Comments on: Grace and Courtesy 1: Building Blocks for a Satisfying Life http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/grace-and-courtesy-1-building-blocks-for-a-satisfying-life.html High Quality Montessori Materials Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:46:30 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v= hourly 1 By: montessori_lori http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/grace-and-courtesy-1-building-blocks-for-a-satisfying-life.html/comment-page-1#comment-506 montessori_lori Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:47:00 +0000 http://montessoriforeveryone.dreamhosters.com/grace-and-courtesy-1-building-blocks-for-a-satisfying-life.html#comment-506 Oh, my, you do have your hands full. I don't know if your goal at this point needs to be the finer points of Grace and Courtesy. Rather, you can be working with the twins on little things - cleaning their work up after it's finished, putting it away, working with only one thing at a time. <br/><br/>Keep the long view - it can take years for these habits to totally sink in. And, sometimes they might regress. But along the way, you can be looking for those "teachable moments" when you do have a chance to introduce a more refined skill, like carrying a chair correctly or cleaning up a spill. <br/><br/>If pouring activities are just too much right now, look for other practical life activities (puzzles, lacing, scrubbing, clay, etc.) that can be done instead. Really, what you are looking for is tasks that build concentration. Anything that holds their attention for more than a minute - go with that! Oh, my, you do have your hands full. I don’t know if your goal at this point needs to be the finer points of Grace and Courtesy. Rather, you can be working with the twins on little things – cleaning their work up after it’s finished, putting it away, working with only one thing at a time.

Keep the long view – it can take years for these habits to totally sink in. And, sometimes they might regress. But along the way, you can be looking for those “teachable moments” when you do have a chance to introduce a more refined skill, like carrying a chair correctly or cleaning up a spill.

If pouring activities are just too much right now, look for other practical life activities (puzzles, lacing, scrubbing, clay, etc.) that can be done instead. Really, what you are looking for is tasks that build concentration. Anything that holds their attention for more than a minute – go with that!

]]> By: Bear Woman http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/grace-and-courtesy-1-building-blocks-for-a-satisfying-life.html/comment-page-1#comment-505 Bear Woman Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:39:00 +0000 http://montessoriforeveryone.dreamhosters.com/grace-and-courtesy-1-building-blocks-for-a-satisfying-life.html#comment-505 I find this to be on of the most difficult to implement at home. I have twin two and a half year olds. Right now I am at my wits end trying to help them learn to care for their home and each other. Every activity they do seems to end in things spilled all over the floor or fighting and hitting with each other. Could you talk more about how grace and courtesy can be achieved in the home? I think of the pouring activities that are so well known in Montessori and all I see is that water, those rice, beans, etc all over my floor. Sigh. I find this to be on of the most difficult to implement at home. I have twin two and a half year olds. Right now I am at my wits end trying to help them learn to care for their home and each other. Every activity they do seems to end in things spilled all over the floor or fighting and hitting with each other. Could you talk more about how grace and courtesy can be achieved in the home? I think of the pouring activities that are so well known in Montessori and all I see is that water, those rice, beans, etc all over my floor. Sigh.

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