughts and feelings.
Another way of showing respect for your children is treating them as able and smart individuals. Do not baby them or talk down to them. Use your normal words and complete sentences as if you are talking to an adult. This way, you are giving them credit for having a wide vocabulary. You will also help them enhance their language skills and communicate more efficiently.
Offer Enough Space and Boundaries
In Montessori, movement is vital in learning and growth. Give your children enough space where they can play, explore, and discover. Give them their own space with toys, books, and other learning materials they have free access to.
Establish reasonable rules and boundaries that will promote independence and responsibility. Set rules on cleaning their space and putting away their toys. Set a time for certain activities. It is okay to tell them not to play or use certain materials at certain times.
Make sure that you monitor their activities to check if they are playing by the rules. Do not leave your children unsupervised. Leaving children to play without supervision is abandonment. By keeping tabs on them, you are teaching them to be independent, responsible, and respectful of boundaries.
Adjust Your Home to Accommodate the Montessori Lifestyle
You don’t need to turn your entire home into a Montessori space. You only need to make space for your children and their Montessori needs.
For example, you can designate an area for them in your living room where they can do their Montessori activities without disturbing other family members.
You can give them a step stool in the kitchen so they can access the sink to wash their dishes or help wash vegetables. You can make small adjustments to make room for young children to take an active role in the home and learn at the same time.
Teach Them About Cause and Effect
Give your children the freedom to move on their own and make mistakes. Trust is a big factor in developing independence and confidence.
Children learn about cause and effect through hands-on experience, exploration, discovery, and play. They also learn the concept of cause and effect through mistakes.
When children make mistakes, do not reprimand, explain instead. Point out what they are doing wrong, show them how to do it right and how to do better next time. Teaching cause and effect will develop better decision-making skills at a young age.
Observe and Adapt
Let your children be themselves. Provide the necessary tools. Let them explore and discover on their own. Observe closely without interfering. This will allow you to know your children better.
The more you observe, the more you learn about your children’s likes and dislikes, interests, and inclinations. You will then know how you can adapt and support their needs.
For example, if your child shows more interest in legos and building blocks than other toys, encourage them to do more activities and increase the complexity of their activities.
Involve Other Members of the Family
The Montessori lifestyle is only effective if everyone at home is involved. Everyone must be in sync in supporting children’s developmental needs.
This will make your home a much more conducive environment for learning.
Enroll Your Child in Montessori School
Complete the Montessori lifestyle by enrolling your children in Montessori school. You can’t be a Montessori mom if your kids go to a traditional school.
The Montessori school will reinforce your Montessori lifestyle at home.
FAQs
Do I need to teach Montessori lessons at home? No, you don’t have to, but if you can, the better for your child. You only need to make space for your child and give them Montessori areas at home. Give them the right materials and toys, and guide and observe them. You can research and find more ways to be a better Montessori mom.
Is it expensive to adopt a Montessori lifestyle? Buying Montessori learning materials, toys, and furniture can be expensive. It does require spending money to adopt the Montessori lifestyle. If you are resourceful, you can find second-hand items and make DIY Montessori materials.
Summary
So What Is A Montessori Mom? In a nutshell a Montessori mom embraces the Montessori lifestyle completely to support the overall development of her children. She follows the Montessori philosophies and principles and applies them at home and in their daily activities.Â
Being a parent is already challenging as it is. Becoming a Montessori mom is more so. Mothers do the best they can for their children and becoming a Montessori mom is just one of those sacrifices that mothers make to help their children succeed in life.