Leaving the child free to move, immediately, we will favor his motor skills, balance and autonomy
To improve the child’s motor development, it is important to insert it in an environment that facilitates its movements, to guarantee greater freedom and future autonomy.
Support the child in the growth process
We cannot teach a child to speak, just as we cannot teach him to walk. But we can, in both cases, support it: speaking a lot and well we will help him in the construction of language and leaving him free to move, from the beginning of life, we will favor his motor skills, as well as balance and autonomy. Like Maria Montessori, too Emmi PiklerHungarian pediatrician of the early twentieth century, theorized the natural motor development from birth to walking identifying the child’s learning autonomy and the danger of the adult interference in the growth path. Pikler gave a precise and clear indication to the educator: The only thing he has to do to encourage the child It is to put it in a supine position from birth And let that, independently, slowly and with its own rhythm, conquer all the intermediate positions, necessary to become skilled in walking. Precisely with this purpose the well -known pikler triangle was developed.
The development phases
The phases that the child spontaneously crosses in his development are:
- turn on the belly
- turn on the back
- crawl
- advance carponi
- sit
- kneel
- stand
- move laterally supporting yourself
- walk without the support of the hands
To conquer any ability, it is necessary to have time to practice. It is only from the ground that the child can learn to get up without going from one support to another.
For many months from birth, the child will not move from the supine position, but during this period, which seems very long, he exerts his musculature and develops psychically. Each position is a conquest dictated by psycho-physical maturity, obtained naturally and effortlessly. The child thus turns, will go, will sit, will walk when his moment will be and not before.
Let’s set up the spaces
To allow the child to move safely, it is necessary to set up domestic spaces adequately. Let’s see how.
During the waking periods the child will be on a semi -rigid surface with a thickness of a few centimeters, lined in cotton, possibly with a horizontal mirror in which to mirror himself and some attractive objects around.
The change of the diaper or clothes should also take place on the ground or in a comfortable and safe place. Why make this choice? The moment of gearbox is a precious opportunity for exercise and relationship. How can you guarantee good gymnastics and precious cuddles in a narrow stone, at least 90 cm in height and therefore dangerous? The parents, for the fear that the baby can fall, carry out the actions very quickly. Changing the diaper on the ground means sharing with the child a moment of personal care in an atmosphere of serenity and calm. The parent can strip slowly, telling what happens, can allow the child to move freely during the steps and can practice massages. The child will discover his feet, his belly and can experience widespread and not only limited tactile sensations in the hands.
The choice of the bed
When the child is able to move independently in space (strip or kitty) we can support his skills by placing a low bed in the room (his or parents), reachable independently (read, in this regard, our article on the Montessori beds).
Abandoning the bed with bars and choosing a bed on the ground means:
- recognize freedom of choice and autonomy to a small child who, if tired, can go to bed and, after resting, can leave the room
- manage the falling asleep easily, sitting next to the child and having the opportunity to caress him, to go to bed at his side, to whisper, read
- Do not hear the child crying on waking up, but finding him in his room to play or see him get to the foot of the Latvian
As always, Offering freedom, autonomy, respect and trust requires a lot of commitment, but is widely rewarded by the serenity of the child.
The bed should be in woodas a natural material, with its own specific weight, perfume and heat. It should not be treated with toxic hill and paints, but only with natural substances. Even the joints between the parties should be joint, without using nails. The sizes of the bed should be abundant enough to allow the child to move laterally in freedom and safety (60 x 90 cm). The feet should lift the bed from the ground of about 4 cm.
The bottom of the bed, instead of being composed of fragile slats, could be a unique pierced single plan that allows the exchange of air and knows how to support any universal and inevitable childhood jumps.
Some images are taken from: www.howemontessori.com with the authorization of the author
