Montessori at 13 months

Things have been so busy lately in our home, with work, weddings, house maintenance, illness (again!), and of course the constant joyful and tiring activity of raising a mighty daughter. Yet again this blog has definitely been the thing to give way. But I have given myself a good talking to and hopefully I’ll maintain it a bit better from now on!

We have really found that the Montessori ethos is working so well for us at the moment. As Frida gets more independent we are able to match her enthusiasm with activities which she learns from and enjoys. 

We have been trying to sit on our hands more and give her the space and time she needs to do things on her own, and it’s been so rewarding to see what she can do. She’s getting very good at taking bibs and clothes off. She can brush her hair (not very well but we all have to start somewhere!). She’s getting better and better at using a spoon. 

We have been focusing a lot on practical life activities at the moment, and Frida has been working on her gross motor skills. She has also been learning lots of new things and can point to a large number of objects and animals when asked. She is also enjoying pointing to facial features and body parts and saying what she’s pointing to. 

Some favourites activities include:

Helping me to empty the dishwasher. I first remove any sharp knives and then she passes me the cutlery I ask for, one piece at a time. We’re still working on the difference between big spoon and little spoon!

Putting things away and putting items in containers. We try and involve Frida every time something needs to be tidied or collected. Yesterday I chopped some watermelon and then Frida put the slices in a container. She helps put toys into baskets, and dirty laundry into the washing machine. Her favourite thing is to empty and re-pack a box of vitamins over and over again. I suspect this is because there is a nursing baby on the front! 

Putting lids on jars and containers. I have made her a work basket with a tuppaware, spice jar, tiny Kilner jar, and small jam jar. So far this has been a huge success and she really enjoys it.

Practicing her walking. She can now take a few steps independently but doesn’t seem to enjoy it and looks quite scared. She really enjoys walking whilst holding one of our fingers though, and is cruising around the neighbourhood holding onto garden walls, street signs, benches. We have finally given in and bought her some cruising shoes as she’s so keen to walk outside.

Mark making. The chalkboard wall in our dining room is definitely getting used, and Frida has also enjoyed using her crayons to make marks on paper (she also keeps trying to eat them – I think because they smell so delicious?)

Playing with her baby. This baby gets a lot of love, kisses and cuddles and gentle patting. We are trying very hard to show her how to be gentle. It comes with her when she’s on the potty or in the car or reading a book. It also gets bashed about, swung by the foot or thrown down the stairs. 

Her gross motor skills keep improving. She can now climb the stairs very well and does so whenever we need to go up. She is getting faster and faster on her scooter. 

We’re still reading an enormous amount at the moment, as it’s her favourite activity. I’ll blog soon about the books we’re currently enjoying. A couple of days ago she was being quiet in the sitting room and I came to see what she was up to. I found her on her chair, snuggled under her blanket, with her books. My heart may have melted slightly.

We have also been going out a lot, as ever. Often to places where there are ducks, dogs, or birds. 

It is so amazing watching my tiny baby grow into a chatty, active toddler in front of my eyes. I feel like Frida makes it very easy to be child-led as she is such a joy to follow.