Well, we made it to week 52! One whole year with a Montessori baby post a week! I really really can't believe that I finished, to be honest! The big question now is -- should I continue a weekly series for the next year?
This past Sunday Augustus officially turned 1-year-old! It's incredible just how fast life goes with three children. The whole year feels like a blur, and I'm actually quite grateful to this series having recorded a little bit about Gus each week.
At 12 months, I can start to see little changes in Gus that point to his impending toddler-hood. There are suddenly signs of frustration when he can't do something - either because he can't figure it out or because a limit has been set. There is a budding curiosity finger pointing and the words "dis?" {this?} and "dat?" {that?} There is a new joy in making decisions, and having them understood and respected.
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His play is starting to look and feel different too. There's a new found joy in figuring out how something is supposed to work, instead of just chewing on it (although a lot of that still occurs!) There's also a new level of physical movement. Without taking the time to observe, you might even think that he isn't concentrating in the same way he used to when he was much more still.
Augustus plays with an imbucare box in these pictures.
But, that's not true either. There's concentration in movement, and as he physically challenges himself. There is value in this movement. And, I know that it won't stop anytime soon. In fact, I know that his days of being interested in shelf work are more likely to come to an end in favor of just moving, moving, moving! And, that's ok!
As I have said all a long, this year has been about Augustus' journey around the sun! But every child will be different. And the best we can do as parents is respect that, meet our children where they are and follow them! I want to leave you with one finally thought on that note for this year:
"At the same age one child will be working on eye-hand coordination, another concentrating on making sounds, another on push-ups or trying to move his whole body through space. One child will be interested in sitting up and eating at a table sometime during the first year and another content to breastfeed. One child will enjoy sitting on a potty to urinate and another will just not be interested. The best we can do is to support free movement, provide the best language model, and then watch listen, respect, offer, and get out of the way." Susan Mayclin Stephenson
So go! Provide the best for your baby, respect where they are, and watch and learn from them! They are incredible all on their own!
Do you have a 1-year-old, or young toddler? Are you interested in seeing this series continue?
