Homeschooling Montessori Mom

Ah, the balance between the internal instinct of protecting your children from harm including the pain of learning is a hard one.

To choose to observe a child in a classroom as a Montessori educator is far easier than observing your own child.

As we are into contract work for the older children now, where they choose their work in each of the categories, I feel we have accomplished a balance that is both comfortable and child self empowering.

BUT.......what happens when "work time" is over and your child still feels the need to complete the sheet? Is it out of desperation? Is it out of sense of accomplishment? What makes a child want to keep working.....yet cry at the same time saying that they are not playing? No matter what I said to encourage it only seemed to make it worse. I stood aside and said nothing watching and fighting my internal instincts of wanting to scoop him up and force him to stop, I put my trust into Montessori.

Now when I had rethought the events I realized that he had played during work time and perhaps he felt some sense of duty......

The next morning to my amazement my trust was not only restored but blooming! This child had sat down and chosen a different schedule for himself and was focused like a hawk on it's prey. As the others watched they too became focused and worked to their hearts content.

I just laughed and shook my head and said.....Yes Maria, YES!