Follow the child
As I have mentioned before, I've joined Montessori and Waldorf themed groups on Facebook. I'm not actively taking part there. Sometimes it's interesting and useful to see, what other parents are doing with their children, mostly I store it in my mind for the future.
Sometimes, let's be honest, it serves as a joke platform, because some concerns and questions that parents have seem just funny.. or silly, or ridiculous. I'm not judging, I guess even I could have some silly questions, but sometimes it just gets on my nerves. Sometimes I take it too emotionally, when I feel a child is being mistreated.
Most surprising to me sometimes is the way some people seem to see their little babies - meaning - they sometimes talk about their less than a year old babies (sometimes even only a couple of months old, if not less!) as if they were little conscious schoolchildren, or, I don't know how to describe it, - they expect so much! For example, expecting a 7-month old to understand the word NO and to actually follow it, then wondering, why is he or she not obeying and constantly wants to do something "prohibited". Asking advice, how to "discipline" a 7-month-old. That is just one example, there are many of such type, that at first catch me off guard for a second.. wait, am I missing something? Is my 7-month-old baby, who is just beginning to discover the world, supposed to be like that?
Then, of course, I come back to my senses and realize, that there are just so many people out there, that have totally no understanding of child psychology (I'm not saying that I have much of it, only very little academically and mostly just intuitive) and that are expecting way too much way too early. Kinda like the people, that think, that a 4-month-old should "understand", that it's time for him to learn to fall asleep alone, "understand", that mother or father will not run after his every need and wish. (True story..)
I guess that's the problem with nowadays world with way too much of information and way too many chances to compare - otherways I'd live my humble life, following MY child, MY instincts in peace. Instead, I read and intake all this information - sometimes very useful, sometimes informative, but sometimes really useless and just upsetting.
The way I'm spending time with my baby, comes mostly intuitively. For now, I can't imagine it no other way. She is still so little. I have never even thought that I already should be "doing" something with her. Only lately maybe, as she is becoming more attentive, for example, one thing we do - I have started reading a book with her. She really likes it. I'm reading only one book so far - about farm animals.
But what else? She mostly is interested in developing her gross motorics (crawling, swinging on knees, pulling herself up) and using those skills in discovering the world around. By discovering mostly meaning - putting into her mouth.
I've offered her some toys, but she is not ready to use any toys "properly" yet (the way they're meant), if she likes it, she puts it into her mouth. (Lately her favorite is just a spoon!)
So, there really is nothing much that we would "do". Mostly we just "are". Together. Or then, if she is willing, then she just "is" - exploring. And I let her, independently.
If there weren't other people on the Montessori group, asking what should they "do" with their 7-month-old, I'd never even imagine to ask such a question.
The truth is, Maria Montessori ever talked only about children from about age of 3 years. Because children never were put in any "school"-like environment earlier than that. (Which is normal. Until that age children were just raised and were together with their mother, or then an other close person.)
Nowadays people want to invest in their children's intelligence already since birth, so they are sometimes really fanatic into applying some learning principles as early as possible.
Generally, nothing wrong with applying principles.. Like, I'm following Montessori in a way, that I follow my child, follow her lead in what she wants to do, how she wants to do and when, when she is ready. I provide her with a safe, suitable environment, so that she would be free to move about and use the environment too her advantage. And I let her be, I let her be independent, as long as she wants to, and try to interfere and disturb her as little as possible.
So, I think, that is all, that you can "do" with a baby as old as only 7 months.
There, of course, are some activities offered, if you search:
..but I have not found any "activity" to be any useful yet. Maybe, possibly, soon. When she stops putting everything into her mouth all the time. We'll see. Until that -
:)
Sometimes, let's be honest, it serves as a joke platform, because some concerns and questions that parents have seem just funny.. or silly, or ridiculous. I'm not judging, I guess even I could have some silly questions, but sometimes it just gets on my nerves. Sometimes I take it too emotionally, when I feel a child is being mistreated.
Most surprising to me sometimes is the way some people seem to see their little babies - meaning - they sometimes talk about their less than a year old babies (sometimes even only a couple of months old, if not less!) as if they were little conscious schoolchildren, or, I don't know how to describe it, - they expect so much! For example, expecting a 7-month old to understand the word NO and to actually follow it, then wondering, why is he or she not obeying and constantly wants to do something "prohibited". Asking advice, how to "discipline" a 7-month-old. That is just one example, there are many of such type, that at first catch me off guard for a second.. wait, am I missing something? Is my 7-month-old baby, who is just beginning to discover the world, supposed to be like that?
Then, of course, I come back to my senses and realize, that there are just so many people out there, that have totally no understanding of child psychology (I'm not saying that I have much of it, only very little academically and mostly just intuitive) and that are expecting way too much way too early. Kinda like the people, that think, that a 4-month-old should "understand", that it's time for him to learn to fall asleep alone, "understand", that mother or father will not run after his every need and wish. (True story..)
I guess that's the problem with nowadays world with way too much of information and way too many chances to compare - otherways I'd live my humble life, following MY child, MY instincts in peace. Instead, I read and intake all this information - sometimes very useful, sometimes informative, but sometimes really useless and just upsetting.
The way I'm spending time with my baby, comes mostly intuitively. For now, I can't imagine it no other way. She is still so little. I have never even thought that I already should be "doing" something with her. Only lately maybe, as she is becoming more attentive, for example, one thing we do - I have started reading a book with her. She really likes it. I'm reading only one book so far - about farm animals.
But what else? She mostly is interested in developing her gross motorics (crawling, swinging on knees, pulling herself up) and using those skills in discovering the world around. By discovering mostly meaning - putting into her mouth.
I've offered her some toys, but she is not ready to use any toys "properly" yet (the way they're meant), if she likes it, she puts it into her mouth. (Lately her favorite is just a spoon!)
So, there really is nothing much that we would "do". Mostly we just "are". Together. Or then, if she is willing, then she just "is" - exploring. And I let her, independently.
If there weren't other people on the Montessori group, asking what should they "do" with their 7-month-old, I'd never even imagine to ask such a question.
The truth is, Maria Montessori ever talked only about children from about age of 3 years. Because children never were put in any "school"-like environment earlier than that. (Which is normal. Until that age children were just raised and were together with their mother, or then an other close person.)
Nowadays people want to invest in their children's intelligence already since birth, so they are sometimes really fanatic into applying some learning principles as early as possible.
Generally, nothing wrong with applying principles.. Like, I'm following Montessori in a way, that I follow my child, follow her lead in what she wants to do, how she wants to do and when, when she is ready. I provide her with a safe, suitable environment, so that she would be free to move about and use the environment too her advantage. And I let her be, I let her be independent, as long as she wants to, and try to interfere and disturb her as little as possible.
So, I think, that is all, that you can "do" with a baby as old as only 7 months.
There, of course, are some activities offered, if you search:
 |
| Activities for a "Montessori Baby", as suggested on Pinterest |
..but I have not found any "activity" to be any useful yet. Maybe, possibly, soon. When she stops putting everything into her mouth all the time. We'll see. Until that -
:)
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