Want to give your child an early start toward a glowing career? It all starts with one of the best educational systems in the world.
From my observation, some modern Bahraini mothers tend to follow their children around the playground, trying not to miss a single opportunity to teach them something new. They observe every step, frightened that their child could trip at any second. These mothers should set a non-physical boundary and explain it to their children so they won’t go far (e.g., point at a tree they shouldn’t go beyond), then sit and chat calmly to friends, observing from a distance.
Children are more rational than we give them credit for. We just need to provide them with a frame that sets firm limits, while allowing tremendous freedom within those limits. Too much structure, order, and discipline will leave no room for children to explore their main interests and passions. Too many limits can kill curiosity and constrain creativity, but so can too few. In addition, boundaries created by this frame are important to teach children to cope with frustration—as long as they are consistent and communicated to the child in a proper and respectful way.
MONTESSORI MIGHT BE THE SUREST ROUTE TO JOINING THE CREATIVE ELITE, A LIST THAT INCLUDES GOOGLE FOUNDERS SERGEI BRIN AND LARRY PAGE, WIKIPEDIA FOUNDER JIMMY WALES, VIDEOGAME PIONEER WILL WRIGHT, AND AMAZON’S JEFF BEZOS.
Parents sometimes misunderstand the Montessori concept of freedom, and expect a child to become independent by granting him or her every freedom; but eventually, the child will become paralyzed in trying to make a choice. Instead, encouraging independence first will lead the child toward a sense of freedom and self-esteem.
Parents also love the fact that Montessori is fostering their child’s passion for learning as well as his or her innate curiosity. At the same time, they want to ensure that their children will perform well on traditional tests in order to enter the best colleges and universities.
Ironically, Montessori might be the surest route to joining the creative elite, a list that includes Google founders Sergei Brin and Larry Page, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, videogame pioneer Will Wright, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. When Barbara Walters asked the founders of Google about the key factors behind their success, Mr. Page said, “We both went to Montessori school, and I think it was part of that training of not following rules and orders, and being self-motivated, questioning what’s going on in the world, doing things a little bit differently.”
NEVER DO SOMETHING FOR YOUR CHILDREN WHEN THEY THINK THEY CAN DO IT THEMSELVES. INSTEAD, SIMPLIFY IT FOR THEM, AND GUIDE THEM FROM A DISTANCE.
Here are 10 Montessori tips to guide you in the raising of a future entrepreneur:
- Respect. Place yourself in your children’s shoes in order to understand where they are coming from, i.e., why they are upset or behaving in a certain way.
- Movement. Give them space and the opportunity to be able to move around.
- Freedom of choice. Sometimes it’s not convenient to give children open choices, so give them only two or three choices for things that will involve them.
- Never do something for your children when they think they can do it themselves. Instead, simplify it for them, and guide them from a distance.
- Communication. Have a regular conversation about how the day went, and talk to your children properly, in a clearly articulated voice.
- Be a role model. If a mistake is made, model how to do it correctly.
- Provide toys that allow children to manipulate objects. There are a lot of Montessori DIY ideas on the internet for fun, homemade toys and games.
- Trust yourself that you are doing the right thing, if it feels right.
- Be patient. Sometimes, your children cannot do things as quickly and efficiently as you can.
- Love and support your children. Always remember to hug, kiss, and say nice things to them.
This isn’t to say that every child raised the Montessori way will turn out running the next Google, or that a child who attends public school can’t innovate. It does, however, highlight what we can start doing for children that could inspire innovation.