On parenting

 

When I was pregnant with Quinn I thought only about caring for a baby. An infant. I only really thought about my immediate future and not so much about the years ahead. I think my reasoning was that becoming a parent is such an overwhelming thing that it is best dealt with a little at a time. Well, looking back I think I probably could have prepared a little more. And by prepared I mean look into what kind of parent I wanted to be.

Now that Quinn is sixteen months (crazy, I know!) I feel unprepared for parenting her. I feel like every time she does something bad I have no idea how to react. When she does something good I don't know what to say other than 'good job'. I feel lost, confused and a little worried. Lost and confused because there are SO many parenting styles that I'm not sure which to choose. And worried because I know the choices we make today makes an impact on Quinn's tomorrows. No pressure or anything.  

While perusing some of the blogs I frequent, it seems many moms feel exactly the same way I do. But then you come across some moms who know their shit. 

How We Montessori is a blog written by a mom with two young boys. Her oldest son attends a Montessori school and she has incorporated montessori teaching into her own home. Montessori is a way of teaching children that bases learning on letting kids be free to explore and do things on their own. She links to a blog which better explains the Montessori method and is a great resource for creating a Montessori environment in your own home. After reading How We Montessori and At Home With Montessori, I could see how making some changes to how we do things around Casa Baldwin could have a positive effect not only on Quinn but also on us parents.

I've noticed recently that Quinn gets frustrated when Simon or I try to help her with things. Sometimes we are in a rush and will shovel food into her mouth or quickly dress her and rush out the door, but overall we need to learn to slow down and let her help herself. I can see how incorporating Montessori methods in our home could make a big difference with Quinn so I think we'll give some of the ideas a shot. 

 

xo , Vicky