5 Montessori Parenting Tips to Make Life with a Toddler Easier
Toddlers may be the cutest personalities you’ll ever have the privilege to be around with as a parent of one. But, you will admit that they can be quite troublesome.
Though that’s putting it lightly. How many parents out there can relate to the difficulty of handling toddler tantrums? The short answer is a lot, definitely.
However, what’s good is that there’s actually a lot of Montessori parenting tips that you can follow to keep your little ankle-biter under control.
Many parents who have tried them out consider these toddler parenting tips as lifesavers, and that’s no overstatement. If worse comes to worst, you can certainly rely on them to have lasting changes that will be advantageous to both of you.
The Best Montessori Parenting Tips for Toddlers
Montessori parenting espouses nourishing an environment that is ideal for your child’s age. Doing so will encourage your child to easily adapt to the home environment. However, it will only decrease the prevalence of tantrums. In the long run, it will only teach them how to be independent as well.
1. Give Your Child the Freedom They Need but It Should Always Come with Necessary Limitations.
The worst thing that you can do as a parent is to make your child feel stifled by your rules and authorities. Montessori teachings place a child’s freedom first and foremost simply because it lays the foundation for independence.
Also, it encourages them to pursue their interests. But, of course, you should never let it go out of hand. It’s always important to set limits and for your child to know what they are. This will enlighten them about the fact that they can’t always have their way.
Of course, doing this will also make sure that they will be kept away from harm.
Don’t dictate too much on what games they should play, but always make sure that it is safe and suitable for them.
2. Focus on motivating your child and refrain from relying too much on rewards.
Parents opt to reward their child for good behavior almost every time. While there’s nothing with rewards, it’s actually dissuaded by proponents of the Montessori method. They consider the satisfaction of having done something good more important than transient things like verbal praise or candy.
You can pair this method up with chores that you assign to them. For example, during instances when they do something that’s praiseworthy like hanging their clothes on hooks or putting their own dirty laundry in a nearby basket.
Of course, you have to take the time to supply these items and make sure that they are accessible to your little one.
Inner motivation is ultimately more worthwhile because it builds their character in the long run. Without a doubt, it also builds up their self-confidence too, which will be vital for later life.
3. Allot Space For them to Play or Explore in.
You can always assign a spot for your child to play games and do all the exploration as preferred, regardless of your home size.
It doesn’t have to be big; in fact, it’s actually preferred to relegate only a small area, considering your child’s age. As said above, you should take the time to develop this ideal environment and make safety a number one priority.
Place most of their books and toys there and, as much as possible; keep things organized by putting them in separate containers. It won’t hurt to add a child-friendly table and chair there as well.
So, they can do any kind of writing and drawing they like with relative ease. Having ready containers will also open up opportunities for you to teach your child how to organize their belongings.
Ultimately, giving children space to explore and play is one of the main tenets of Montessori philosophy. And children pretty much value the space you give them. In the end, doing so will also give you your much-needed space in turn.
4. Invest in Items and Supplies that can Help your Child Feel Independent and Comfortable on a Daily Basis.
Whether it’s in the kitchen or the bathroom, it won’t hurt to assign your child with their own items. Give them their own dishes and other tableware.
For example, relegate a spot for these things in the kitchen cabinet or drawer. This way, it will be easier for them to access these items once you ask them to set up the table when lunch or dinner time comes.
In the bathroom, on the other hand, you can also supply items that will be used on regular basis like wipes, diapers, and a potty for toilet training. You can even add some books so they can always have something to read while using the toilet.
Doing these activities is all about bestowing your child with a clear sense of control, which is important for promoting independence. It also makes it easier for you to teach them any kind of chore or activity that they’re yet to grasp.
5. Prioritize establishing a regular sleeping schedule.
Sleep is vital for everyone, but your toddler undoubtedly needs it more. It can be hard to keep a schedule going if your kid is constantly being distracted by toys or other gadgets.
This is why you should make it a point to keep these distractions at a minimum in the bedroom. That is if it isn’t possible to remove them altogether.
More often than not, a toddler only becomes prone to tantrums simply due to a lack of proper sleep. Also, keeping a strict sleeping schedule will only make them more disciplined as time goes by. Either way, your child will enjoy permanent benefits essential for their full development.
Conclusion
As you can see, parenting a toddler isn’t rocket science. At best, all it takes is really understanding what your child needs in this crucial time of their lives.
The fact that these Montessori-inspired tips have been found to be effective only proves that the Montessori method truly extends well beyond the classroom.
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