Can you do Montessori with a baby?
Mar 13, 2022 - Baby , Montessori - By Carine Robin
Can I start Montessori with my baby?
Yes, you can. With a baby, you lay the foundations for all the years ahead.
Although Maria Montessori started with children aged 3 to 6, she soon showed an interest in children from birth to 3. The Montessori principles can be applied from birth.
Many parents discover Montessori with their first child often when he is 2, and they always say that they would have done so many things differently.
You can make sure your routine is not overwhelming for your child, and you can definitely start to work on yourself! That will pay off, in the long run, to be respectful of your own needs from day 1.
You can set up a beautiful and inviting space where your baby will be free to move and explore.
You can be mindful of how you communicate with your lttle one, focusing on respect and empathy.
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Here are a few things that you can do from the start:
- Have a floor bed, learn about normal baby sleep, focus on a sleep routine, check if cosleeping is an option for your family.
- You don't need expensive toys and flashy plastic toys.
- Have a few rattles and everyday safe objects to explore, such as a wooden spoon.
- Observe your child instead of entertaining your child
- Follow your child's rhythm and be mindful of not having too many activities in your schedule
- Learn about baby-led weaning and see if it's for you
- Set up a space where your baby can explore safely
- Ditch the containing devices such as a Baby walker and baby entertaining station. I understand that you may want to use them from time to time to keep a baby safe but don't make it a habit. Babies need freedom of movement.
- Place a mirror along the wall to encourage the baby to move and communicate:
- Have a look at Elimination communication and adopt cloth nappies if doable for your family as your baby will be more aware of his bowel and bladder movement.
If you have a baby, let me know in the comments what you do to support their development the Montessori way!
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About the Author: Carine Robin is a qualified and experienced Montessori teacher and founder of The Montessori Family. With over 15 years of experience, Carine offers a blend of professional insight and personal understanding as a mother of two and qualified child psychologist. Inspired by the success of her Montessori subscription box, she created The Montessori Family to provide a comprehensive resource for parents and teachers globally. This platform aims to support child growth and well-being through curated educational activities. Additionally, Carine maintains the UK's most popular Montessori blog and administers the largest Montessori UK Facebook group, making her a central figure in the Montessori community.
I definitely believe that Dr. Silvana Montanaro gave herself permission to “update” Montessori’s work in order to align it with the “science” of the time.
However, Dr. Montessori was often critical of the conclusions of psychologists and scientists – pointing out where their thinking was sometimes influenced by bias rather than on objective observations of children.
While Dr. Montanaro is to be celebrated for developing teacher training programs and environments for infants and toddlers, I think it is important to separate her opinions from those of Montessori. Things can look very different when we do this.