Two more from Montessori

“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.”
― Maria Montessori

 “If salvation and help are to come, it is through the child; for the child is the constructor of man.”
― Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

 

Two more from Vygotksy

“Play continually creates demands on the child to act against immediate impulse, i.e., to act according to the line of greatest resistance.”
― Lev S. Vygotsky, Play And its Role in The Mental Development of The Child 

“... People with great passions, people who accomplish great deeds, people who possess strong feelings, even people with great minds and a strong personality, rarely come out of good little boys and girls.”
― Lev S. Vygotsky

Quote from Louise Derman-Sparks

Motivated by "the passion to make sure that all children were taught in environments and ways that truly nurtured their ability to grow and develop in their own ways," Louise Derman-Sparks reminds us of the importance of safe, supportive, child-centered environments within our community.  Places where each child's individual form of exploration and play are valued and supported. 

 

Quote from Raymond Hernandez MS Ed

"I'm not here to save the world, 

I'm here to make a difference in the community I'm in."

What a beautiful reminder that those who are passionate about their communities effect change that has the power to motivate others and (sorry Raymond) change the world.  

Maria Montessori on Freedom

Let the children be free; 
encourage them; 

let them run outside when it is raining; 

let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; 

and when the grass of the meadows is wet with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; 

let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; 

let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning.

--Maria Montessori

Vgotsky on Play

In play, the child is always behaving beyond his age, above his usual everyday behaviour; 

in play he is, as it were, a head above himself. 

Play contains in a concentrated form, as in the focus of a magnifying glass, all developmental tendencies; 

it is as if the child tries to jump above his usual level.

-- Lev S Vgotsky

My Personal Childhood Web

Who has made me feel cared for, nurtured, special and loved?
     
I'm somewhat saddened by the fact that more names don't jump to mind, with beautiful memories, stories, and photos.  My memory begins around 14, so I couldn't tell you about early childhood, and unfortunately, my memory picks up during adolescence, a time when I think many of us struggle with feeling loved, supported and special. But, here goes...

At about 15 I met my best friend, Kathy. Twenty five years later, she has never left my side, has always been a source of support, kindness, and understanding. When I think of family, she is my sister despite genetics. She is ever supportive, non-judgmental, and a person I am now honored to raise my child near because she treats my son with the same tenderness. She encourages my passions and takes them on as her own... she even refers to the museum as "ours", which I love.

At about the same time, I was introduced to a particularly wonderful therapist, Wanda. I remember my first meeting with her. It was cold outside and I was driving a new-ish car. Despite my refusal to talk for the entire 50 minutes, she followed me out to my car to see that I got there safe. It was there that she earned my trust and respect. She simple stated, "Oh I have a Honda too. Let me show you a trick a learned last week for defrosting really fast." No ground breaking insights into my psyche here, but she met me where I was and made me feel accepted. From then on, any time I met with her I knew that she was on my side, was there for ME, and cared about my well being. She made me want to be a counselor, and I've often modeled my professional demeanor after her.

This is not to say that my mom and dad were not supportive, it is simply that I wasn't able to feel supported by them. They provided for all my physical and developmental needs, but the divide was too great, and it was not until adulthood that I was able to see that their helplessness and feeling overwhelmed effected our relationship and my understanding of their support.

So, there's my web. A little fractured and full of gaps, but the lines that there were strong and have supported my well.  Now, as an adult my web continues to grow and shares lines with my son's web of support.  His will have gaps, just like all of ours do, but understanding my own gives me greater insight into how to mitigate gaps in his. And it starts with me, loving him irrationally, unconditionally, and enough to supplement my own support with others for him.

XOXO the experience

I am so excited for this and can't wait to take my son (and my parents and brother and friends).

Developed by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, XOXO is a traveling exhibit focusing on empathy, love and forgiveness. Thank you CMP for recognizing this need and putting it into action. So glad to see value and importance being placed on the emotional health and development of children and the families they enrich.

After I visit, I'll update you, but I anticipate nothing but wonderful.

Play more!

Elmer

Elmer is a patchwork elephant.

He lives surrounded by other elephants of elephant color. He realizes that he looks different, and decides to change. The day he changes his color to become more like the others, is the day he learns that he is special because of who he is within himself and within the herd.

David McKee wrote Elmer, and a series of Elmer books based on his own experiences of race, inequality, and bias. The following is a link to more about McKee and Elmer

I am a Caucasian female. I've experienced prejudice based on the color of my skin, I've been in the minority, I've been judged base on my gender or my appearance. My experience is unique to me, and I don't begin to say that I understand racism or gender discrimination in the way that others do. But I do understand that value of difference, the beauty of the inner person, and the need for the unique.

As a mother and a child advocate, I love this book and it's message. When I read this to my son, he begins to understand acceptance and appreciation for all, despite and in spite of differences. It becomes the starting point for a conversation on racial, cultural, religious, and gender differences. And it makes us smile when Elmer says BOO!

A Drawing and More

My son drew this for me about a week ago. He just turned four yesterday.
Yes, it's pretty rudimentary, but I love it, because it's the first time he's drawn me with hair... and also the first time he opened up my new phone, found the stylus, and opened a page to draw on (something I'm not even sure I know how to do). 

Sometimes I have hands, sometimes I don't.
Sometimes I'm alone, sometimes he's drawn with me.
Sometimes my smile goes beyond the parameters of my face.

Each drawing is new and an expression of how he's developing, perceiving, learning, and appreciating the world around him. This one marks two... experimenting with new technology and maybe a particularly good hair day on my part.

A (new) favorite quote

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity. 
~Kay Redfield Jamison

Play is how we learn about our environments, and how we learn about each other. 
Play is where we try things out, make mistakes, get messy, be seen, and become someone new. 
Play is learning when you don't know you're learning. 
Play is our chance to be silly with an excuse.
Play is when we act our age and anything but. 
Play brings us together. 
Play opens our minds to new discoveries. 
Play play play play play play play. 

In a time and culture where we place so much emphasis on test scores, early reading, and pre-k readiness, have we forgotten to value play? Simple sticks and mud play. Bricks and blocks play. Spoons and bowls and clanging noises play. "I'm a super hero" play. 

Play isn't just what we do between lessons and learning. It IS lessons and learning. Play is the language of the child, and if we expect children to succeed in this world, we need to learn to speak and appreciate their language. Join them in their language and learn from them. 

Kicking a ball isn't just a time killer, it's gross motor development, it's perceptual understanding, it's cooperation, and so much more. 

So play with your children, or let them play alone, just don't forget to value play.