Part II in the continuation of breaking down 101 Ways to Help a Montessori Child by Barbara Hacker. Like last week, I have put the main parts of each point in bold and on a few I will be adding some of my own tips; those are in parentheses and italics. Enjoy!
11. Read together daily. With younger children stick to books with realistic themes. (Try to include lots of books with real life pictures vs. illustrations as well - most toddlers are drawn to those)
12. See that your child gets to school on time. (As a teacher, I am a big advocate of this one - it is so hard for a young child to find his/her place in their environment if everything is already in full swing; it can also disrupt the concentration and focus of those children already there as they want to be able to greet their friends)
13. Allow sufficient time for your child to dress himself/herself.
14. Allow your child to collaborate with food preparation and encourage your Extended Day child to take at least some responsibility for preparing his or her own lunch.
15. If possible allow your child a plot of land or at least a flower pot in which to experience growing things. (with spring fast approaching this is a great time to begin introducing your toddler to the responsibility of caring for growing things and instill a love for investigating nature)
16. Take walks together at the child's pace, pausing to notice things and talk about them.
17. Help your child be in a calm and prepared mood to begin school rather than over stimulated and carrying toys or food. (especially if other toddlers are already at school, having toys or food in hand when your toddler walks in the door puts them in the mind of the defensive with the thought of "mine, mine, mine"; without that distraction your child can focus on the transition of coming to school and will able to say goodbye and deal with those emotions a little better)
18. Eliminate or strictly limit TV watching and replace with activity oriented things which involve the child rather than his/her being a passive observer. When the child does watch TV, watch it with him/her and discuss what is being seen.
19. From the earliest age give your child the responsibility to pick up after himself/herself, i.e., return toys to their place, put dirty clothes in laundry basket, clear dishes to appropriate place, clean off sink after use, etc. This necessitates preparing the environment so children know where things go.
20. Hug regularly but don't impose affection. Recognize the difference.
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