Human Dignity through Independence
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 basic, daily human activity helps your child create a strong, determined will. This enables 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 sharing pages from the ‘365 Days of Montessori Quotes’ noteblock we read each day when we taught together in 2005-2006).
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 we had a wide variety of practical life experiences on offer, because of the huge impact these have on positive human development. I help parents create similar experiences at home with bespoke 1:1 Montessori Parenting Packages.
