Quote from Montessori Children do what they see.
It was my 2 year old’s back to school night. I am so glad I went. I never knew about the Montessori teaching methods. From the age of 18 months, they start teaching the child the following:
- Independence i.e. dress yourself
- Grace and courtesy
- Practical life skills i.e. how to pour holding a cup.
- Social awareness and respect i.e. hands to yourself and watch
- Care of the environment i.e. water plants
- Mathematics i.e. logic and sequence how to get to the answer
- 6 senses i.e. taste what is it? Touch how does it feel
The Montessori philosophy:
Children do what they see.
Quite true. It got me thinking about certain adults who don’t practice what they preach. They are proud and believe they are experts and experienced with kids. I don’t want to name names but raising your voice, pointing fingers when a child does something wrong, threatening to beat is all wrong. We have to be patient and discipline in the right way. Getting angry yourself in this way makes you feel good but what about the child? Are you setting a good example? Would you approve if they behaved that way towards you? I doubt it.
Unfortunately, I have seen this foul behavior from 50 and 60 year olds! Shocking. What’s even more disgusting is that they are giving advice on how to raise children the right way when they themselves are a train wreck. So proud, they know it all. When you invite a child to your home, they may touch stuff, through stuff about or say things you don’t want to hear. Our role demands empathy, patience, and firmness. Yet, some people will resort to raising their voices at a child and point accusing fingers at wrongful behavior of children. Be prepared and understanding especially when you have had kids of your own.
Children are curious creatures. They will touch, play, and throw around stuff without reason. Getting angry at a child’s frustrating behavior is easy but it also is careless. We should aim to interact with a child in a way that we want ourselves to be treated. We must remember that we, ourselves, have set the example for our kids.
The behavior of a child is reflective of what he/she is witnessing in his social surrounding. Don’t forget once you were also a child. Set a good example, children do what they see.
Montessori School provides the opportunity of a fantastic education right from the start. Knowing that children are learning such skills which will help them to one day become good people with the ability to have patience, understanding and abundant intelligence is truly wonderful.
- Yasmeen Quraishi
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