What is Montessori?

Whenever someone sees Gracie's room or the pictures of her furniture, they always ask why she will be sleeping on the floor, because that is the most noticeable difference between our nursery and 99.9% of nurseries in the US. We certainly don't mind explaining that we're planning to follow Montessori principals in raising our children. Then the next question is usually - "What is Montessori?" To the contrary of what many people think, it isn't a religious or cult-like phenomenon. It is quite simply, an educational philosophy.

For those of you who care to learn more, the Montessori philosophy has roots in every part of a child's life, not just in the classroom and not beginning at age five or six. It is based on the premise that children should be respected and receive "freedom within limits" in order to become independent thinkers. So what does that mean? I bet you are imagining screaming children running around, doing as they please. That's what I thought when someone first explained it to me. It is quite the opposite if well-understood and implemented properly. It actually leads to a happy, confident, intrinsically motivated, independent, responsible and well-disciplined child. I know, it sounds too good to be true. But it actually is possible. I've seen what children can do if given the opportunity. It is truly amazing!

Ryan and I both believe that education begins at birth and is a life-long process. So this philosophy actually fits well within our own ideals, and provides a framework to help us on our way to being decent parents and our children's first teachers. But I'm certainly not an expert on the Montessori topic, so here are some additional resources that may help those who are interested to learn more:

Montessori Connections
Birth to Three - Parenting
Birth to Three - Preparing the Environment
The First Year
Montessori Education - The Differences Between Montessori and Traditional Education
NAMC - Montessori Home Environment

The Montessori method is not our only plan for our children's lives - traditions, morals, religion and all the "normal stuff" play an even larger part, but that's nothing new to anyone and therefore doesn't seem to spark much conversation. And to answer the other FAQ we've been getting recently, our children will enter public school at age 5 or 6 and very likely fit in just the same as every other child. While you may be thinking, as my brother Evan put it: that we sound like Rick Moranis in the movie Parenthood, forcing his three-year-old daughter to study and learn constantly and not allowing her to just be a kid. But we don't have preconceived expectations for Gracie or any future children. It is quite the opposite, in that we don't believe in hurrying our children, rather simply providing opportunities to help them develop and learn at their own pace, while encouraging them to just be kids. Eventually, they will have the confidence and independence to become whatever they choose.

So, keep the questions coming. We're happy to share ideas and eternally grateful for yours.