Is Your Child Going To A Montessori Daycare Soon? It Is Time To Start Thinking About Sharing
When a toddler is at home with their parents, everything is largely centered around their needs and their wants. This loving environment can create challenges when the child finally starts attending a childcare center. For this reason, many children can use some encouragement and help when it comes to their sharing skills. Fortunately, Montessori daycares encourage individualism and self-taught discipline, but it is still helpful to prepare your child in this area.
Encourage Sharing with Family
The best way to prepare your child for the social requirements that come along with a Montessori daycare is to encourage your child to share at home. For example, the next time your toddler is playing with their toys, ask if they mind if you play with one of their toys.
To lead by example, the next time you have a snack, you can offer to share your food with your toddler. Incorporating this type of behavior at home helps normalize the idea of sharing. As a result, when your child starts to attend daycare, sharing with others will not seem foreign, but instead will be like second nature.
Think About Childcare Center Questions
Contact an educator at the center your child will attend to find out how they place their students in the classrooms. Your child may not welcome the idea of sharing with open arms, but many children their age also may not.
To ensure your child stays motivated and does not feel overwhelmed, it is best to surround them with children on the same level developmentally, not older children who are more advanced and maybe judgmental when your child is less prone to share or younger children who may be completely against the idea of sharing. Some Montessori daycares have multi-age classrooms, and some do not, so it is helpful to ask.
Look for a Hands-on Approach
When you think of elementary, middle, and high school, you primarily think about academics. However, Montessori childcare centers are unique because they sometimes focus on the academic and social needs of the children they educate. To further help with your effort, look for a childcare center that takes a more hands-on effort in terms of their social development curriculum.
A childcare center that has learning models and activities that encourage behaviors like sharing, thoughtfulness, and the importance of caring for others are all excellent factors. An educator from the center should be able to provide you with specific information on the types of learning opportunities they offer in this area.
Remember, every child will progress differently. However, these tips can help make your child's transition easier. Speak to the staff at a childcare center for more ideas.