Art

Food for thought

20 Feb, 2021

Are we lighting and enhancing the path that we want a child to walk on, or are we obstructing it?

Imagine there is a loud crash in the room. Two scared eyes look around, then come the copious tears. The tears were not because of his inability to do a chore he thought he was capable of performing, but because of the reprimand that he was expecting from the adult.

This is a familiar scene in any house; a child of three wants to do the tasks he sees the adult performing at home. Is he allowed to do them? The adult's ego doesn't see the need of the child to feel, see and touch an object. By doing all this, he is building confidence in his abilities. The moment we stop the child from performing simple tasks, we break the child's will to construct himself into the person he wants to be.

It is simple to make homes child-proof. The adult very proudly displays bare dressers, consoles, and shelves to whoever is noticing. What is the child going break now? Nothing. The child becomes a sublime slave to the adult who fancies himself as the savior of that little soul in his charge. Little does he realize that his need to protect the precious crystal he has hidden in lock and key is just what the child needs to touch, feel and manipulate. His senses are craving for the food, which very prudently has been taken away by the very adult, whom he trusts with all his might.

According to research, 0 to 6 years are formative years for a child. During this period, the child is going through an intense mental activity that allows him to "absorb" learning from his environment without conscious effort, naturally and spontaneously. A child is born without the ability to speak or to take care of himself, but within the first three years of his life, through the use of his senses, he gathers the information he needs to develop, to "create and construct" himself. He gathers naturally without thinking. 'What the hand does, feels and touches the mind remembers,' Dr. Montessori.

So what should we as parents and caregivers do to make them learn from their environment, to be self-sufficient?

• We can give them tasks through which they can develop life skills.
• We can help them gain experiences by introducing them to various aspects of nature help; them be curious about nature
• They can help in doing simple chores like pouring water, sorting clothes in the cupboard, vegetables in the refrigerator.
• We can give them tasks that develop their pincer grip, something as simple as pegging clothes. The adult around him is doing it, and he wants it.
• Mopping and sweeping are tasks children love to do. They develop their motor skills and enhance their concentration power and teach them dignity of labour. The list is endless.

All these activities bring a sense of satisfaction to the child, build confidence, independence and concentration. Children have intrinsic motivation to work. They will surprise us by doing tasks which we, as adults, feel would be beyond them. As parents, let's give them what they need, "experiences," and see them bloom.

By
Vandana Bhasin
Early Years Program Facilitator
Learners International School
Worked as a trained Montessori Directress, having experience as a Montessori trainer too.