Montessori-Inspired Baby Care

Shonali Harrison • Aug 18, 2024

Fostering Independence and Learning from Day One...

Welcoming a new baby into your home is a joyous occasion filled with excitement and wonder.

As parents, we naturally want to provide the best environment for our infants to thrive and develop. One approach gaining popularity for its focus on independence and early learning is the Montessori method. Developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, this philosophy emphasizes respecting the child's individuality and fostering their natural curiosity and growth from the earliest stages of life.

Creating a Prepared Environment

Central to the Montessori approach is the concept of a prepared environment. This involves carefully arranging the baby's surroundings to promote exploration and independence. Here are some practical ways to apply Montessori principles at home:

1. Order and Accessibility: Arrange the baby's room in a way that encourages exploration and independence. Keep toys and materials at the baby's level on low shelves or in baskets that they can easily access. This promotes autonomy as they learn to choose and engage with their surroundings.

2. Simplify and Declutter: Minimize the number of toys and materials available at any given time to avoid overwhelming the baby. Rotate toys periodically to maintain their interest and encourage focused exploration.

3. Foster Self-Care Skills: Even from a young age, babies can begin to participate in self-care routines. Allow them to grasp and hold their own feeding bottles or sippy cups, practice grasping and holding objects, and later, encourage them to begin to eat from a spoon.

4. Encourage Movement: Provide ample opportunities for your baby to move freely and explore their surroundings. Offer a safe, uncluttered space where they can crawl, roll, and eventually walk. This helps to develop their gross motor skills and builds confidence in their abilities.

Infants 6 weeks to 16 months old have “absorbent minds,” priming them for optimal development when put in carefully prepared environments like those at our infant Montessori program in Eden Prairie.

Engaging the Senses

Montessori education places a strong emphasis on sensory exploration as a foundation for learning. Here’s how you can incorporate sensory experiences into your baby's daily routine:

1. Nature and Exploration: Take your baby outdoors to experience the natural world. Allow them to touch leaves, feel different textures, and listen to the sounds of birds and insects. These experiences stimulate their senses and foster a love for nature.

2. Sensory Play: Provide opportunities for sensory play with materials like safe, age-appropriate toys, and objects with different textures, colors, and shapes. Sensory bins filled with materials such as rice, sand, or water can also provide valuable tactile experiences.

At Eden Prairie Montessori, we use age-appropriate methods and “tools” to help your baby develop. These include infant musical instruments, songs, finger plays, tummy-time, recognition of objects, and interaction with other babies for a full sensory experience!

Communication and Interaction

1. Respectful Communication: Engage in meaningful interactions with your baby by responding to their cues and signals. Use descriptive language to narrate your actions and describe the world around them. This helps to build their vocabulary and understanding of language from an early age.

2. Encourage Independence: Allow your baby to explore their environment safely and encourage them to solve simple problems on their own. Offer support and guidance as needed, but allow them the opportunity to develop resilience and problem-solving skills independently.

Both of our Eden Prairie Montessori Learning Center locations have a Nido room which includes 12 infants and at least a 1:4 teacher to child ratio. This allows us to pay proper attention to the needs of your baby at all times. We maintain careful records of your baby’s development spanning several key areas, including:

Communicative~ Vocal interaction, repetition, and response to speech.

Cognitive~ Copies simple actions, responds to facial expressions, and more.

Social-Emotional~ Interactions and responses to others.

Embracing Montessori Principles

Embracing Montessori principles in caring for your new baby can create a nurturing and empowering environment where they can flourish from day one. By fostering independence, encouraging exploration, and respecting their individuality, you lay a strong foundation for their lifelong love of learning and self-discovery. As you embark on this journey, remember that each baby is unique, and the Montessori approach can be adapted to suit your family's values and lifestyle. Enjoy the journey of discovery and growth together with your little one!

In our “Nido” room here at Eden Prairie Montessori Learning, we create a comfortable and natural environment for infants that promotes social, cognitive and motor development. Our highly trained staff believe that infant child care should involve an environment that leaves children feeling content while promoting well-rounded development.

“Nido” means “nest” in Italian and that is a perfect name for the environment we try to emulate. Through soft music and constant communication with our staff through talking, singing, reading, and playing, your baby will always feel content and at home.

(952) 944-8466

Blog Image Credits: Montessori Theory, Bristol Early Years, Parents.