Any child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a sense of independence.
– Dr. Maria Montessori
I love this quote because it illustrates precisely why we value your child’s independence so highly in Montessori education: consistent independence leads to the creation of a positive self-image, confidence, kindness, patience and empathy.
Important daily skills such as washing, dressing, toileting, eating, cleaning and tidying are not limited to the completion of these necessary tasks. In fact, they improve coordination, concentration, self-belief and self-esteem.
Each fundamental human activity helps your child create a strong, determined will, which will enable them to push forward through life to achieve anything they set their sights on.
My all-time favourite quote is this one, which lives on my fridge to remind me of the importance of my words, thoughts and actions around every child:
The ‘absorbent mind’ [0-6 years] welcomes everything, puts its hope in everything, accepts poverty equally with wealth, adopts any religion and the prejudices and habits of its countrymen, incarnating all in itself. This is the child!
– Dr. Maria Montessori
Thanks to the lovely Charlene Cole for letting me keep this (from her 365 days of Montessori quotes noteblock that we read through during our time teaching together in 2005-6).
The other quote I kept is this one:
We found that individual activity is the one factor that stimulates and produces development, and that this is not more true for the little ones of preschool age than it is for upper school children.
– Dr. Maria Montessori
Another reminder for me to deeply value every piece of self-directed activity a child chooses – everything aids self-construction and is an important part of development, whether it’s carried out by a baby, toddler, preschooler or an older child.
In our Montessori baby and toddler groups there are many practical life experiences on offer, precisely because we know how much of an impact these have on positive human development.
If you’d like to come along for a free trial session to see how your child responds to these activities, just drop me an email or give me a call. Places are limited but I’ll be happy to add you to our waiting lists and let you know as soon as a place becomes available.