345 of 351 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very disappointing, December 31, 2004
This review is from: Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three (Paperback)
I worked as a Montessori teaching assistant many years ago and was already familiar with her ideas, so when my own daughter was born I was eager to put them into practice. I read a review of this book and bought it but although it has a few good suggestions, overall it was of very little use. Though the book is intended for use from birth to age 3, the focus is overwhelmingly on babyhood. If your child is already walking and you didn't use the Montessori child-bed, weaning chair, weaning table, etc, much of this book will be pointless. If you do not have the resources to buy the equipment suggested, this book will also not be of much use, because it rarely suggests inexpensive or homemade alternatives.
I also strongly object to some of the authors' suggestions in the chapter entitled "Personal Care". They recommend intensive toilet training beginning at 12-15 months, and weaning from breastfeeding at 9 months, arguing that this will foster the child's feelings of independence. Both of these suggestions are contrary to the latest advice given by childcare experts. Few children show any signs of being ready for toilet training at such a young age -- most are still learning to walk, or have recently learned to do so, and for the parent to begin intensive toilet training at this time interferes with the child's natural instincts to be on the move. Furthermore it is much easier and faster to toilet train when the child is actually ready to do so, which in the vast majority of cases is not before the age of two.
The authors' advice to wean from the breast at 9 months is contrary to that of the American Association of Pediatrics, which recommends that breastmilk be the primary source of nutrition for all of the first year. This advice can also be dangerous. On the advice of a (misguided) health professional, I limited my own child's breastfeeds when he was 9 months old to 3 times per day for a period of several weeks, which resulted in a rapid and frightening weight loss, and frequent night wakings due to hunger. The authors actually state that if your child is showing no signs of being ready for weaning, you should go ahead and wean him anyway, because you know best! This is completely contrary to the Montessori principles of respecting the child's natural intelligence.
Furthermore, I think there is too much emphasis in the book on the child learning to do things at an early age. They state that if you follow their principles, the child should be crawling by six months, walking by 10 or 11 months, talking by 14 months -- this seems to imply that Montessori education results in children who are superior simply because they can do things at an earlier age than other children.
There were only a few good suggestions for activities for toddlers, which do not merit buying the book. I am still looking for a better book which will enable me to put Montessori principles into practice in my home.
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71 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read this book while pregnant - disregard negative reviews!!, April 22, 2010
This review is from: Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three (Paperback)
I postponed buying this book until my baby was 5 months because of the negative reviews. I was wrong. After reading the book, I realized that the negative reviews are mostly due to a shallow cursory reading of the book, rather than due to the subject matter. Here is why:
1. The authors do a great job at explaining how the Montessori principles can be applied to newborns. There are NO other books that do so, and the authors are very explicit in stating that the principles are what counts - the application is up to the parent. (But this can be very hard for parents in our "how-to-manual"-driven culture). The most important concept is that of observing the child closely and paying attention to all his cues so you know what works for your child. I take this to mean that I am the final judge of how I implement Montessori methods for my child, and that suits me just fine.
2. The authors recommend the child bed - basically a twin/full mattress on the floor. When I read about this, I thought painfully about the $$$ spent on the crib, co-sleeper, and pack'n play, all of which my child has refused to sleep on in favor of a twin-size daybed we already had. When I discovered that he only wanted to sleep in a big boy bed, I researched a bit on the safety of doing so and other sleep-issues, and found that these authors are not the only ones to suggest a bed on the floor. Dr. Sears (
The Baby Sleep Book: The Complete Guide to a Good Night's Rest for the Whole Family (Sears Parenting Library)) and Elizabeth Pantley (
The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night) make the same suggestion. And yes, I co-sleep with my baby, which I could not do in his crib. (As a side issue, the mirror by the bedside that the book suggests is not unsafe if you buy one that is not made of glass - the Michael Olaf catalog has one for sale).
3. About the breastfeeding/weaning issue: the authors do not suggest early weaning. They suggest following the child but at around 6 months you can start introducing solids to experiment with taste. I looked hard for this because I am a firm believer in breastfeeding for as long as the child wants to - I didn't find anything to offend this belief. In fact, the book advocates breastfeeding as the best nourishment, and suggests retiring to a quiet environment and focusing on the process, playing with the baby while doing so, instead of watching TV and surfing the net.
4. About the early potty training: in my culture babies get potty trained by the age of 12-18 months. There is no pressure of any kind - by the time the baby can sit upright, he is put on the potty at certain times in the day when he is more likely to go. In many cultures (e.g. India, China) infant potty training is the norm. In the US, elimination communication (EC) has been gaining ground, and the proponents of this method start potty training from birth (
Infant Potty Training: A Gentle and Primeval Method Adapted to Modern Living). This method requires a lot of patience and also a lot of attention to the baby to find out when they eliminate and what their cues are. Sign language is used to communicate the need to go potty since the baby may not be speaking yet. In light of this, the authors are not extreme (in fact quite tame) in their position of suggesting potty training before the AAP recommendation of 2 years old. If the baby can sit upright, that means that myelination of the nerves in the lower part of the body has occurred, which means they can feel when they are wet/dirty and even control that part of their body.
5. About letting children explore on their own: it is invaluable advice. I had no idea how much I was interfering with my baby's independent play and development of focus. For example, I put toys into his hands, offered a bunch of toys all at once without allowing him to fully explore each one, yanked him from his focused play just so I could kiss him or throw him in the air, etc...- basically, whenever I personally thought he needed a change of pace, I did so. Since letting him be and paying closer attention, I have become more sensitive to his need to explore one thing at a time and at length, uninterrupted. I still kiss and throw him in the air when he is done playing, of course :) One reviewer read this to mean "leave the child unattended", which could not have been more wrong. The authors explicitly advise to observe the child closely as they play to see what interests them and how they are exploring so you can tailor activities to their interests and motor skills. Also, childproofing an entire room as suggested, allows you to safely leave the child on his own BRIEFLY. Since reading this book, I refrain from drawing attention to myself (by cheering and clapping) when the baby does something new. Instead I encourage him, help him along if necessary, and observe his contentment when he manages something on his own. After all, he should achieve things for his own self not to please me. (BTW, this is along the lines of Alfie Kohn's philosophy representing a recent departure from behaviorism that has turned many of today's toddlers into praise junkies
Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason).
6. About the condescending tone: there is some of that in the book, but I found it to be correctly addressed. I found myself among those parents who deserved the criticsm and decided to change my ways instead of taking offense. I now think harder about everything I do - what toys I buy (few, simple wooden toys and other natural materials instead of colorful plastic with beeping sounds and lights, no more educational than a TV, regardless of clever marketing pitches). Also, I have de-cluttered my day and do not drag my kid all over town for activities at the cost of his feeding/sleeping/play routine.
7. About the cost of the materials: the nursery alone will save you hundreds of dollars if you go with the spartan bare style suggested in the book, rather than the unneccessarily elaborate "must have" styles pushed by baby stores and fellow mothers. EVERYONE buys their children toys, the question is what kind of toys are best for the kid? The wooden toys suggested by the book (many of which you can find on Amazon and Etsy) have no fancy electronic functions or batteries, so are cheap. For e.g., the mobiles suggested in the book cost just as much or half as much as bestselling mainstream mobiles on Amazon. Clutching toys and rattles are about $10 (Haba makes great ones, e.g.
Flapsi - by HABA), which I see as reasonable, especially since they are safer. (Did you know lead is legally allowed to be present in plastics? Also, latex allergies can develop from early exposure to latex). Finally, to save costs and avoid plastic junk from making it into your home, give grandparents the Michael Olaf catalog or create a wishlist in Amazon so you get help with the Montessori materials (although I must admit this has not worked for me).
8. Someone complained about cloth diapering as being such a hassle!!! I cloth diaper, do not use a diaper service, and find the whole thing not a bit more complicated than disposables. Today's cloth diapers have come a long way. All-in-one diapers involve the same amount of work as disposables, and just a load of laundry every other day (see, for, e.g.
Gro Baby Shell Set Snap, Vanilla,
Dream-Eze AIO. My baby has never had a rash, and it is all due to cloth diapers.
9. Finally, to those who suggest that this book is recommending a distant parenting style, you couldn't be more wrong. I practice attachment parenting and find no conflict in this book's recommendations and my beliefs. The book suggests treating the baby as a human being not a pet (would you pick up your husband any time you felt like it???). It advocates respect for the child and for, as Maria Montessori put it, the noble work he is doing in creating man.
UPDATE
Now that my kid is 15 months, I re-read the book and have been following it quite closely with some amazing results.
First, letting the child be is invaluable advice - my son can play, "read" books on his own for a good 20-30+ minutes before he wants our attention. This will be very useful later in school, but already helps - he can focus and entertain himself without constantly needing attention/stimulation from the adults. In a dinner party we had over the holidays, people remarked how my boy was the only one of the four kids of similar ages that was not acting up, screaming, throwing food, etc., to seek parents' attention. Don't get me wrong, my goal is not to make my job easier, but I want my child to feel self-content in his activities and not needy to the point of overacting to get attention.
Second, establishing a routine for feeding in the weaning table/chair is very useful. My child eats with a fork and drinks out of a glass cup (check for Duralex tempered glass dishes - unbreakable!). He knows that food is only served on the table, so doesn't eat all over the house. He knows that food will disappear from the table once he gets up, so he doesn't get up until he is full. However, when he does leave the table, I don't chase him with a spoon - I trust he is done. Interestingly, when he is hungry he will go to his little table and pull the chair out, as if to say "feed me".
Third, the book suggests getting the child involved in housework early -...
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68 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK information, bad writing, May 25, 2004
This review is from: Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three (Paperback)
This book could easily be condensed to less than half its size. It contains a few good Montessori ideas for the 3-and-under crowd when it comes to the basics - sleeping, eating, etc - but I still come away from the book wanting to know what to do with/for my child in the Montessori manner on a more daily basis. Half of the book is easily spent talking about the "child bed" and feeding table alone - and that info is spread all over the book. The writing is rather hap-hazard and rambling. I would have much prefered the book be arranged by age (ex: chapter 1: 0-6 months) then subcatagorized by subject, rather than by subject alone. The authors seem to be trying to interject Montessori theory into a book about hands-on practice, and the result is a jumbled mess.
I've learned much more about child psychological development and age-appropriate ideas from "The New First Three Years of Life" by Burton White. It is chronologically ordered, then each chapter is subcatagorized.
There's a few other Montessori books on Amazon I'm going to try instead, such as "Basic Montessori, Learning Activities for Under Fives", "Teaching Montessori in the Home, the Pre-School Years", and "Montessori Play and Learn."
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