Montessori Philosophy & Practice

THE FIRST YEAR—A Gentle Beginning, Trust in the World


The following is the text from this section of the 2009-2010 edition of The Joyful Child, Montessori from Birth to Three
To see other sections of this publication return to: http://www.michaelolaf.com/JCcontents.html

THE FIRST YEAR - A GENTLE BEGINNING, TRUST IN THE WORLD

Preparation of Parents

Research has shown that the extent and quality of care the mother provides the child are strongly conditioned by the way they spend their time together during the first days after birth. —Silvana Montanaro, MD

When a couple is getting ready to have a first child they are about to take on the most important role there is. It is strange that so much more time and energy is put into preparing for a career, building a home, or other adult endeavors, than into preparing to be a parent—although it is a far more challenging and long-lasting role. It is best to begin to learn what it means to be a good parent, long before the child is born.

My first response upon hearing about these Montessori 0-3 ideas was quite naturally to defend how we had raised our children, after all "They turned out all right." However, seeing the wonderful results of using these ideas in many homes we see that there is indeed a better way to begin life—and we are happy to pass on the information.

The earliest moments in life, the first minutes and hours, are the most impressionable for infant and parent. This is the time when the basic instincts of parenting are awakened, and bonding begins. It is the time when the infant develops feelings of trust in those around him, and a feeling that our world is a happy place to be. The single most important element in an infant's environment is the loving wisdom of the adult. Nothing material can substitute for time and attention during these early months and years.

Clothing
Just as the finest natural cotton is used for the baby's topponcino, it is used whenever possible for other clothing and diapers. Every consideration is given to the sensitivity of the newborn, whenever possible using fine natural fibers for clothing.
Some babies explore their faces with their hands even before birth and certainly as soon as possible after birth. It is far better to keep fingernails and toenails short and to allow this exploration to continue, than to cover hands and feet. This enables the child to explore familiar and favorite objects with his hands. It is also important to have hands and feet uncovered when possible in order to learn the skills of turning over, crawling, creeping, pulling up and walking. (Please see the "Clothing" section, page 58 for more appropriate clothing for the young child.)

Clothing for Gentleness
There are several things to consider in the selection of clothing for the very young child: protection from heat or cold, circulation, respiration, digestion, fabric, color, and possibility of movement. But in the first few days it is gentleness that we should keep in mind. Check to see that the infant is not lying on the hard bump of metal snaps, or the gentle skin is not being irritated by thick seams or scratchy labels. Often clothing is put on inside-out on purpose just to have the softest side next to the babies skin.

It is important to keep the head warm in the first few days with a soft organic cotton hat, and sometimes a gown that can be fastened at the bottom so that the baby can move and stretch and still stay warm, the heat retained in the gown when the blankets are kicked off.

There are lovely colored fabrics used for baby clothing these days, but we think that there is no fabric as beautiful as the subtle shades of color of the new baby's skin, hair, and eyes. There is something so peaceful and old-fashioned about seeing children in soft neutral colors with their rosy cheeks being the main color. If you choose to use colored clothing for your infant we recommend that you check on the dyes used and stick with natural organic dyes if possible.

"Lap" shoulders, or "snap" shoulders are important when the baby still has such strong birth memories that putting anything tight over the head can illicit fear. These special features overlap or open up so that the gown or shirt can be put over the head of the child with no problem. Sometimes even changing diapers can bring back painful memories of medical practices that occur in the hospital nursery (hip check or circumcision) so if your child exhibits any fear while dressing it is important to slow down and to soothe and gentle the child, to talk to him or her about what you are doing, in a soft voice, rather than to rush through the dressing or changing. This way the child will learn to trust that changing and dressing are safe and enjoyable experiences.

Developing Trust in the World
It used to be generally agreed that babies were not aware, or that they had no memories of early life. Now we know that the strongest, deepest, and longest—lasting memories are formed at this time. It is common knowledge today that during the first months the child develops his basic attitude toward the world. How can we help a child develop trust from birth on?
For the last few months in utero, the infant has become used to the voices of his immediate family and accustomed to the sound of the mother's heartbeat. In the first weeks after birth the child is reassured by hearing those voices which he has heard during pregnancy, and, while nursing, by the mother's heartbeat.

He will now become more aware of family voices as they sound outside the womb, and of the smells and touch of his parents and siblings. These experiences create security in the child. "Family Only" days ensure this bonding.
Provide soft clothing and soft lights in the first days as the child is getting used to the world outside the womb. The "topponcino" is used to give security when holding the baby, and when handing her to another person. With this gentle handling, the baby gains even more security.

We can learn to listen to the sounds a baby makes, to watch quietly, to observe facial expressions and body movements, to see what the child is trying to tell us, and to get to know this unique human, giving the message that the child is cherished and the world is a safe place.

It is a sad fact that, because of the lack of understanding of the importance of the beginning of life, day care workers and other people who care for infants today are not valued in our culture as they should be. They are underpaid and under-appreciated. As a result, the profession of caring for the very young often has a very high turnover rate. Babies in these situations bond, are separated, feel rejected, bond again . . . over and over. Think of what the baby learns about trust and security in this situation. Ideally parents make plans about who will take care of their child as soon as possible in the family planning process.
The more thought, planning, time and energy we put into the care of our children in these early days, weeks, months, the better foundation, physically and emotionally, we will be helping them build.

Developing Trust in One's Self
A young child develops trust in herself beginning in the first year of life as she interacts with the environment. She learns to move out into the world, to touch and grasp, through her own effort, those things she has been looking at and longing to reach.
With the loving and understanding help of adults and older children, and in an environment that meets her changing needs, she will learn that she is capable, that her choices are wise, that she is indeed a fine person.

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© Susan Mayclin Stephenson, 2010 (www.susanart.net)
Permission to reprint or link to a website is granted if these words are include:
"Shared with permission of The Joyful Child Montessori Company: www.thejoyfulchild.us"


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