Post on 21-Jul-2016
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A very warm good morning I bid to all the wonderful people present today. It is my
pleasure to have educators and parents gather here in one place just to show how determine you
are in assuring a better education for our children.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I know that most of you already have children enroll in our curriculum and I bet Montessori
Method have managed to inculcate the thirst of knowledge in your child, developing a sense of
order, nurture functional creativity, boost self-confidence and most importantly, bring in a sense
of independence. On the other hand, I am also sure that they are inquisitive parents here who
want to be enlightened as to what is actually Montessori Method?
Montessori Method is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and
educator Maria Montessori and characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within
limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development. Here in
Brainy Montessori, we are conformed to several elements in operating our institution. We
conduct a learning environment within mixed aged classrooms. Here we have three-year age
ranges. 3-6 year old in one class, 6-9 year old in one class, and so on. Apart from that, we use
constructivist or discovery model, where students learn concepts from working with materials,
rather than by direct instruction. We are also specialized in educational materials developed by
Montessori and her collaborators to help kids engage more actively in the classrooms with
freedom of movements, guided by a trained Montessori teacher.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Without further ado, I would like talk about an issue that is so relevant to us, in which is “what
does it take to be a good parent?”. I wasn’t a good parent myself until I found Montessori
Method which has guided me through the years of bearing children. I personally agree that
spending quality time with our children should be put at the top of our parenting skills list.
American pianist Michael Levine says, “Having children makes you no more a parent than
having a piano makes you a pianist.” To be an effective parent and have a healthy family, you
need to spend time together. A number of families have found creative ways to do this so they
can connect in meaningful, positive ways. One way for you to do this is set aside special times
during the week along with each of your children. If your child is young, it is even helpful for
you to say “When I say to you or read to you or play with you, I won’t even answer the phone if
it rings”. Also during special times, focus on things that your child enjoys doing so he or she has
an opportunity to relax and simply display their strengths. You can also designate a regular
family time as part of your routine. Some families have a weekly family night. Others have a
monthly family outing. Others have a daily family check-in during dinner or before bed. Figure
out a routine that works for you and your family.
To know our child, we must learn to observe our child. If we carefully observe our
children’s behavior and interests, their ability to move and take on new tasks, their need to feel
secure and relax in their environment, we can get many clues as to what it means to parents from
a Montessori perspective. Each child grows and develops at his own pace. If we can follow his
cues as to what his needs and abilities are, and do our best to provide a home-environment that
satisfies these, he will grow confident that he is accepted for who he is and not expected to fulfill
his parents’ or anyone else’s timetable for development. This approach Maria Montessori called
‘following the child’. As your child grows and changes, we also have to provide things that are
appropriate for them at their age. I do think that if you find them misbehave and acting out, it is a
pretty good indicator that you better be looking more closely at what their needs are.
I as a parent myself, always try to make things available for my children. I mean, we live
in a neighbourhood in which nature is so close to us. So during school holidays, I make sure they
have binoculars, magnifying glasses and we even made a critter box for them to keep
caterpillars, frogs and bugs. Learning to be an observer of your child is a lifetime skill that takes
time to develop. If something is not working, it’s time to try something else. Become a student of
your child’s developmental needs and focus on what is appropriate for his current age level and
ability. Focus on activity that interests your child. Organize them so your child can be successful
and keep them easily within reach. Nurturing respect, independence and responsibility in your
child are key components to help him retain his desire to learn, feel confident and reach his
potential. Following your child demonstrates that you respect him, for who he is, that you
understand his capabilities and have reasonable expectations for him. It is important to spend
quality time together for working and playing.
Do you understand what your kids are trying to tell you? Are you paying attention to
body language or other cues that might indicate there’s more to a story? It is important to listen
carefully to your child and sincerely engaged in thoughtful communication. Talk about the
everyday stuff every day. Don’t wait for “important” conversations to have any conversations.
Find times to talk with your child every day. You can also create times for talking. Expect
everyone to be home for meals. Turn off the music while you’re driving around. Play a board
game instead of watching television. When a difficulty arises for you as a parent it is important
to express yourself in an ‘I’ statements such as “I feel irritated when you’re yelling at your
sister” instead of shaming your child with statement like “Stop yelling. You’re driving me
crazy!”. Children who feel this sense of respect are usually remarkably well-behaved. Children
want to feel independent and thrive when they are given opportunities to be responsible for their
own care. Most importantly, be patient. Sometimes you and your children will say things you
regret. Other times you’ll miss opportunities for a great conversation. Remember that you can
start a new conversation, even a simple one, to put you back on track.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Please. Stop telling your kids to share. Wait, the founder of Brainy Montessori is telling
you to have your kids to stop sharing? No. I actually want them to be better sharers. You can
help them by asking them to take turns. Not by telling them to share. Little minds really have a
hard time in understanding the concept of sharing. To a young child, telling them to share is just
like saying “Give away something that you want”. Period. All other good stuff about taking care
of other people’s feelings and fairness doesn’t really develop much until about the age of seven,
and even then, it takes several more years to fully develop after that; as any parent of a teenager
can attest. You see, word choice actually turns out to be really important in this situation. So,
taking turns is something that you can demonstrate. It is a concrete action that you can show
them how to do it. Sharing is more of a theoretical concept. The altruistic actions in caring for
others and putting yourselves in other people’s shoes are just not realistic to expect little minds to
be firing on all those cylinders. But you can give them a great experience in taking turns, which
helps them build their mental muscles by helping build their patience and then help them
understand other people’s feelings by pointing out how much their friends really enjoy it when
they do take turns. Because having fun time together, with your help, will eventually help your
little one become an excellent sharer.
Most parents are aware that their child’s feeling of self-worth are linked to social and
academic success but they sometimes don’t realize how easy it is to damage a child’s self-
esteem. Research shows that children with learning disabilities are especially likely to suffer
from a lack of self-esteem but all children benefit with their parents take steps to help develop
positive feelings self-worth. One of the things you can do is help your child feel special and
appreciated. This can be accomplished by focusing your energy on a child’s strengths.
Unfortunately, many youngsters view themselves in a negative way, especially in terms of
school. Make a list of your child’s ‘Island of Competence’ or areas of strength. Select one of
these islands and find ways of reinforcing and displaying. For example, if your child is a
wonderful artist, display his or her artwork.
The problem with respect in kids is mainly “How do you want them to respect you?” and
“What do you want them to do?” “How do they show respect?”. In most families, kids don’t
know. In most families what we do is we keep giving to kids without them having to give back.
So, what we really have to do is set up a very easy process for kids on how to respect us as
adults. The easiest way to get respect from our children is to go back to a process which we
actually started when our kids were very young, and it is the use of ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. We
live in a society today where most parents well-consciously started the process of nurturing the
use of these two phrases when they began to speak. That child will continuously use that as they
get older. Sometimes, around the age of nine this process tends to disappear. Think about your
household where you have your child constantly asking for something using the word ‘please’
and after they get it saying ’thank you’. If you can create this in your household, you can be
happy and feel far more respected than you are now. This is the simplest process I can give you.
Now, the problem is most of us do not use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in our household. What you
have to do is diligently remember every time your child asks you for something; they have to use
those two phrases. Well, I’m going to give you a little help here. All I want you to do is create
some visuals. Create a big sign and hang up in let us say in five places in the house that says
‘please’ and ‘thank you’. If your child says “Can I have a cookie?”, you can say “What is the
magic word?” and the child goes “Oh, yes. Please and thank you”. When a child gets older, you
do not want to pose the same question because you might get a word that you don’t think it is
magic. Just point to the sign and your child will get it. Do something simple. Set up this ‘please’
and ‘thank you’ routine and keep it up until they get older and you will find that the respect level
for everybody in your household will increase and you will be happier and enjoy raising your
kids far more than you are now.
Members of the floor,
Do you still remember when was the last time you get involved in your child’s school activities?
Or did it happen years ago that you cannot even recall the activities that you and your child had
your hands dirty with? Most schools and youth-serving programs go out of their way to reach
parents through conferences, volunteer opportunities, and special events; like this open-day that
we are having now. If you’re too busy to attend, at the very least, connect with your children’s
teachers via e-mail or phone. Then start taking advantage of opportunities to actually get into and
spend time at the places your children go. Children and teens are more likely to be successful in
school if their mothers, fathers or other parenting adults are actively engaged in their learning.
That doesn’t mean you have to be an expert in what they are learning. Rather, you can show your
support and commitment many different ways, from being involved in the school, to encouraging
learning at home, and providing other opportunities for your child to grow and learn. Get
involved in school. This can include coming to meetings, attending parent-teacher conferences,
volunteering for classroom or school activities, or getting involved in school policies and
decisions.
Everyone needs to feel like he or she has something to contribute. Children who take on
responsibilities, have useful roles, and serve others are more likely to grow up with a sense of
purpose and concern for others. They are also more likely to develop the skills and attitudes to
take on new responsibilities. Here are some ideas to help you empower your children to
contribute. Share family responsibilities. Have a family meeting to get everyone’s ideas on
accomplishing household tasks. Share the decisions then share the work. Ask your children to
teach you something new. It could be something being learned in school, something related to
technology or sports, or a video game that your teen loves. Then of course, you can play it
together. You can also use home projects as learning projects. Whether you’re planning a family
reunion, doing home repair projects, or just catching up on chores, have your children help and
learn. Besides that, you can also follow your children’s lead. Children often are the ones who
recognize problems and want to take action. If they raise issues or concerns, encourage them to
dig deeper, learn more, and suggest ways your family can respond.
‘A chip of the old block’. ‘Flip side of the same coin’. ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the
tree’. ‘Like father, like son’. These folk phrases concisely sum up family characterizations. They
all infer that parents are to blame for how kids turn out; for better or worse. Children, in general,
do tend to grow up to be a lot like their parents. So, you have to be a positive role model.
Parents should be very careful of how they behave themselves. ‘A fish rots from the top’. It is
extremely well known that children don`t do what you tell them to do, rather they do what they
see you doing. Always remember, if you are telling a lie, how can you expect your child to stop
lying?. Thus to improve them, you must improve yourself too. After all, role models are human;
they make mistakes. Parents who admit to their mistakes, learn from them, and strive to better
themselves can serve as powerful influences for children's emotional growth. By addressing
problems and conflicts in their own lives and sharing the process in an age-appropriate manner,
parents can encourage their children to address their own concerns. Parents should also display
non-aggressive responses to stress and anger management.