Montessori Foundation of Egypt

1 - Movement

Every child needs to move in order to develop physically, mentally, and socially. Adults often limit the movement of their children to keep them "safe". Traditional schools often ask children to stay still for longtime. This limitation interferes with the child's natural development process. While many children will be forced to obey this limiting request, some children will strongly resist. Unfortunately, in both cases, the child's development process is interrupted. Your role as a parent is to understand the child's need to move and to provide ample opportunities of free movement within a safe environment. 

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2 - Independence

Your child needs your help to learn how to do things by himself. It may seem a little difficult to manage your daily schedule with a child who is still learning how to tie his or her own shoes without a parent who steps in and do it faster. But on the other hand, your child needs to learn how to do things without your help, this allows the child to be confident, independent and successful. Furthermore, raising an independent child would save you from doing your child's work in the future!  

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3- Unconditional Love

Of course, all parents love their children but this love can be shown to the child in a positive or negative way. For example, if your love to your child drives you to yell at him or her in order to raise a "polite" or "well behaved" child, your love would become a great obstacle that is actually preventing your child from learning how to behave in an acceptable way. Instead, showing your unconditional love to your child while taking the time to talk to him or her and discuss the situation will not only help you to support your child's development; but will allow you both to be confident and happy.

 

4 - Free Time and Free Play

 

Filling your child's schedule with "useful activities" is not necessarily good for your child. A child that wakes up early each morning to go to school then returns home to finish homework then goes to a sport training or an art class, is probably suffering from a stressful life and so is the parent. Your child needs to have some free time in order to discover and develop interests and hobbies. A child's free time or free play is not a wasted time; it is actually a great opportunity for him or her to learn more about the world around. 

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5 - Doing Mistakes 

Allowing the child to make mistakes creates an opportunity of learning. When we try to prevent the child from doing any mistakes, we are doing nothing but avoiding this opportunity. Do not teach by judging whether the child is doing something right or wrong. If a mistake is made, model correctly how to do it next time. Never punish or over praise a child; the child's self control and inner discipline system is developed correctly when discipline and control comes from the inside of the child not from the adults in his or her world. 

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6 - Natural Real Life Tools / Toys

 

There is no need for fancy or flashy toys that do all the work for the child and just leave him or her watching and being amused for a short period of time. Get toys that encourage children to do something with their hands. Allow your child to own or use age appropriate real life tools. Try to choose wooden or natural tools and toys over the plastic ones. 

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7 - Connection to the Nature

 

The child's connection to the Nature is very important for his or her development and understanding of the world. Living in a busy city can make parents underestimate this importance. Growing a small garden in your house, having a pet, and taking your child to parks or outside the city, are all good ways to help your child connect to the Nature and the World around.

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8 - Trust your Child

 

A child needs to feel trusted in order to be confident and to develop healthily. In many cases, our previous negative experienced as adults make us develop a habit of distrusting people, forgetting that children are innocent and capable creatures. When we distrust the child, we send negative messages making him or her believe that he or she is seen as "lier", "selfish", or "lazy". Instead, it is best to let the child explain the situation and trust his or her story because in most cases it is true from the child's point of view. Another way of distrust that we must avoid, is to believe that the child is incapable of doing things carefully and "correctly". When we allow children to carry on responsibilities we would often get surprised by their ability to do tasks in a way that is sometimes better than ours.

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9 - Respect your Child

 

Respect your child's mind because it is capable of doing things that we, adult can no longer do. The children's mind can absorb information from the environment like a sponge. At this, they do not exclude anything, they film like a camera. The child collects information and impressions unconsciously and eventually transfers little pieces of knowledge into the conscious. Montessori taught us to deeply respect children, not interrupting when they are concentrating, allowing them to discover their own mistakes rather than pointing them out. The child must be respected at all levels: yelling, hitting, interrupting, obligating, controlling, labelling (calling the child lazy, bad, naughty... etc) are all ways to strongly disrespect a child who is busy building the man of the future!

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10 - Stay Positive

 

Every word you say, every act you make, is observed and absorbed by your child. Avoid blaming yourself or others, and discussing too many problems or negative situations in front of your child. Using positive words and respectful acts will not only teach your child to stay positive, but will also generate happiness in the whole family. 

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11 - Prepare the Environment

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Try to keep a safe, clean and organized environment that all family members respect and care for. Put the child's own belongings at the child's height so he or she can reach them independently. 

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12 - Follow your child

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Your rule of thumb is to follow your child, this may seem bizarre because we tend to think that we know better than our children. But in fact, the child knows much better than us about what he or she really needs! Step back and observe your child, your would surprisingly realise that your role as a parent is NOT to teach everything to your child, but to allow him or her to learn. You can do so by preparing the environment in which the child lives and by supporting the development of his or her very unique interests and abilities.

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For more information about parenting using Montessori principles visit www.aidtolife.org 

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