You know how much I love spending time with Jack in the kitchen. He is becoming quite the little chef, with his apron on and mixing spoon in hand. I was thinking about how we got to this place where he is able to help with confidence having mastered some basic skills; and it was through a lot of patient practice.
Montessori is like that for us, patient practice. Jack needs to be patient, I need to be patient more importantly. In our family, probably like with most, skills take time to master, time and practice. Jack wasn’t always able to crack an egg, peel a carrot or pour flour without spilling it all over the bench. It takes time. Time and a space which allows him to master these skills with both guidance and independence.
It’s easy to see photos of children doing different tasks independently and feel envious or lacking in some way; lacking in that you should have taught your child that or why can’t my child do that? But what you don’t see and what I have come to realise is that it takes time. A lot of time. A lot of flour spilt on the bench, a lot of egg shell dropped in the bowl, a lot of water missing the cup and spilling onto the floor. But the key is to keep going, persist with patience, trust that your child will master these skills if allowed the time and patience to practice.
This is when they will learn, through doing things again and again, this is how you master a new skill.
This is how we got to this place; and there is still so much for him to learn and experience. Montessori definitely takes time.
An Everyday Story 
Yes yes yes. Great post!
This is something I was thinking about recently after someone was questioning why Cam can do some of the things that he can. I like to think of Cameron and I as a little team. There is a clear push and pull with patience and attention from both ends. Sometimes we don’t get it right straight away. But when we do get it right, the benefits are enormous.
I like that, a little team. For Jack it often takes many many tries and sometimes I admit I do just swoop in and do it for him, but when I am patient and pay attention, the benefits are enormous 😀
Wise parents learn this very thing you stated. We all need to learn in our perfect time but it won’t come to us without patience. Well stated on your part.
Thank you. It took me a little while when Jack was little to stop worrying about ‘developmental milestones’ and what was ‘normal’, before I realised that it all comes with time and patience.
Thank you for this post. I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I realize all the things I could be doing and the little time there is in a day. I do feel that Montessori takes time, but it is so rewarding for the child…So I will keep doing what I am doing as long as we are happy with it.
Sometimes I think we just need to give ourselves a bit of a break; try to ignore outside pressures about what we should be doing, what our child should know. It’s hard for me sometimes but I’m learning that things always flow much more smoothly when I patiently follow their lead.