I had the pleasure of chatting with Jeanne-Marie Paynel, Your Parenting Mentor about Montessori Education and prepping the home for children. She is a parenting mentor who worked in corporate America before going back to school to study Montessori education. Her connection to younger children started when she was 12 as an older sister. When she was pregnant with her first child, she read books about Montessori and when she went back to school, she fell in love with Montessori philosophy.
Exploring Montessori Education and Prepping for Little Ones with Your Parenting Mentor, Jeanne-Marie Paynel
Jeanne-Marie explained, that as a parent, you are your child’s first and most important teacher. She calls herself a parenting mentor because she guides parents and she coaches on overall family life. Her Montessori focus melds perfectly with creating a toxin free household.
Jeanne-Marie shared a bit about Montessori, child driven opposed to traditional education because we become a guide rather than a teacher. She shared one misconception that kids just do whatever they want. Another misconception is that Montessori is strict and orderly. In actuality, Montessori is the work of self discipline. Within traditional education you are interrupting your child a lot. But with Montessori the children get 2-3 hours of uninterrupted work time where the child could chose what they wanted to work on when. These concepts can also be brought into the home. Another misconception is that Montessori is just for preschool but it actually goes from birth to the age of 18.
For bringing Montessori into the home, it is important to integrate your child into the community of the home. It is really about looking at that space and adapting it to your child’s needs. Children want to do what you are doing. So invite them in to help with whatever it is they want to do. At my house, instead of certain chores we all work together while cleaning or cooking. It is great because sometimes I am busy and my daughter will come in and ask what she can do to make dinner. She isn’t being forced, she notices when I’m busy and she takes care of it. Children are way more capable than we give them credit for.
Jeanne-Marie shared some good tips for helping your kids through virtual school. She said to be observant of your child and if they’re fidgeting, give them something to pass between their hands. Or set up their computer so they can stand up. We need to observe and adjust to give our kids the best experience. For some children, the screens are just too much. So talk to the teacher or instructor to see if there are any ways to help. Really take advantage of this time to stay home and slow down.
We also chatted about how parents also need to take care of themselves right now. We are used to helping others but we need to check in and take care of ourselves, even if it’s just a shower or a quick nap. It is so important. We also need to teach our kids about breaks too because if they are struggling with an assignment and get super stressed out, they need to know that they can take a break to reset their brain.
To find Jeanne-Marie, go to YourParentingMentor.com where you can find so much information. She also has instagram and a YouTube where you can find her at Voila Montessori. She also has a podcast called The Art of Parenting, where she shares tips on parenting and interviews other parents.
You can find more from Jeanne-Marie here:
http://voilamontessori.pages.ontraport.net/montessori-registry
