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Montessori Environment - 6 months
The main environment for your baby at this age will be the bedroom. It is important to take note that the baby’s environment prior to the outside world was the womb. In the mother’s womb it was quiet, dark and sounds were sedated. This can be attempted to be replicated in the baby’s bedroom for the first 8 weeks to help the child adjust to the new world positively.Soft classical music can be played in the room, this can be soothing to the young baby. Have some natural lighting and if possible have a window where a child may watch the wind blowing through leaves or trees.
Baby this young will be mostly attracted to mobiles with great color contrast, such as black and white. One can even simply attract a child’s attention, eye tracking, by making shadows by having the light source behind a parent’s hands. Hanging mobiles can also be effective, these have to be placed about 30 cm from your baby as in the beginning they can only see this far. These mobiles may also have the pictures of the mother, the father, or other siblings as babies are generally attracted to the human face. Mobiles can consist of a glass ball that can reflect light in different ways. There is no need for brightly colored commercially bought mobiles that have too many distracting colors. As well for flashy cartoon characters in a child’s room, though it does not mean it cannot be decorated. It can still be decorated with simple beautiful realistic works of art.A mother can be feeding in this room as well with a comfortable gliding/rocking chair with a table nearby for anything a mother may need as she feeds. When breastfeeding it is ideal that mothers concentrate on the baby and not too preoccupied doing other things.A child’s bed need not be a crib but for a very young baby it can be a Moses basket that provides comfort for the child where the child can also be kept warm. As the child gets older it is important to have the child have some movement possibilities. This is to make sure the child gets ample tummy time during the day so they can exercise and develop their muscle strength. This can be done at around 3 months.To allow the child to be part of the family, one can have a small flat mat that the child can be placed in, e.g. a small woolen blanket, in the family room. The child need not be left alone in their bedroom while they are awake. Hearing the family noises and voices will also help the children learn as they observe their surroundings.
Absorbent Mind
Montessori observed how the children learned the language without anyone teaching them. This sparked her idea for the “absorbent mind’. For children under the age of three they do not need to have lessons in order to learn, they simply absorb everything in the environment by experiencing it, being part of it. It is therefore important that the environment set up is good, nice and positive since this is what the child will absorb whether he chooses to or not.
Montessori ‘Toys’ and Materials
A simple wooden A-frame would suffice for a child to look up and try to grasp. There is no need for fancy plastic ones that may break easily. Fluffy toys, cloth books, small rattles and crocheted soft balls will allow the child to be practice their grasp and use their hands. A silver rattle is especially wonderful for a young baby since it engages a lot of the senses. It has to be small and light enough for the baby to grasp it for a few moments at first and longer and longer later on. It can also provide auditory stimulation as it makes a soft sound and it can give sense of hot and cold as the child mouths it.Wooden toys and rattles in particular are aesthetically beautiful, last long and gives the child as different more natural texture than most plastic toys would. A child will mouth, bang and try many different things to toys. Educational / engaging toys have to be strong enough to withstand the child’s growing years.Crocheted soft balls are good for their tiny fingers to be able to hook and grasp. Children will also follow with their eyes the movement of the ball.Mobiles are also particularly wonderful for children this age. These mobiles can be contrasting colours to attract the child’s gaze, black and white or even simply just different colours in a banner. Mobiles that reflect natural light will also be attractive to babies.
Baby Clothing
Babies skin is sensitive so it is best to have natural fibres, such as pure cotton, to be against the child’ skin directly. It is also good to have most clothes in white or light pastel colours such that strong dyes may react to the child’s skin. For the comfort of the child it is advisable not to have any tight clothing, or clothing that may small or tight around the child’s arms or legs. Dress the child appropriately according to the weather, jackets and socks when needed.