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Saving Little Hearts has been helping children with congenital heart defects and their families since 2002.
Montessori Pick of the Day
Parents seem to know that singing or repeating a rhythmic sound to their babies calms them, and even entertains them!
My favorite recorded music and finger plays are Wee Sing Sing-Alongs book and cd
The songs are short and easy to follow. Also, you can ham it up a bit and act out the finger plays.
This is a fun way to bond with your baby and at the same time, teach language skills.
Kids Dress Themselves
Parents know that teaching a child to dress himself or herself can take time and patience.
Montessori used dressing frames to help teach skills such as buttoning, snapping, zipping, buckling, lacing and tying. She used dressing frames that were mounted on a square frame. This method helps your child feel success because each skill is broken down into small lessons.
Montessori & the Environment After Birth
Montessori traveled throughout the world and studied how each culture cared for newborn babies. She theorized that environment and culture mostly affected the baby's health, happiness and development. Montessori strongly believed that what you do after a baby's birth is more important than what happens during the birthing process. Basically, we all go through the experience of birth so it must be what happens after a healthy baby is born that causes differences. She thought these differences were the cause of many emotional, physical and psychological problems later in life.
Her idea was that mothers should immediately hold and nurse their babies. Let the hospital wash and probe the baby later. Also, she emphasized that mothers should be with their babies right after birth. She maintained that long separation from a mother could surface as "separation anxiety" later in life. She visited western, world-renowned hospitals and poorer countries that many times did not have hospitals. The western hospitals of the 30's with their sterile environment, bright lights, and baby nurseries left much to be desired. She preferred the quiet, cozy, home nest provided by parents in poorer countries.