At Fiore, we often get the question, “How can we implement Montessori at home?”. Many times these discussions focus around materials, organization, and creating a specific type of environment for your child. While these things are important, the most impactful way to implement the Montessori philosophy at home is by preparing YOU, the adult. Below are 7 tips for becoming a “prepared adult” at home.
Model the behaviors you want to see.
Your children look up to you and you are their greatest inspiration! If there are behaviors or practices that you would like to see from them, be sure that you are modeling those same behaviors!
Decide on the limits and be consistent!
Your child is counting on you to create and hold boundaries. Click here to learn more about limits.
Communicate clearly.
Make sure that you mean what you say and say what you mean! When setting a limit or giving instructions, be sure to speak clearly. For young children, limit your words (short and sweet) and for older children, check-in and make sure that they understood what was said.
Wait a moment before intervening.
Children will often surprise you if you give them a few extra seconds to do something on their own. Keep an eye out, but try to hold back from immediately intervening. Sometimes it’s helpful to try counting to 5 before stepping in.
Observe, observe, observe and then observe some more.
Observation is your biggest tool! You can use it to learn a lot about your child, your home environment, and yourself. Take the time to observe your child, without judgment, as often as you are able. Click here to read more about observation.
Be mindful of your triggers.
We are all human which means we all have something (or many things) that irritate us or cause us to have a strong reaction. Note what behaviors or situations feel hard for you and brainstorm ways to address them.
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