October Blog – Toddler 2

New life brings us hope and joy. As parents we have so many dreams for the new addition to our family. Dr. Maria Montessori has talked about the newborn child and how a newborn should be treated by the adult to facilitate her psychic and physical development. Following are the suggestions taken from Secret of Childhood by Dr. Montessori.

At birth the child enters an alien environment. This period should be carefully studied. She must be handled and taken care of properly. Child initial care should come from the mother. She should not be clothed but put under mother’s warmth for natural source of heat. There should be sufficient awareness of what is required by the newborn child. Newborns should not only be shielded from harm, but measures should also be taken for her psychic adjustments. The child’s room should be calm and quiet, shielded from outside noise. There is no need for any luxury for the child but simple measures should be taken for her psychic growth.

Needs of a newborn child are different from the adults, thus special care must be taken for the newborn. The newborn should not be looked as a sick (which we normally feel about an adult), but one who is trying adjust psychologically and physically to the surroundings.

The newborn must be handled with care so that she does not feel any anxiety and fear. It should be gentle. The care to the child should be guided by the need of her assistance, not by the fact whether the child is aware about its surroundings and people. For example, the newborn should be handled with care without ever justifying a rough handling by justifying that she doesn’t really feel or is aware about what is happening.

“The child is both a hope and promise for mankind.” – Dr. Montessori.