Since it's almost the end of the year. It is a time to reflect.
To reflect how we treated ourselves, the people around us, our families and most of all our kids.
I am starting this blog by document our family's Montessori journey.
How it all start:
~ Let me take you back to 2018 ~
I fell pregnant with my daughter after 3 months of trying. After being with my husband for 4 years at the time, we felt that it was time for this duo to become a trio 💕
Not going to lie, pregnancy was not what I thought it would be. I could only take water and crackers for the first 3 months, then when I felt comfortable, I felt like I was too big to function.
I spent a lot of time reading and researching. Being the natural 'evidence based research' human that I am in all things in life. I knew I would naturally research everything on how to would raise my child.
I stumbled upon Montessori and knew that Dr Maria Montessori's method made sense. It all felt natural. To believe our children are natural learners and that we are here to aid the process. I loved the idea of sensitive periods. These are the periods of psychological development in the child. During these periods, your child is able learn and grasp certain concept a lot faster than outside these sensitive periods.
“Children pass through definite periods in which they reveal psychic aptitudes and possibilities which afterward disappear. That is why, at particular epochs of their life, they reveal an intense and extraordinary interest in certain objects and exercises, which one might look for in vain at later age” - Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work by EM Standing
June 2019:
I gave birth to my daughter. She was happy, healthy and very alert. I tried to implement as much Montessori as I could at the time. The reality is, having your first child is something new, and the transition into the fourth trimester was very hard. I did what I could.
At the time, I felt there was not many black and white books available in Australia (See the benefits of high contrast images here) Honestly, I personally envied the resources that was easily available to those around the globe. Thankfully, I was able to access some through Booktopia, and she LOVED it. We would ready daily.
We did plenty of tummy time, eye tracking exercises, and sensory play. We did with what we had.
I knew that we needed more resources. At the time, I didn't think to start Open Learners, but I just knew something was missing. I had achieved what I wanted in my career and landed my then 'dream job' working in dentistry. I was content.
But when you have kids, your goals change. I wanted to be present for my daughter, to see her first everything and developmental milestones.
2020:
COVID hit, my job was compromised, and Open Learners was born.
I wanted to make it easy for everyone to start their Montessori journey at home.
Here at Open Learners, we wanted to facilitate your child's learning and create a Montessori Box with the age appropriate materials that was easy to follow for yourself and your child. We focused on their sensitive periods and developmental milestones. Though we know every child is unique, and that why it is a guide.
2021:
The year that Open Learners launched 🚀
Starting a small business during COVID was difficult, we had supplier set backs as well as personal issues in the background. The launch was much later than we anticipated.
Though when we did, We got a lot of helpful feedback and did better than what we predicted for 2021👏🏼 . We're so grateful for every single on of you. When we launched, we didn't know how you guys would respond, but we saw that most of you wanted to start your Montessori journey, we knew that we're here for a reason 💪🏽 , To make Montessori easy.
Social media became such a great place to connect and learn more about other parent's Montessori journey. We saw a lot of parents documenting their journey and it's so beautiful to see the community grow.
So let's end 2021, the Montessori way. Here's 4 Montessori-inspired ways to celebrate the New Year.
- Making resolutions: This is a great time to self-reflect and self-improve. A time to have discussions about what they found memorable, and what their personal growth is. Creating goals is a fun way to celebrate the new year.
- Being grateful: Observing gratitude is a great way to practice grace and courtesy in Montessori. Practice acknowledging all the great things that occurred in the past year and create resolutions based on gratitude.
- New Year: What is new year? An actual birthday for planet Earth. This is a great way to teach a science lesson of how the Earth rotates around the Sun. Your child can be Earth and walk around the Sun to help them grasp the concept.
- Celebrating: We talked about what they found memorable, now let's discuss what you observed. Celebrate their achievements, growth and milestones by acknowledging their efforts.
Happy New Year! 🎉
From our family to yours, we wish you all the best x
Open Learners 💕