Henry and the Banana
Kylie wrote the nicest post about our book collaboration yesterday (well, I’m not really sure which day it was, since the time difference between the United States and Australia is pretty discombobulating to me).
Then in her most recent post, she linked to a video of Henry peeling a banana. Coincidentally, I had just filmed a new video of him peeling a banana. His independence is growing every day. It’s the sweetest thing to watch.
I took Henry out to lunch for some Ethiopian food with colleagues today. One of my friend’s said, “Henry seems so independent and comfortable.” I explained that it’s probably because we implement Montessori in the home. Another friend said, “It’s probably because of who his parents are.”
But honestly, who we are as parents can’t be separated from the Montessori method. The Montessori principles shape our overarching approach to life with Henry. We know that we should try not to do things for him that he can do for himself, and we know that involving him in the practical life activities of our home is very important at this age. Just today, he put his diapers in the pail, carried his snack plate of grapes and cheese cubes to his weaning table (well, he made it halfway there before stopping to eat a grape), he helped Matt carry the compost bucket, he put away Hoss’s leash after our evening walk, and he fed Hoss. He seems to love doing these things. I think it helps him develop in all the right ways (fine-motor skills, coordination, problem-solving, critical thinking, gross motor skills), and I think it helps him feel important and useful. It feels like we’re helping him build the strongest possible foundation of confidence and self-worth. I am so eager for him to start attending an AMI-credentialed Montessori school in August.
In the meantime, I need to order some kid-sized kitchen equipment, so I can start teaching Henry the skills in our book.
4 Comments
Mismikado
love this video… I actually called my husband in to see what Henry is doing at just under 17 months! You should be so proud! 🙂
Molly
This is so so (so so so) wonderful. Good job taking a pause (or video) to soak in your boy and his rapidly growing self.
Anonymous
I am curious as to your rationale behind choosing an AMI school instead of an AMS one. I would love to know more…
saracotner
Hi, Anonymous: I'm AMS-trained, so I'm a fan of both types of certification. AMI schools tend to be more pure, and I think that's important at the youngest level where the curriculum is most developed. At the older levels, I think the AMI purity can go a little too far (I've heard rumors that Henry's school doesn't even have computers in the 4th-6th grade classroom). Let me know if you have more questions about this.