If you’ve been following the Voila Montessori video series, you’ve probably had the opportunity to give several presentations to your child by now. She might have shown interest in some activities, and completely ignored others. Do you feel frustrated when that happens? All that hard work to put together the material, and your child isn’t interested in it!

You can blame your child’s inner teacher. This is Maria Montessori’s term for the internal developmental drives that push children to reach their maximum potential. Infants and toddlers are notorious for being stubborn, but that’s because they can’t help but follow this natural force of life!

When the inner teacher is running the show, the child will be hyper-focused on one type of activity. One child might seem obsessed with pouring water. Another one just wants to clean windows all day long. A third child wants to stack, and stack, and stack. They are each working on their own development, and have found exactly the right activity to refine a particular skill.

Dr. Montessori called this phenomenon “the secret of childhood.” She discovered that when children engage in self-chosen, repetitive activities, they are doing much more than pouring or wiping or stacking. They are building themselves from the inside out!

If you would like to discover your child’s secret and learn how to create activities tailored to his or her developmental needs, then my private coaching program is right for you! Click the Let’s Talk to begin this important conversation!

A large wooden screw and a few colorful nuts and bolts become an inviting activity for a one-year old. This beautiful and sturdy toy is great for the child who is interested in twisting objects. Your child will develop wrist strength, hand-eye coordination and concentration when he engages with this material. The wooden nut and bolt can be introduced around 12 months or sooner. Watch the video, learn the theory behind these activities, and discover the nine key points for sharing a new activity with your child.

For more tips on how to introduce Montessori activities, read The Nine Key Points to Sharing a New Activity with Your Child.

P.S. Would you like my support and guidance setting-up your Montessori home? If, yes then go ahead and schedule a ‘Discovery Session’ with me. It’s free and you’ll know if we are a good fit. 😉