As your child gets older, they will begin to depend on your less in some regards. A baby quickly develops from being completely dependent on their parents to even hold up their head, to learning how to walk, talk, feed themselves, clothe themselves, and cover their basic needs.
However, while the parents’ role changes over time, it becomes no less important. One of the most important things that children will do as they grow up is to learn about themselves and the world. As your child develops, they will change physically, socially, emotionally, and mentally. They learn how to navigate the world and, as their parents, you become their guides.
Understandably, this means that parents should also be involved in their child’s education. Whether your child is still pre-school age or older, parents can always have a hand in how and what they learn.
Natural Learning: The Montessori Method
The Montessori method of learning was developed by Maria Montessori, a physician who specialized in human psychology and development, primarily with children under the age of six years old. She developed a method of education that emphasizes real-world skills, hands-on learning, and allowing children to develop their natural interests.
This form of education is far less formalized than typical schooling, with less focus on grades, tests, or heavily structured lesson plans. Classrooms utilizing this teaching method will typically include children of different ages and a carefully prepared environment. Children are allowed to choose what activities they do and are given long periods of uninterrupted time to work and learn.
While it seems as though this method of education consists of just setting a bunch of kids loose in a room and hoping for the best, there is a method involved. The environment is prepared, with educational activities that children both enjoy and learn from. They’re encouraged to use their hands to explore the world.
While the children are allowed to choose what they want to do and are left uninterrupted, they aren’t left unsupervised. Teachers are specially trained to observe the children and note their tendencies and innate talents, which allows them to guide children towards developing these skills.
The Montessori method is most commonly used to teach younger children, partially because the founder died before developing any plans for teaching adolescents. You can likely find Montessori preschool and elementary schools which achieve comparable or superior results to traditional classrooms, but middle and high schools are less common.
Generally speaking, this method is considered effective, with positive results from scientific studies. However, like most things, the effectiveness of teaching children using the Montessori method largely depends on the effort put into it by teachers and organizers.
Benefits of Intuitive Learning
This method is one of the most famous educational programs for children that uses the principles of intuitive learning. Rather than standardized, traditional learning, where children are placed into a highly structured environment, intuitive learning allows children to direct their own education, to an extent.
Structured, traditional education does have its advantages. It teaches children how to get used to a structured environment, such as an environment that you might find in a workplace. It also introduces them to deadlines. Most importantly, this kind of learning provides a well-rounded basic education for all children, teaching them the same things so that they have the opportunity to learn about a range of subjects.
However, there are also significant advantages to more intuitive learning, especially when it’s used to teach younger children. Toddlers and preschoolers learn by playing. It’s how they develop their creativity, communication skills, and social skills. They develop physically as well, exploring the world around them with their hands and picking up new skills. Intuitive learning leans into this.
The wider age range of a Montessori classroom means that children can teach and support each other as well. This doesn’t just develop social skills and benefit the younger children being taught, but it also teaches the older children how to help other kids and how to teach and explain something that they’re good at.
Montessori teaching, as well as other, similar, intuitive methods, are especially effective at teaching children how to be independent. They are largely responsible for their own learning, which means that they don’t feel the need to ask for help and involve the teacher. A teacher or guardian should still be there, of course, but the idea is for the children to guide themselves and learn how to be self-sufficient.
Intuitive Learning at Home
The good news is that parents can use some of the principles of the Montessori method to help their children to learn naturally and intuitively. Teaching resources, such as Montessori worksheets, are available for teachers and parents alike to use for their children.
As you’d expect, these methods are easier for parents to implement with younger children. You can give your toddler a headstart by introducing them to educational toys and letting them choose what to play with. This way, parents can pick up on their child’s interests and aptitude.
The sooner that parents recognize the talents of their children, the sooner they can nurture their talents and help them to realize their potential. This means that, as the child grows and gets older, parents can find resources that their child can appreciate.
Even if you decide to send your child to traditional school, you can still use these same skills to support your child’s education. Teach your child how to learn. This means that, rather than always asking an adult or turning to a device for an immediate answer, they should be able to work it out themselves using deductive reasoning.
Teaching Your Child Practical Skills
As well as supporting your child during their formal education, parents should continue to have a teaching role in their child’s life. Your child will still need to learn practical skills so that they can grow into functioning adults. They won’t get taught this at school, but you can teach them at home.
If you have any hobbies, such as gardening or tinkering with vehicles, then you have a wonderful opportunity to teach your child about something that you love. This has a two-fold effect. First, it allows you to spend time with your children in a relaxed and natural manner. You’re having fun together, which allows you to bond. Second, you’re teaching your child a potentially useful skill that will continue to benefit them as they grow up.
As well as teaching your child about your hobbies, you should also teach them some more grounded and basic skills. Cooking and cleaning are considered chores, but they’re also an integral part of adult life. By getting your children involved early, you’re doing them a favor.
The important thing is to make this learning fun and practical. People are more inclined to learn if they can see how it can benefit them. Teach your children to cook by coming up with recipes that they enjoy and work together. You aren’t Gordon Ramsey, you’re a parent. Stick some music on, have fun. When cleaning, choose tasks that are age appropriate and reward your children for doing well.
Finally, you should also teach your children how to manage money and budget, especially when they get older and start to think about potential careers. By teaching them how to handle money before they need to support themselves, you equip them with the skills they need to succeed.
Children and Burnout
One popular way to encourage your child’s interests is to engage them with extracurricular activities, such as music practice or sports. Extracurricular activities should revolve around any talents or passions that your child has discovered. However, it’s important to ensure that you don’t push your children too far.
Children, just like adults, can get burnt out. This can cause them to lose interest in something that they once loved and, in some cases, push back against it. If you see a talent in your child, it can be tempting to encourage them to push themselves so that they can excel. However, it’s also easy to fall into the trap of driving your child away from something they used to enjoy.
Instead, it’s important to remember that children respond to fun and gentle encouragement. If they’re motivated to excel at something, then you can support them in that, but make sure that they’re always having fun.
Another important part of child development is play and relaxation. Rather than cramming your child’s schedule full of structured educational activities and enrichment, give them some time to relax. Some children will continue to spend their time learning, especially if they enjoy it. They may read or draw to relax.
Other children prefer to play. This is another important aspect of their development, as they spend time with other kids their age and learn how to socialize. Even video games or watching television are perfectly good ways for children to relax, in moderation.
It’s important to remember that, as a parent, you have an influential role in your child’s life. Even after they start school, you should continue to nurture their development. This includes both their formal education and more practical skills.
You can do this by teaching them about your hobbies, helping them with chores around the house, and showing them how to budget and spend money wisely. It’s also important to give them time to relax and play, as this is vital for their social development.
By taking an active role in your child’s life, you can ensure that they grow up to be happy and successful adults.