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  • Independent eating-encouraging young children to self feed
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#ammatoday_montessori How do we go about setting #ammatoday_montessori How do we go about setting up an activity? 1. Home is not a school Yes, montessori schools are appealing and beautiful. But our home is a different environment. There is no need to replicate the school. While it helps to have a dedicated toy/activity shelf, some activities like chopping that may be found in the school shelf do not need a seperate space in ours. Invite the child into the kitchen instead. 2. Child-led A question I ask myself when introducing an activity is, " What would V think?" Close your eyes and imagine yourself as your child. The scissor placed on the left of the tray may look pretty but the right handed child may find it easier if it is to the right? 3. The beginning I usually put all the materials needed for an activity on one tray or one shelf. This helps her visualise all the materials at one go, helps her focus on one activity at a time and enables her to carry the tray easily to her mat. I try to arrange the activities by increasing order of difficulty from left to right for pre-reading directionality, but if you feel overwhelmed with these rules, re-read point 1. 4. Presenting Now, V is at a stage where she can pick out trays and work independently or ask for help when needed. But in the beginning, you may have to encourage her to bring it and SHOW her ( like Simone Davies says, slow hands, omit words) . Let your hands do the talking. Slow movements, repeat as much as necessary and break down the task into steps. Eg, while peeling potatoes, I'd have to show V the order in which its done- pick the potato, peel it, peel goes on the plate, peel again, potato goes in the bowl. 5. Middle While she explores the activity, observe as silently as possible. Avoid asking questions that break focus. And something I learnt quite late- there's no need for a good job! You'll see the reward in the way her eyes light up when she finishes it on her own. 6. The end This is crucial to any activity. Replacing the tray back on the shelf and rolling the mat, or putting away the vessels once done with food prep, etc. You can do this with the child, the first few times, but encourage them to do it on their own. Contd in comments
#ammatoday_about We are now 10k plus peeps here, #ammatoday_about We are now 10k plus peeps here, which calls for another round of introductions (and while we're being honest, also because I really wanted to document this photo on my gram). I'm told that this usually happens on Fridays, but after #momlife ,we make our own days no? Hi! I'm Vaishali- amma to a 3.5 year old, educator on sabbatical and blogger by chance. I speak about books, early learning, montessori, child-led learning among other things in this space, but I wish, the biggest takeaway from here is magic- the magic that is our children, the magic within ourselves and the power within the magical bond we share with our children, to transform each other. Just one generation of deeply loving and commited parents can change the brains of the next generation, and with that, the world. This was also the crux of my TedX talk at @tedxnapier in December. I won't lie, it was pressure, waiting in the green room, and then standing on the red circular carpet amidst a mix of darkness and spotlight to deliver a talk. But watching it translate into something tangible, when so many people across demography walked up to me later on to say they felt inspired, or that it connected with them, gave me goosebumps, and filled my heart. I also need to reiterate the experience has been humbling. Right from how the first phone call came in, to my real tribe that had my back through everything, to the lessons learnt while interacting with the dream team- I've realised that the universe only gives. What one dreams, one manifests. When that happens, everything aligns. And the universe has a way of giving the most wonderful things at the right moments.💜💜💜 . Thankyou, to those who came in person or called or dmed to express support, the peeps who took the time to read through my draft and give feedback, my girls I pinged at odd hours to discuss clothing and shoes, my folks who picked up my slack, and everyone who takes out the time to watch, share and invite the idea into their lives.💜 . P.C. @yugeshralli #tedxindia #ammatoday #chennaiblogger #parentblogger #everydayparenting #gentleparenting #montessoriparenting #respectfulparenting #consciousparenting
If you're here, you've already read @easymommylife If you're here, you've already read @easymommylife ' s post on why force feeding should be avoided. How then can one encourage self feeding in children? 1. Revise expectations Yes, there will be messes. Yes, the child may eat 3 bowls today and just 2 spoons tomorrow. It's okay. What helped me was, reminding myself that my job was to offer, show, be patient and trust that V's understanding of her body. My happiness is not linked to the size of V's belly. 2. Dedicated areas Always have a dedicated area for mealtimes. It could be a weaning table or a dining table or a corner of the living room. It reinforces to the child that this is a special area where only eating takes place. A weaning table is especially useful for starting baby-led weaning in infants. However, due to space constraints, we directly started having family meals with V, with the booster chair on the floor. 3. Welcome your sous chef! Involve the child in as much food preparation as possible. Children under one can easily help with washing vegetables or sorting them or peeling potato skin. Toddlers can help in chopping, measuring, loading cookers, cleaning greens, etc. These are also irreplaceable sensory experiences- smelling masalas, feeling textures, etc. 4. Transition chores Children can also help with other chores like setting the table, transporting food from kitchen to serving area, laying out placemats, plates and water, etc. These jobs give the child a sense of independence and help self-esteem because they are doing purposeful and useful work, and give her a chance to refine movements. 5. Serving By the time the child is 1-1.5 years plus, the child can be encouraged to put food on her plate on her own. This helps in multiple ways- understanding the difference between cutlery used for sabzis or gravies; conservation of space, sequencing tasks, and taking responsibility for their own feeding. 6. Eating together 7. Self-feeding 8. Cleanup 9. Choice of School 10. Common difficulties and possible solutions in the Indian setup. Read more about each in the link in bio. . #ammatodatoday #ammatoday_parenting
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