Moon Rise Montessori

Look at the differences between a typical younger child’s hand (left) and a typical older child's hand (right). I have parents asking regularly why their preschool aged child isn’t able to write yet. This is why! Their hands (and brains) are still developing and are not fully formed. So what should they be doing to support this? PLAY!! Playdough, colouring, cutting, gluing, playing outside, digging in dirt, sensory play, dress up play, science experiments, beading, puzzles, throwing balls, etc. All of these things help their hands develop. When they are physically ready to write, they will! No need to rush them, they will show you when they are ready!

Montessori Masterclass

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

CREDIT .mdc_psychologist on Instagram

Babies need to move in order to develop. At Moon Rise we follow this same philosophy when it comes to our babies and toddlers.

Via Creative Child Magazine

Does my toddler need a Montessori floor bed? Thoughts on why your toddler may need a Montessori floor bed to promote freedom of movement and independence.

Wishing our Muslim friends and family a blessed Holy month of Ramadan.

All of this! 👏👏👏

The Gift of Listening
"Being listened to is so close to being loved that most people cannot tell the difference."
David Augsberger

Via Creative Child Magazine ❤️

Via Dr. Nicole ❤️

Although the w position is natural for children, we must be aware of the damage it does. A few including, weakness in the hips, poor posture, pigeon-toed walking, weakened core muscles, delayed developmental milestones, and many more! Try and be aware of when your child falls into the w position, and correct them as often as you can.

💛 shared from:

Rewards are just punishment in reverse.

Think about that for a second.

As Alfie Kohn explained in his book Punished by Rewards, the promise of a reward is really just the threat of a punishment. For example, “Eat your dinner and you can have dessert” carries the same meaning as “If you don’t eat dinner you won’t be allowed dessert”.

Using rewards and punishments as a form of discipline was popularised throughout the 1970s as parenting programs began to be developed. And the approach is still widespread today, for a couple of reasons.

First, it’s how we were raised and all that we know. Second, it’s logical to us – maybe because it’s how our world seems to work. Do the right thing at work and you’ll get paid, but do the wrong thing and you might lose your job.

The approach to parenting and discipline is improving, but we still have a long way to go. Is it time you updated your everyday discipline toolkit?

Find out how you can learn simple strategies, solutions and scripts in our interactive Carrots & Sticks workshop: https://www.happyfamilies.com.au/shop/product/carrots-sticks-the-workshop

Container Syndrome is a term used to describe the lack of skill in infants who are not allowed ample movement opportunities. Container Baby Syndrome is the result of an infant being placed in a container for an excessive amount of time during the day. This extended time leads to structural, movement, and behavioral challenges as a result.

Baby containers include baby equipment and items such as:

👣Restrictive playpens
👣Crib
👣Car seats
👣Strollers
👣Bumbo seats
👣Bouncy seats and swings
👣Rockers
👣Nursing cushions
👣Vibrating chairs
👣Jumpers
👣Exersaucers
👣Positioning pillows
👣Slings
👣Floor seats
👣Infant swings
👣Walkers
👣Jumpers

All of the time spent in these baby containers adds up! When in a positioning device such as the ones listed above, little ones are limited in the motor development that results from stretching, wiggling, turning, reaching, and otherwise moving.

https://www.theottoolbox.com/container-baby-syndrome/

Remember...👇❤️

Many children, will naturally remove their shoes to play, climb and be outside. Dear Parent, it's okay.

It's okay to remove the shoes.

Nature Play - take a step back and observe your child at play

This is the truth.
Parenting is hard.

It’s beautiful and tender and it tears our hearts into a thousand pieces and stitches them back together again.

I loved the newborn phase and 3 year olds wore me out. As I begin to parent a teen, I feel as lost as I did back at the beginning.

This is a journey of humility, for sure.

Happy Father's Day to all our fantastic fathers.

Today we celebrate the youth of our country whilst remembering the sacrifices made by the brave youth who stood up in the name of equality and quality education for all.

Why don't we?
More and more adults are having an ‘education epiphany’. They have come to realise that putting large groups of same-age babies or children into a classroom for years and years on end was an idea dreamed up by men who are now long dead. Adults today realise that change doesn’t ever come from mainstream, it comes from those who dare to do something different. These adults have come to understand that keeping children in classrooms is a perfect recipe for destroying the children’s chances of growing their seen and unseen connections with their natural world.

When humans come undone from the natural world two things happen; first the child’s lifelong personal physical and mental wellness is at stake. And secondly, a person who is disconnected from the living world unwittingly makes life decisions which go against the interconnectedness of Life. They do not take into account that their every action-invention-chemical will have an effect on the Web of Life. That’s what has got us where we are now, in the anthropocene age, on the edge of the sixth mass extinction, facing catastrophic climate change. All power to the people who are creating places and spaces for children that are especially tailored for the biological and social-emotional needs of those children, people who are mending the broken connections. You know who you are.

Remember safe cosleeping rules folks ;)