What Does It Mean to Be a Montessori Style Parent?

You don’t have to send your child to an online Montessori preschool to be a Montessori parent!

“Montessori” is an educational style first pioneered in the early 20th Century by Dr. Maria Montessori, and it quickly gained attention in the educational community.  Rather than the rigid proscribed educational curriculum of traditional schools and universities, the Montessori style of teaching focused on cultivating a child’s independence, self-reliance, and development of the child’s own interests.

However, the Montessori philosophy goes beyond the boundaries of education.  Montessori-style parenting can help turn children into highly creative, independent, and adaptable adults who will be ready to thrive in unpredictable times.

Four Basics of Being a Montessori-Style Parent

1 – Show respect

Understand that your child, while young and in need of guidance, is still an independent self-motivated person and deserves respect as such.  They should be given as much ownership of their mind and body as is reasonably feasible, and harsh “because I said so” style authoritative parenting should be avoided whenever possible.

2 – Focus on cause-and-effect lessons

The essence of practical wisdom is understanding the relationship between a person’s actions, and the results of those actions. Teach children from a young age to focus on those connections.  Avoid the use of arbitrary moral declarations, in the form of “Don’t do this thing, because it is bad.”  Explain why the action is “bad,” through the harmful effects that it can bring about.  And, likewise, positive actions should be encouraged by focusing on the results of those actions.

3 – Adapt to your child’s skills and interests

There are certain basics every child needs to learn, like the proverbial “three Rs” but beyond that, be flexible.  For example, it’s agreed that education should incorporate the arts, but almost any art is equally beneficial from a developmental standpoint.  If your child wants to learn piano, by all means, let them learn piano.  But don’t force it on them.  Perhaps they’d prefer the drums, or painting, or dance.  Let them experiment and find their own skills.

4 – Let them fail

As a wise man once said, “the greatest teacher, failure is.”  If a task is non-critical and non-dangerous, don’t immediately intervene if the child is failing at it.  Let them fail and turn that failure into a teaching opportunity – then give them another chance to do it right.  If you do everything for them, they won’t learn.

For more help, an online montessori kindergarten can be an excellent addition to your parenting.