Beth – Our Montessori Life – Page 18

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015

Liebster Award

It is with great surprise and gratitude that I accept this award. Thank you to Katherine from I Believe in Montessori for the nomination.

It has come during a time of great change for our little family and it reminds me not to lose sight of the things I have already achieved, as I move forward in a new direction.

The award has come with some questions and also the task of sharing random facts about myself. So you will have to bare with me as I answer as best I can.

My blogging routine is not organized. I try to capture meaningful snippets of our days and also answer questions people may have. I write when I can.

Do I want to open my own Montessori school? Well, that is a tough one that I was actually speaking with a new friend about just today. I think instead, at the end of the day, I want Montessori for all children. Not the ones that can afford it or the ones who have a parent teaching at home. I want school reform here and around the world. I know, I know, but you asked.

My opinions of vegetarians. I think they are lovely. And, I think they are missing out on some delicious food.

The last movie I watched was “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. Wes Anderson, you are a genius.

My 2015 New Year’s Resolution. To go after what I have worked so hard and sacrificed so much for.

My favourite Montessori Material. The Knobbed Cylinders. I don’t know why. Because they’re beautiful. There’s just something about them. This question was hard because I have a favourite in all the Montessori classroom settings. For the purpose of saving time I just went with my overall favourite.

If I had a million dollars. Well, that’s a personal one, but I’d buy a bit of land that was once in real life and will forever in my heart, be my home.

I would like to travel to Austrailia. We have a lot of family there, and now I seem to be blessed with a lot of friends there. I would like to spend some real time and meet people. Let the boys build strong friendships.

Three of my friends in blogging are Meghan Irene and Kylie.

My dream profession in childhood was to work in the financial sector. And I did.

Some of my favourite materials that I have made:

World Landmark card & figure matching set

Pull up bar over Quentin’s mirror installed at 9 months

One of the many mobiles I made him here at 4 months

As a finale, I have been asked to share 11 random facts about myself.
Ok. You’ve been warned.

My favourite colour is blue
I love good food and good food photography
I am almost always cold. I’m fairly certain I should have been born in the tropics
I like to be outdoors. Garden or beach or forest. That is where I’m happy
I love books but lately haven’t found the time. It has altered my mood
I love animals but am terrified of spiders. I suppose because they are insects. It goes back to my childhood
When I drink tea, I never finish the cup. I always leave a bit, much to the annoyance of those around me. Actually there’s half a cold cup sitting here now
I eat peanut butter almost every day. Some say it’s an addiction, I am not convinced
I sometimes lay awake and watch Quentin sleep. He will never ever be as small again as in that moment. From then on he will always be bigger.
I have never had to bury a pet until this week. As a child my cat lived till 23. It has profoundly changed me
I have a burn scar on my right arm. I always forget it’s there, but I can remember it happening. It is my earliest memory. I was one and a half.

I am thankful to have been considered for this. It makes me feel that maybe what I’m doing might mean something and I am very proud of that.
I am tasked with nominating others who inspire me, and so I nominate
Montessori Life as We Know It because you keep me pushing forward and Milkweed Montessori for keeping me grounded in my roots. They are both amazing fellow Montessorians and I am honoured to call them friends.
I also nominate Deb at Sixtine et Victoire. I will always regret that I didn’t meet Deb sooner. She is an incredible, and beautiful mother, Montessorian and friend who lets me talk her ear off from the other side of the country. One day our children will play together I am sure of it.
I only wish that I could also include How We Montessori but alas this award is for us small ones just starting out. It is a shame though because Kylie has been there from the dark days of the beginning and I feel truly blessed to call her a friend.

And so I pass the torch. My 11 questions are as follows. I’ll leave each of you to come up with your own 11 odd facts.

How did you discover Montessori?
What has been your greatest challenge with using Montessori?
Materials. Make or Buy?
What’s your favourite Montessori book?
Do you see any similarity in your children and yourself?
What’s your favourite thing about blogging?
What made you first decide to blog?
How do you take time for yourself?
What are you currently reading?
What is your favourite book your child owns?
And sure. Why not. What would you do with a million dollars?

January 6, 2015

Our Montessori Shelves 14 Months

A bit of a flashback, but for those of you who are curious:

Our Montessori Shelves 14 Months
Top shelf: basket of plastic Schleich animals for matching mother to baby, a pouring activity, shape puzzle and homemade imbucare box

Bottom shelf: wooden acorn colour matching, homemade ring stacker, clothes pin pincer grasp activity and Pom Pom fine moter push activity

December 14, 2014December 14, 2014

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Or so the song goes.

What ever your family’s traditions, there seems to be a heightened sense of stress. Travelling, spending, and extended stays from family seem to contribute in their own way.

In our own home, even with a simple, pared down holiday, things tend to still get a bit much every once and awhile. My husband just completed his Masters Degree, and I am delighted to say that he is my guest writer today, since his final paper focused on exactly what I am focusing on: reducing stress and anxiety.

His media that accompanied his final paper focused on 30 activities to reduce stress. I chose some that really spoke to me to share with you.

Day 1. Try a meditation exercise to focus your thoughts and attention away from anxious thoughts. Visualization and self-affirmations are positive things you can do and say to yourself to bring calm and focus to your present.

Day 2. Understanding emotions and allowing yourself to feel them (positive and negative) can lead to you being more prepared and able to deal with your anxiety and the emotions that surround it.

Day 3. Journaling. Writing has a therapeutic value. You can go back to it later for reflection, or scrunch it up and throw it away.

Day 4. Excercise. Walk, yoga, or even jumping jacks will do wonders for mood. Nothing crazy. Even 15 minutes will do it.

Day 5. Friends and family. Yes although some may be the cause of all this, it’s important to stay connected. Call a good friend. Chances are they need it just as much as you.

Rob also cautions that should you feel that it is more than just “holiday blues” and that your feelings are seriously impacting your day, seek professional help immediately.

I want to sincerely thank Rob for allowing me to reference this resource that he devoted so many hours to researching and designing.

I hope everyone finds peace this holiday season.

What is the Montessori tie-in you ask? Well, I think it’s the most important one of all:

“The things he sees, are not just remembered, they form a part of his soul” – Dr. Maria Montessori

December 6, 2014December 7, 2014

Holiday Craft: Solstice Lantern

I admit it, I’m slightly crafty, so when Quentin’s teacher asked if I would like to give the class a small presentation on the Winter Solstice, I immediately began thinking of a “do-able” craft that was simple, inexpensive, and relevant but secular.
A paper lantern seemed to fit.

Supplies needed:
small paper bags
stickers
pencil
scissors
something circular to trace
contact paper
tape

Instructions:
Trace circle onto front
Cut out circle, leaving the back of the bag uncut
Cut contact paper to twice the size of the hole
Fold contact paper in half horizontally, peel off the backing & lay it down on work surface sticky side up
Place sticker on one half of contact paper and fold other half over creating a sealed space where the sticker is
Tape contact paper to inside of the bag

I finished them by placing a battery operated tealight inside each one.

A simple craft that can be altered to fit any holiday celebration.

I hope the children like them.

November 7, 2014November 7, 2014

Taking Montessori Back to School

My ever kind and talented Montessori cohort Meghan at Milkweed Montessori asked me the other day how Quentin’s concentration had changed since he started school. And that got me thinking.

Everything has changed since Quentin started school.

He started in September in an all day 3-6 class. He is the youngest, but he holds his own. There was some separation anxiety after the first few days, but he quickly adjusted.
Quentin had been going to a daycare for quite some time, so we knew he was capable of the days. However, we had no idea what we were in store for.
Everyday he comes home with new songs. He’ll just be sitting at the dinner table and out will pop something. Last week he was sitting on the couch with us during our pre-bedtime routine and he started naming off the months of the year. Correctly.
We realized early on in the school year that his little body (and huge brain) were working hard during the day, and that we wanted to be mindful of this.

As Montessorians we have had activities that hold Quentin’s interest on his shelves since he was 9 months old and before that on his movement mat. However we have never had any of the classic Montessori classroom materials here because we knew he would one day go to a Montessori school. It’s important to us that his home not exactly match his classroom, but instead compliment each other. With Quentin going to school however it made us even more aware that when he got home he should be given the opportunity to rest if he chose. And for the first month he did.

For the first month he didn’t touch his shelves. He was only interested in his “opened ended” toys such as his basket of blocks and machines.

The train set also allowed him to sit quietly and concentrate. He also would get out his farm. These toys allowed him to peacefully transition from school to home and just “come down” from the day. We “Followed the Child”. I would put new activities out on his shelves and he would sometimes stop and look but it was usually only for a moment.
We also took advantage of the last of the summer light and got outside in the evening.

That was September and early October. Now in November he has returned to working with his materials on his shelves. He will come and get me and say “Will you please work with me Mamma?” His concentration has slightly increased perhaps, but what has changed is his self confidence. He is definitely no longer a baby. He is a boy who knows what he wants and how to get it. Usually while singing. There has been a surge of “No Mamma, that’s my job.” His eyes piercing, his small voice never faltering.

We dreamed of this. The day when our journey to bring Montessori from the classroom into our home with the birth of our second child, would turn full circle, and see that child take Montessori back to school. And so he does, singing the days of the week in French as he goes.

October 18, 2014November 16, 2014

Our Shelves at 2 1/2

How did we get here? A two and a half year old. A school boy. With Quentin in Montessori school during the week, I am even more aware of the fact that I want his home materials to compliment, not compete with his school day.
I don’t have time to pull together themes, these activities are simply based on my observations of him and my knowledge of his stage of development.

Top shelf: Marble maze (Anthony’s), zipper dressing frame, marbles, wooden marble run blocks

Middle shelf: Pasting tray (with veggie pics), felt button tree & leaves, box of numbers & penguin counters, cylinder sequencing puzzle

Bottom shelf: playdough & tools, lock box, geometric shapes, short to tall sequencing puzzle

Top shelf: Lighttable, brass bell, nature tray, globe

Middle shelf: plastic objects & matching cards (currently lifecycle of sea turtle), Mystery Bag & objects (currently textured tiles), cutting practice, pencil crayons & notebook

Bottom shelf: vocabulary matching cards (currently veggies), colour cards, sandpaper numbers & letters books, threading beads.

These activities are not used every day. It is more often that he will choose one to work with for a period of time before his bedtime routine. On the weekends he will use more. I like to leave the materials out for a good long time to make sure that he’s really been able to get a chance to use them.

We also have some quiet “open ended” toys out. The wooden train set gets regular use. There is a basket of blocks, and some accurate construction vehicles that he uses often. A tub of musical instruments gets us dancing around the line. His barn is a favourite and the only toy in his bedroom.

My Montessori storage cupboard needs a good clean out and overhaul. It seems he has just gone through a large change in ability and many activities are no longer right for him. I’m trying to come up with ideas of how to hand things down to other Montessori families. If anyone has ideas I’d love to hear them.

It’s hard to believe he is growing up this quickly.

September 13, 2014September 13, 2014

A mind once stretched with a new idea is forever enriched

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Language development from the Montessori perspective begins at 18 weeks. That is, 18 weeks after conception. That is when an unborn child begins to hear.

How do we foster a love of language in a child? The Montessori approach side steps the flash cards and “baby genius” type videos and instead turns to a more holistic approach.

Language is the most beautiful cultural tradition we pass down to our children. From the earliest days a small baby can be soothed with the recognizable voice of a loved one. From those early beginnings, the whole family plays a critical role in a young child’s language development.

Reading to a child is essential for good language development, but did you know that holding a child gently but firmly (such as hugged while reading) will cause the child’s brain to release serotonin? This is the body’s sleep/happiness drug. Exposing your child to a wide range of printed text such as simple story books, non fiction books such as National Geographic and poetry will start your child on the path to a life long love of language. Don’t give up if your child does not sit still, or seem interested in the book. Try a good variety to find your child’s interest.

The same goes for singing. Your child does not know that you are a terrible singer. They have loved your voice since before they met you. Sing short songs such as nursery rhymes or make them up. Have your child do some actions.

I’m writing this post one, because language development is a passion of mine, but also because Quentin has advanced language skills for his age and we often get questions about what we did to get him to speak like that.

My answer is the same every time. We did nothing. No flash cards. No crazy DVD’s. We just speak to him. All day long. Every day. I try to get the skeptics to see it a different way. What if you dropped out of the sky and landed in a foreign country. A country so foreign that you couldn’t even begin to recognize or understand the language. How would you learn to communicate? You would have people speak slowly to you. You would have them repeat words. You would get them to use lots of hand gestures. You would immerse yourself in all forms of the language.

This is what we did with our boys.

Everywhere in the house there is language. Music, books, singing, talking. We are also the primary voices that Quentin listens to. He does not watch any media.
When we talk to him, we talk slowly if the concept we are talking about is new. We use REAL words. There are no “doggy’s” or “fishy’s” or “bubbas” here. But there are dogs, (and even Dalmatians) and goldfish and bottles. Even when baking, we use the opportunity to expand and enrich Quentin’s vocabulary.

“What is that?” Those three little words are the key to a hole world of language.

I recently had the extreme pleasure of connecting online with Nahal, a mother of a 1 1/2 year old boy, and a Paediatric Speech and Language Pathologist. Nahal is also the founder of Coos Babble Talk. Like me she is passionate about introducing language to children, but unlike me she is a professional. If you are in the California area, Nahal hosts group classes for children and their loved ones that focus on introducing language comprehension and expression through play. Regrettably I am not in the California area and so I seek out her website and her Instagram feed for inspiration regarding language activities to try with Quentin.
Since most parents know the importance of books and such, I asked Nahal for some other ideas to keep in mind when communicating with your child.

Some unexpected things parents can do to encourage early language development:
1) imitate your child – Children learn imitation through you. Imitating actions turn into imitating language
2) Look at your child, make eye contact when cooing, babbling, or talking.
3) Keep it Simple – Focus on common verbs and nouns that will help express a want or need. “I Want Ball!”

Thank you so much Nahal for your input with this and for your beautiful blog.

There is literally a whole world of language out there. The Montessori message in all of this is don’t underestimate your child. If you want them to say Dalmatian to you, you have to say Dalmatian to them.

The only language men ever speak perfectly is the one they learn in babyhood, when no one can teach them anything

-Maria Montessori

July 14, 2014July 14, 2014

When you live in a world where summer is a very small part of the year, there is no time to lose. You must get outside.

For us, it means a slower pace (if there is such a thing) and making sure to take advantage of all the summertime culture that is freely available to us. Our absolute favourite is a farmers market.

I truly love that farmers markets offer so much to a child. I also love that our small little town’s own farmers market has a wide range of stands and most of those stands have children actively assisting in them. It is a wealth of sensory experience, even if you don’t buy anything. It’s a chance for your child to see the people that grow the food and make the items and I can’t help but feel that it brings people a little closer together.

Of course, a stop at the baking stand is a very nice way to end the day.

What are some of your favourite ways to spend time outside alone or with a child?

June 4, 2014

The Boy

I think we have all had a moment in our life that affected us so profoundly, that we replay it in our minds trying to understand it better. I have had my share, but before last Friday those moments never had me questioning my parenting skills, and my values.

It was in the afternoon. I was in one of the company vehicles being driven back to our building. We passed a large group of kids. I didn’t really pay attention. Schools get out early here on Friday afternoons. I texted Anthony (who we lovingly refer to as The Boy) to ask how his day was.

What followed in the next brief passage of time has forever changed me as a parent.

“Ok.” Was his reply followed by “I tried to FaceTime you.”

This was extremely odd. I texted him that I had been out of cell service range and asked what was up.

“There’s a big fight going on behind McDonald’s.” Was his immediate reply.
Still travelling in the company vehicle with all eyes on me my reaction was anger. It must have been what we had passed. Why oh why was he over at McDonald’s.

He phoned. What followed was a pouring out of himself. His voice unsteady, tears threatening. He was at home. He had learned of the fight at school like everyone else. His friends had wanted to go. He had tried and tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn’t listen. They were on there way there now, maybe they had already gotten there. He stopped to breathe. My question was fast. “Why are you telling me?”
His answer was faster. “I thought you could call the police, or get some help….I don’t want my friends to get hurt.”

And that was it. That was all it took for my heart to skip a beat, and my stomach to jump into my chest.

I told him I would call, but people looked to be scattering when we were driving past. His response was “Oh, it’s too late.” Then he hung up.

When I got home that night I hugged him and hugged him. We told him how proud we were of him, not to go, how he did everything right. I apologized for thinking he was there, for reacting too quickly.
It has been a few days. By some miracle, no one was badly injured, but there was police involvement, and one of his close friends is going to be charged (as a minor).

This is the first event of its kind to leave a mark on Anthony. We live in a small, peaceful little town. I know that he is still questioning himself. Why couldn’t he talk them out of going, things of that nature. He and I have talked too. He is 13, and like any child that age he is mostly amazing with a little bit of “pull your hair out”. He could have easily gone last Friday. So easily that that was my first assumption. But he didn’t. Which leaves me questioning too. How, when we have faltered with other pieces of parenting, how could we have possibly managed to get this right.

April 27, 2014

And then Quentin was Two

A child in his earliest years, when he is only two or a little more, is capable of tremendous achievements.

-Maria Montessori

I have always loved the fact that a birthday in Montessori is called a Celebration of Life. In our house, it couldn’t be a more fitting title.
We did not look back sadly on our struggles, we watched instead, with wonder as the miracle baby who has become a child proudly held his “Earth” and walked around the “Sun”.

And then, (as anyone who follows us on Instagram knows) we went in search of his much beloved and long sought after flamingos.

He received some beautiful gifts including some magnetic letters from his big brother (which he immediately ran with, placed on the fridge and exclaimed “That’s my Q!”) and a handmade barn from my Father.

At the end of the day however, Montessori said it best

The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.