- Talk to your child clearly without talking down. Communicate with respect, and give the child the gift of language, new words, and expressions.
- Teach your child his/her address, phone number, and parents' names
- Together, do things to help others (e.g., take food to an aging or ill neighbor, contribute blankets to a homeless shelter, give toys to those who have none, etc.).
- Take a rain walk. Wear coats and boots to be protected, but then fully enjoy the rain.
- Alert children to upcoming events so they can mentally prepare, e.g. "In ten minutes, it will be time for bed."
- Laugh a lot. Play with words. Tell jokes. Help your child to develop a sense of humor.
- Provide your child with appropriate-sized furniture: his/her own table and chair for working; perhaps a rocker in the living room to be with you; a bed that can easily be made by a child; a stool for climbing up to sink or counter.
- Memorize poetry and teach it to your child and recite it together.
- Learn to say no without anger and with firmness and conviction. Not everything children want is appropriate.
- Understand what Montessori meant by "sensitive periods." Know when your child is in one and utilize it.
Excerpt from Tomorrow's Child Magazine, September 2012
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