Nesting

Why do we nest? (I absolutely love that this uncontrollable urge to clean and cosy is called nesting; it conjures up wonderful images of birds creating masterpieces in trees, wooden swaddles for their eggs.) The mother needs to provide a warm, comforting home for her new baby. I'm also convinced it helps get labor going. This urge could have happened a month ago and it would have been a lot easier; scrubbing floors at 39 weeks is not plain sailing. Nature is a smart lady. Today I have swept and mopped the playroom floor, done the laundry, swept and oiled both staircases, vacuumed the rugs, filled all soap dispensers, organized a baby kitchen cupboard for bottles, pumps, pacifiers, etc., cleaned the kitchen cabinets and scoured the sink. Also, showered, shaved, and tweezed myself. Oh, and went on two dog walks and drove to South Philly to pick up Mexican take away.
Does this mean labour is imminent? Quite possibly.

38 weeks and 2 days. This little man is staying where he is for the time being. I am feeling remarkably calm about the birth and the baby. I may be in denial. Months of breast feeding, pumping, juggling toddler, baby, dog, mother and husband are ahead of me. Mmm, still feeling calm and overwhelmingly content.

I can't help but love my life right now. Today, for example, we were home bound as yesterday Rose threw up her stomach contents at music class. There is nothing like having a bra full of half digested kiwi and curdled milk. Instead of going to story time, we tidied and rearranged "Nonnie's room", harvested and hung up lavender and sage, made shape cards, and walked in the beautiful October sunshine. Brent came home and we ate homemade squash soup, homemade coleslaw and grilled cheese sandwiches on homemade bread. I'm now knitting Brent's jumper while the baby excerisies his limbs. I'm living a dream.

Here is a photo of Rose moments after spontaneously getting out her mat and showing Brent her new shape cards. Yay montessori!

Montessori Reboot

I downloaded a Montessori at Home guide today and I am remotivated. I have been searching for this document for months - a simple step by step guide telling me exactly how to implement Montessori techniques into my home and activities to use. I spent nap time reading the intro pages and these were some quotes I picked out:

"A significant feature of Dr. Montessori’s materials is the way in which each one takes a specific skill or bit of knowledge from the world and isolates that information in an attractive, self-contained activity" p. 13

There is no reason to bombard children with singing and dancing stimulus. I know I hate to have too much going on.

"By age six or seven, the foundations of the brain’s nerve architecture have been formed. A young child that experiences a variety of learning experiences in a loving, stable, low-stress environment, develops a brain with more active nerve connections and improved brain architecture."

The years between birth and seven are critical to the person the child will become. The implies giving a child a stressful, loveless environment develops a brain with poor architecture. So so sad.

"A child with a great brain who does not believe in himself will not achieve his full potential. A child with an average brain who has great confidence in her ability to master new tasks has a much better chance of success. A well developed brain, partnered with a positive self image, is a dynamic combination that allows a child to unlock their true potential."

Self confidence is suggested to be more important than knowing how to read and write. I think this is a wonderful theory. My overwhelming desire for my children is to know themselves, like themselves, and be confident in themselves. Can I say this about myself? I'm not so sure. Can I, therefore, help my children feel this about themselves? We will see.

Young children do not acquire a positive self image because we pamper them, repeatedly tell them they are smart and great, or constantly ask them, “How does that make you feel?” What makes young children confident is mastering actual skills and learning useful information. This makes them feel competent and in control of their environment. When a young child has a series of successes with learning activities a positive self-image becomes integrated into their personality. Along with your unconditional love, this is probably the greatest lifetime gift you can give your child. p. 16

Amen.

Home learning should be a series of positive, fun experiences of exploration and discovery. The process is what is important, not finishing as soon as possible. Early learning activities should develop a love of learning in young children. Be patient, be positive, and encourage your child’s efforts.

This is something I have to work on. I need to let them lead and explore without interference from me. I'm definitely getting better with the patience part - toddler speed is slow, but when you consider what is happening in her brain when she is doing something as supposedly simple as pouring rice from one container to another, that is a great achievement for a day.

It is vital to remember that young children do not by nature share our sense of the need to do better than anyone else. They are each involved in their own process of development. That is what we should focus on.

Yes yes yes!


So today we made a rice tub together and she spent 20 minutes pouring rice from a container into a funnel. We need to work on the clean up, but I am filled with Montessori love again.

This week we are going to be sorting colours, tossing balls, sponging water, and naming shapes. I will post pictures of our prepared environment and our works as we develop them.