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Feeling distracted? Overwhelmed? Like your checklist keeps getting longer but you have less and less time to get it done? In a climate so full of distractions, the ability to concentrate on just one thing at a time, until it is complete or until you choose to move on, is both invaluable and at risk. The same is true for children, whose everyday lives are filled with "stimulation" that's supposed to help them learn or keep them entertained but may, instead, be keeping them from the ability to concentrate on their own. You might not think of infants and toddlers as having noticeable attention spans. Indeed, we are often told to expect infants and toddlers to be scattered, with a limited ability to concentrate on any one thing for long. Research suggests, though, that infants begin concentrating in utero, at about 34 weeks, when they start to store information that they'll be able to remember later. In early infancy, children self-regulate the stimulation in their environments by closing their eyes or turning away. Between two and three months, infants are able to concentrate long enough to understand sequences and patterns. By four months old, infants can predict the direction a ball or toy will roll and will look ahead to where they expect it to land. Around this same time, infants' eyesight improves to be able to turn their attention between different stimuli more easily. By the end of their first year, infants can attend to a single toy for as long as a minute without distraction (that's longer than you'd think: go ahead, time it and see.) By the end of the second year, toddlers can attend for up to six minutes without distraction. Infants and toddlers are able to engage in activities for even longer- sometimes looking up or looking around, but returning to their activity to begin concentrating again. Montessori classrooms support children's developing concentration through the design of the classroom. You'll notice that there the classrooms are visually sparse: neutral colors on the walls, simple wooden shelves. Your eye, when visiting an Infant or Toddler community, should feel drawn to the activities available, and not distracted by too much visual noise. Intentional use of color and a neutral background helps children to attend to the things in the classroom we want them to attend to: the activities and manipulatives rather than wildly colored or animated backgrounds. Likewise, you should notice that the materials are designed to be acted upon. You won't see electronic screens, toys with flashing lights or preprogrammed noise. We know that children's concentration is best supported through activities that give them real reactions to their actions, and we don't distract from that with loud, flashing stimulation. Infants and Toddlers have more sensitive hearing than older children and we don't want to encourage them to tune out the classroom, so we protect a quieter environment. Finally, we help to keep children's concentration focused by engaging with them in the activities they choose, monologuing for children what they are doing or observing, supporting their engagement by participating in it. Most importantly, Montessori teachers understand that infant and toddler concentration is a skill to be practiced, not an absolute condition. We offer children extended time to complete tasks. We avoid rushing them along. We know that the opportunity to attend for a long period of time, even to a task that we could do more quickly, is more important than the task getting done right now. We are patient in the meantime, observing without intervening, describing without judgement. As with so many issues of development, we slow down, knowing that it's best that children have ample time to grow and learn in these critical foundational years. If you want children who can concentrate, you have to give them time to practice concentrating, first in small things, then in longer periods of time, without interruption, until they have mastered it themselves. #FirstPlane #Infants #Toddlers #ForTeachers #ForParents #Theory

Imagine a nursery: the crib, the bright plastic toys, the sparkling mobile swinging above. Maybe there's a detailed mural painted on the wall. Maybe there's a changing table for adults to change diapers without bending too far over. Maybe there's a play-chair, to place your older infant or young toddler in, their feet dangling just close enough to the floor to push themselves around or spin their seat. Now think about a Montessori classroom: neutral colors, with selected choices for children of beautiful, durable materials. Everything is at the child's level - even the smallest child - and the child is free to move about the room without relying on an adult to unbuckle or retrieve them. Like all Montessori classrooms, Montessori Infant-Toddler spaces reflect what we know about the children they serve. In this case, that means they allow for free movement to support the child's growing body and brain, reliable materials that teach the child about how the world works and their influence on it, and opportunities for independence to the degree their development allows. So those floor beds aren't just there because they're pretty. We use floor beds because they allow children to self-regulate their sleep and to feel confident that, when they are awake, they can return to activity without waiting to be retrieved. Likewise, we offer the children sturdy, low chairs for sitting at equally low tables, from which they can push back when they are finished. We offer the children durable, often wooden materials that they can act upon, free from misleading lights or electronic sounds, because we want them to learn how the world they influence responds to that influence. We avoid bouncing chairs or infant spin-chairs because we want to support children moving between the activities that interest them, rather than spinning within a contraption within which they are buckled and stuck. We offer, instead, surfaces for crawling up and over and through, practicing gross and fine motor control as they learn about the world. Finally, we support children through standing diaper changes, allowing them to manage as much of the process as they can (even if it's a little less contained) so that they continue to follow the signals their bodies give them as they learn to regulate their own toilet needs. Consider the same for your home. There's no need to invest in an expensive crib: a crib mattress on the floor in a simple frame is an elegant invitation to rest. Replace the large toy box with a few low shelves, accessible by the crawling child, and the toys with simple teethers, bells, books, animal figurines or puzzles. Hang a full-length mirror sideways on the wall, near to the floor, for your infant to admire themselves on their bellies or backs. Secure family photos or nature pictures down low as well, and avoid the bright murals. Install a banister low to the ground for your child to practice pulling up on, and for an extra place to hold during a standing diaper change. And those diaper changes? Ask your child's Infant or Toddler teacher to let you observe some. They're simpler (and cleaner) than you might imagine, and soon you'll wonder why you ever lay your child prone at all. Foremost, your child's bedroom in infancy and toddlerdom should be a place that's inviting for soft experiences, warm time with a loving caregiver, a secure climate that feels quiet and calm- in other words, the way you want to feel as you're falling asleep: safe, peaceful and full of love. #FirstPlane #Bedroom #Sleep #Infants #Toddlers #ForParents #MontessoriAtHome

It's a good time of year to take stock of the people who have helped your child to get this far: the teachers and classroom assistants, the school support staff and after-school guides who've walked with your child from those early, frightened days of school, the support staff around your school who may have lent a hand to you, or offered a smile on one of those mornings when you just needed to be reminded that you're ok. The other adults with whom we share service to children may seem to float in and out of our days, but they're essential to the community we enjoy, even when we're paying most attention to our own little ones. Your school may have traditions for demonstrations of thanks at the end of each year: class gifts or tokens for the teachers from parents. Follow those to the degree that you're able and motivated, but don't overlook the important ways in which you model gratitude every day for your children. For children in the youngest classrooms, the social norms they see around them become ingrained in their own behaviors. If you want to see your infant or toddler grow into a spirit of gratitude, be certain you're demonstrating it yourself regularly. For example, when you see your infant noticing someone else at work, take the time to hold your attention with them. Watch along your infant or toddler, and offer a calm monologue that describes what you see. "We are watching Ms. Kennedy helping Sebastian with his socks. Ms. Kennedy is sitting with Sebastian as he gets those socks over his toes. Now, she's helping him to pull them over his heels. I am thankful that Ms. Kennedy knows how to help children so gently." When you are interacting directly, even when you're in a rush, be sure to mind your own pleases and thank-you's. Slow down your own interactions so that they can be modeled by your child. At the coffee house? Put your phone away. Make eye contact with the clerk. Offer a thanks that's specific. "Thank you for the coffee," will draw your child's attention more closely than the toss away, "Thank you," that many of us use without thinking of it. As you step away, remark for your child what has happened that you're grateful for. "That was very kind of her. She's going to prepare our drinks now." Don't worry so much about mandating that your child say, "Thank you." Instead, model it yourself and remark on it to your toddler. The goal is not for your child to be programmed into responses that lack meaning, but to appreciate and notice the people around them who help to make things better. That's best achieved by noticing them yourself and modeling a sincere thankfulness aloud. It may feel contrived at first -- and, indeed, it is. You are intentionally modeling grateful practices at a time when your child learns best by what they see around them. In turn, you should see your child mimicking the same language they hear you use regularly. You won't need to do it forever, but you just might find that, but the time your child has established their own grateful practices, you won't want to give yours up. #June

You can have a more filling dinner later. 3.

For most American schools, the end of the school year is approaching. There may be one more set of Parent-Teacher conferences or one last event with the full school community to celebrate the growth of the year. There may be information about summer programs or registration for next year. Don't get too far ahead of your child. While you may have strong memories of the joyful end of your school year when you were younger, remember that change can be hard on young children. Even if there are plenty of fun activities coming over "summer vacation," the idea that they're not coming to school every day any more and the fear of that unknown is a new stressor, even to the very young child. For the youngest children, infants and toddlers, who are still establishing their understanding of whether or not the world is a safe and reliable place, the more routine and predictability you can offer, even in these last weeks of school, the better. Keep your home-time routines the same. Avoid talking about upcoming changes before those changes can be realistically understood by your child. So, for example, if your child is going to be on vacation for two months before they enter the Children's House classroom, there's no need to start talking about that classroom now. Instead, keep focused on what's happening next, so your child (with their limited understand of the passage of time) can feel secure in the immediate transitions without becoming confused or anxious about ones much farther off. For your infant, slow down and remain attentive. While your infant may not be able to tell you out loud that they're anxious, you might see changes as these empathetic little people notice the stress around them. If there are special events at school or things that will disrupt the regular routine, counterbalance them with as much routine and normality as you can at home. Pay attention if your child seems crankier, hungrier, less hungry, more tired or more active. These changes in behavior may reflect the stress they're noticing around them. Assure your child and comfort them, and make sure their immediate needs, physical and emotional, are met, to help them feel more secure. If your school has special days, prepare for these by letting your child know as explicitly as possible what might be different. "Tomorrow, I will come to school with you. You can show me around your classroom and we can do some work together. Then, you'll come home with me a little earlier than usual and we will spend the afternoon at the park. That's unusual, isn't it!" Acknowledge changes without feeding hesitation about them. If your child expresses their own fear, affirm the emotion without feeing the fear. "You're right. Things will be different when the school year is done. That can feel scary." Even as a small child, your child doesn't necessarily need you to overtalk them into feeling "better" as much as they need to know that you will stay with them even when they're not feeling great. Most importantly, remember that unpredictable circumstances bring unpredictable behavior. You may be more stressed these days, too, getting ready for break or putting together new family schedules or trying to get as much done before the summer comes. Your responsiveness to your child's stress may not be at its peak, either. If you find yourself losing your own patience more often, or wondering why your child's behavior seems less predictable or more challenging to you, take a breath. Model moving slowly through stressful moments and avoid reacting before you think. Remember that it's always a good start to simply acknowledge what's happening. "This day feels different." "I can see that you are unsure." "It's hard to be calm with so many changes, isn't it!" While you're affirming what you see, you are also giving yourself a second to make sense of what's going on, so your response is one that models self-care and a loving support for your child. Change is inevitable. But how you model responding to change for your child should be thoughtful. You are teaching your child about their own persistence, about their ability to be flexible and still to be safe and loved, despite the inevitability of changes big and small. Acknowledge what's hard, stay emotionally responsive and supportive, and present the information your child needs on a timeline they can understand. You may not be able to prevent all the stress that comes with endings and beginnings, but you can help your child to learn how to honor them authentically. #Transitions #FirstPlane #Infants #Toddlers #ForParents

Imagine a nursery: the crib, the bright plastic toys, the sparkling mobile swinging above. Maybe there's a detailed mural painted on the wall. Maybe there's a changing table for adults to change diapers without bending too far over. Maybe there's a play-chair, to place your older infant or young toddler in, their feet dangling just close enough to the floor to push themselves around or spin their seat. Now think about a Montessori classroom: neutral colors, with selected choices for children of beautiful, durable materials. Everything is at the child's level - even the smallest child - and the child is free to move about the room without relying on an adult to unbuckle or retrieve them. Like all Montessori classrooms, Montessori Infant-Toddler spaces reflect what we know about the children they serve. In this case, that means they allow for free movement to support the child's growing body and brain, reliable materials that teach the child about how the world works and their influence on it, and opportunities for independence to the degree their development allows. So those floor beds aren't just there because they're pretty. We use floor beds because they allow children to self-regulate their sleep and to feel confident that, when they are awake, they can return to activity without waiting to be retrieved. Likewise, we offer the children sturdy, low chairs for sitting at equally low tables, from which they can push back when they are finished. We offer the children durable, often wooden materials that they can act upon, free from misleading lights or electronic sounds, because we want them to learn how the world they influence responds to that influence. We avoid bouncing chairs or infant spin-chairs because we want to support children moving between the activities that interest them, rather than spinning within a contraption within which they are buckled and stuck. We offer, instead, surfaces for crawling up and over and through, practicing gross and fine motor control as they learn about the world. Finally, we support children through standing diaper changes, allowing them to manage as much of the process as they can (even if it's a little less contained) so that they continue to follow the signals their bodies give them as they learn to regulate their own toilet needs. Consider the same for your home. There's no need to invest in an expensive crib: a crib mattress on the floor in a simple frame is an elegant invitation to rest. Replace the large toy box with a few low shelves, accessible by the crawling child, and the toys with simple teethers, bells, books, animal figurines or puzzles. Hang a full-length mirror sideways on the wall, near to the floor, for your infant to admire themselves on their bellies or backs. Secure family photos or nature pictures down low as well, and avoid the bright murals. Install a banister low to the ground for your child to practice pulling up on, and for an extra place to hold during a standing diaper change. And those diaper changes? Ask your child's Infant or Toddler teacher to let you observe some. They're simpler (and cleaner) than you might imagine, and soon you'll wonder why you ever lay your child prone at all. Foremost, your child's bedroom in infancy and toddlerdom should be a place that's inviting for soft experiences, warm time with a loving caregiver, a secure climate that feels quiet and calm- in other words, the way you want to feel as you're falling asleep: safe, peaceful and full of love. #FirstPlane #Bedroom #Sleep #Infants #Toddlers #ForParents #MontessoriAtHome

Feeling distracted? Overwhelmed? Like your checklist keeps getting longer but you have less and less time to get it done? In a climate so full of distractions, the ability to concentrate on just one thing at a time, until it is complete or until you choose to move on, is both invaluable and at risk. The same is true for children, whose everyday lives are filled with "stimulation" that's supposed to help them learn or keep them entertained but may, instead, be keeping them from the ability to concentrate on their own. You might not think of infants and toddlers as having noticeable attention spans. Indeed, we are often told to expect infants and toddlers to be scattered, with a limited ability to concentrate on any one thing for long. Research suggests, though, that infants begin concentrating in utero, at about 34 weeks, when they start to store information that they'll be able to remember later. In early infancy, children self-regulate the stimulation in their environments by closing their eyes or turning away. Between two and three months, infants are able to concentrate long enough to understand sequences and patterns. By four months old, infants can predict the direction a ball or toy will roll and will look ahead to where they expect it to land. Around this same time, infants' eyesight improves to be able to turn their attention between different stimuli more easily. By the end of their first year, infants can attend to a single toy for as long as a minute without distraction (that's longer than you'd think: go ahead, time it and see.) By the end of the second year, toddlers can attend for up to six minutes without distraction. Infants and toddlers are able to engage in activities for even longer- sometimes looking up or looking around, but returning to their activity to begin concentrating again. Montessori classrooms support children's developing concentration through the design of the classroom. You'll notice that there the classrooms are visually sparse: neutral colors on the walls, simple wooden shelves. Your eye, when visiting an Infant or Toddler community, should feel drawn to the activities available, and not distracted by too much visual noise. Intentional use of color and a neutral background helps children to attend to the things in the classroom we want them to attend to: the activities and manipulatives rather than wildly colored or animated backgrounds. Likewise, you should notice that the materials are designed to be acted upon. You won't see electronic screens, toys with flashing lights or preprogrammed noise. We know that children's concentration is best supported through activities that give them real reactions to their actions, and we don't distract from that with loud, flashing stimulation. Infants and Toddlers have more sensitive hearing than older children and we don't want to encourage them to tune out the classroom, so we protect a quieter environment. Finally, we help to keep children's concentration focused by engaging with them in the activities they choose, monologuing for children what they are doing or observing, supporting their engagement by participating in it. Most importantly, Montessori teachers understand that infant and toddler concentration is a skill to be practiced, not an absolute condition. We offer children extended time to complete tasks. We avoid rushing them along. We know that the opportunity to attend for a long period of time, even to a task that we could do more quickly, is more important than the task getting done right now. We are patient in the meantime, observing without intervening, describing without judgement. As with so many issues of development, we slow down, knowing that it's best that children have ample time to grow and learn in these critical foundational years. If you want children who can concentrate, you have to give them time to practice concentrating, first in small things, then in longer periods of time, without interruption, until they have mastered it themselves. #FirstPlane #Infants #Toddlers #ForTeachers #ForParents #Theory

Are children naturally empathetic? You may have heard of the phenomenon of infants crying in a nursery, reacting to each other's cries in a sort of snowball of emotional distress. Research shows that newborns, for example, respond more to the cries of other babies then they do to other loud sounds. They respond more to the cries of other babies than they do even to the recorded sound of their own cries. Caregivers often describe this response as evidence of the innate nature of empathy. But more recent research suggests that, while these early examples of sharing emotions with other infants may predict children's empathy later, in infancy anyway they are more likely to be the result of "emotional contagion," when one infant's cry triggers another infant's fears, causing them to cry as well. The infant isn't crying to demonstrate kindness to the first child, but because the cries of the first child caused them anxiety or fear. The old yarn seems to be just a story. So, are children naturally empathetic? More recent research suggests that we shouldn't throw the empathetic baby out with the nursery bathwater. While that particular phenomenon probably doesn't show us as much about empathic concern as it does about emotional contagion, there is good evidence that infants and toddlers are nonetheless empathetic. In fact, more recent evidence suggests that not only are they empathetic, but they are even more so in situations in which they may be able to influence the outcome. That is to say, when infants and toddlers believe they can make it "better," they are even more likely to behave in ways that seek to. Not only are children naturally empathetic, this research suggests... they are naturally kind. So why don't we notice that more often? Simple, the research suggests. We're too busy. We end up paying more attention to the behaviors that are problematic than to the ones that are quiet, kind, and compassionate. Montessori infant and toddler classrooms are often paced differently than the rest of the child' life. In these spaces, the development of infants and toddlers is the first, and often only, priority of the day. There are no older children to get to soccer practice or dinners to cook. There aren't pets to manage or checkout lines to navigate. Instead, there is a space prepared specifically for the development of the children within it and paced as their own development demands. It turns out that, when you take out all the rushing and distractions and commotion of the rest of our lives, infants and toddlers are actually pretty lovely people. Observe and you'll notice infants paying attention longer to teachers , making eye contact and connecting even before they are verbal. You'll see infants reaching out to comfort each other when they see sadness or finding each other's faces when something funny happens to share the joke. You'll see them sharing food or offering hugs. You'll notice toddlers helping each other to put on their coats or carrying heavy items together, patting each other on the back when one is hurt or offering consolation when one is crying. You'll see them bring each other flowers on the playground or wrap their arms around each other to cuddle up. These acts of kindness reflect their natural empathy for each other. While they may not yet be able to demonstrate the perspective-taking that will allow them as their development progresses, these early kindnesses can be protected and nurtured when they're in an environment that notices and reinforces them. This is not to say that there won't be challenging times: infants and toddlers often have more complicated agendas than they have language skills, and the disparity doesn't usually present as kindness. But in a classroom within which children set the pace, teachers can notice and affirm their efforts to care for each other, supporting and protecting these gentle qualities in them as they grow. #FirstPlane #Infants #Toddlers #ForParents

The Freedom to Interact with Others reflects one of Montessori's Tendencies of Humans: the Tendency toward Communication. We understand that part of the nature of human development is to engage and interact with other humans, to come into union with them, to learn together, make meaning together, progress together. And we understand that this drive is particularly critical in the early years of life, when we seek to surround children with language rich environments and highly responsive caregivers. Knowing the human drive to interact with other humans is inherent, the Montessori prepared environment prioritizes it and protects it by design. For example, look at the tiny table in most Montessori Infant classrooms. Even though children are preverbal, we provide space for them to interact with each other over common activities. Rather than a line of highchairs from which each infant can only interact with the adult who is feeding them, we sit infants at small common tables from which they can see (and motion to, and reach for, and babble at) other children. We respond to this early babble as though we are breaking bread together, acknowledging infant verbalizations and offering them words to describe what they seem to seek. Look at the time and space allowed in Toddler classrooms for Toddlers to observe, respond and experience new stimuli together. A teacher sitting on the floor reading to one Toddler will make space for another curious Toddler to join their book. The low aquarium will often be surrounded by three or four Toddlers at a time, as interested in each other's responses as they are in the lights and life in the tank. Even when Toddlers may be engaged in their own activity, observant teachers will notice what they notice and help them to make sense of it. "You are watching Max build with the wooden blocks. Max's tower is getting very tall!" But just as we protect children's nature freedom to interact with each other, we protect them from interruption when they want their own focus or need their own space. You'll hear even the Infant teachers model for children how to ask to play. "You'd like to touch Tabitha's cheek. Let's ask her. Tabitha, can Devin touch your cheek?" While this may feel cumbersome in imagining, a classroom that's constantly attentive to children's social development and benefitting from observant and responsive teachers will integrate these social norms with ease. In Toddler classrooms, you may notice Toddler teachers especially attentive to whether children want to socialize or not... knowing that preverbal toddlers will sometimes use their bodies to communicate messages they have not yet developed verbal language for, Toddler teachers are ever alert to the personal boundaries children have for their space. "Ally would like to use the pegs by herself right now. Let's watch her together." We don't presume that children all want to socialize with each other all the time. We recognize that some children want more space than others, and that some children need more engagement than others. We offer children language to communicate their own needs and stand with their request for social time or for space without judgment. And we never demand that children engage physically beyond their own motivation to do so. You won't hear Montessori teachers ask children to, "Give your friend a hug," but you may hear them saying things like, "You can ask Evan, 'May I hug you?'" Even when children are resolving conflict, Montessori teachers will support their resolution through their own choice of strategies. By remaining attentive, and understanding that the most rewarding Montessori environments are those that reflect the observed development of the children they serve, Montessori teachers seek to provide flexible boundaries for socialization and space, reinforcing healthy interactions that protect the diversity of individual development and remind children that they have agency in how and when they interact with others. #FirstPlane #Socialization #Toddlers #Infants #Freedom #ForParents #ForTeachers

notice what you might need to work-around with items that will be stored at school instead of home. 3.

You can have a more filling dinner later. 3.

It's a good time of year to take stock of the people who have helped your child to get this far: the teachers and classroom assistants, the school support staff and after-school guides who've walked with your child from those early, frightened days of school, the support staff around your school who may have lent a hand to you, or offered a smile on one of those mornings when you just needed to be reminded that you're ok. The other adults with whom we share service to children may seem to float in and out of our days, but they're essential to the community we enjoy, even when we're paying most attention to our own little ones. Your school may have traditions for demonstrations of thanks at the end of each year: class gifts or tokens for the teachers from parents. Follow those to the degree that you're able and motivated, but don't overlook the important ways in which you model gratitude every day for your children. For children in the youngest classrooms, the social norms they see around them become ingrained in their own behaviors. If you want to see your infant or toddler grow into a spirit of gratitude, be certain you're demonstrating it yourself regularly. For example, when you see your infant noticing someone else at work, take the time to hold your attention with them. Watch along your infant or toddler, and offer a calm monologue that describes what you see. "We are watching Ms. Kennedy helping Sebastian with his socks. Ms. Kennedy is sitting with Sebastian as he gets those socks over his toes. Now, she's helping him to pull them over his heels. I am thankful that Ms. Kennedy knows how to help children so gently." When you are interacting directly, even when you're in a rush, be sure to mind your own pleases and thank-you's. Slow down your own interactions so that they can be modeled by your child. At the coffee house? Put your phone away. Make eye contact with the clerk. Offer a thanks that's specific. "Thank you for the coffee," will draw your child's attention more closely than the toss away, "Thank you," that many of us use without thinking of it. As you step away, remark for your child what has happened that you're grateful for. "That was very kind of her. She's going to prepare our drinks now." Don't worry so much about mandating that your child say, "Thank you." Instead, model it yourself and remark on it to your toddler. The goal is not for your child to be programmed into responses that lack meaning, but to appreciate and notice the people around them who help to make things better. That's best achieved by noticing them yourself and modeling a sincere thankfulness aloud. It may feel contrived at first -- and, indeed, it is. You are intentionally modeling grateful practices at a time when your child learns best by what they see around them. In turn, you should see your child mimicking the same language they hear you use regularly. You won't need to do it forever, but you just might find that, but the time your child has established their own grateful practices, you won't want to give yours up. #June