The Montessori Child at Home: December 2012

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Thoughts and Prayers

On behalf of the staff, parents and children of Discover Montessori School and Oceanside Montessori School, I send our sincerest thoughts and prayers to the families affected by the tragedy at Shady Hook Elementary School.

Being a Montessori parent means...

Ø observing your child on a regular basis (see this post)

Ø observing in the classroom so that you really know what goes on in there

Ø including your child in every aspect of family life

Ø slowing down and considering your child's developing needs

Ø fostering the same independence at home as at school

Ø counting to ten (and taking a deep breath) before imposing your will upon your child (unless in moments of extreme danger)

Ø doing your very best to refrain from slapping, threatening, or shouting

Ø ensuring you have not put your child into a Montessori school in order for them to get good grades when they go to "real" school. (There is sooooo much more to Montessori than that!)

Ø understanding that authentic Montessori schools are not babysitting services. (We call the 3 – 6 classroom "Primary" because that is what it is – the first and critically important years in a child's school life.)

Ø understanding that if you pull your child out in the middle of a three year level, they have NOT had a Montessori education. Taking a child out of a Montessori classroom to go into a public Kindergarten class takes away the child's leadership year.

Ø really trying to understand the Montessori philosophy. ( There are so many books written by so many different people that there is no reason NOT to read more. )

Ø understanding what your long-term goals are for your child and how those goals are going to be achieved.

Ø asking yourself "Are my everyday practises helping my child grow into the kind of person I'd like them to be?"