We all want the best for our children.
Ernita and I want our little ones to be happy and prosperous like all parents. Nowadays, we live in a world that fuels us with a million different ‘ideas’ on how to raise our children; for us, we want to let Claire and Sebastian develop in an environment that allows them to be free to explore their curiosities and take independent risks that they learn from.
It’s an entire process; naturally, kids will develop ways to educate themselves that are fun and interesting to them personally. Well, that’s until adults come along, finding dull ways to show them the ‘right way’.
Quality Education | Progressive Education
So, today we will be talking about a couple of the steps/actions that we do to ensure our little ones are being taken care of and supporting their development.
As educators, we understand first-hand the importance of schools; meanwhile, we also strongly believe that schools need a friendly, family environment that creates a welcoming community to perform. Despite this, many learning facilities traditionally have a clinical feeling, which could be doing more harm than anything else.
Bottom line, great schools provide an environment that encourages discovery-based learning, love for reading and languages, fine arts, and development with plenty of free time at recess. Children should be fueled with aspirations and color, quite like Montessori learning in full color – not the bland ‘prison’ designs we see all around the US.
We understand more than most that at the heart of an educator should be an individual who desires to help children. Those who choose to guide their natural curiosity to learn and create; are not memorising and preparing for tests. A quote I often refer to is by Dr Maria Montessori, ‘Teaching The Whole Child’; learning should be a balance of growth physically, cognitively, socially, emotionally and spiritually.
Our Outdoor Approach, Learning Through Nature
Alongside the above, we’re sharing a personal passion. Although slightly drawn towards the interests of Ernita and me, it’s a healthy one. Don’t get me wrong, if one day my children turn to me and express that they’ve developed a true passion for climbing, being outdoors and hiking – I’d be thrilled. On the other hand, I’m just happy to be making lifelong memories as a family. By putting the children into adaptable environments, we’re helping them keep engaged with the world around them. By showcasing everything that’s on offer, the possibilities of exploration are endless.
If you’re interested in taking your kids into the fresh air, we’ve pulled together a handful of activities that we participate in with the children regularly.
- – Starting activities from a young age, Claire’s first crag was at two months old.
- – Invest in a Child Carrier
- – Minimize using the stroller.
- – Go outside often.
- – Keep things FUN!
- – Research into the right gear for them.
- – Ask them where they want to go, rather than ‘what do you want to do’
- – Token EconomyWe’re encouraging our children to develop a ‘Growth Mindset’ through all these activities and beyond. If you’re new to the term, someone with a ‘Growth Mindset’ believes that their intelligence and abilities can continually develop throughout their lives with practice and effort. What parents wouldn’t want this for their child?Growth Mindsets are great traits for children to develop from a young age; these individuals:
- – Understand that mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow.
- – Separate performance from the self.
- – Believe that hard work leads to success.
- – Inspired by those who succeed around them.
Now, while these are useful strategies, ultimately, we must also face the reality that our children might not develop a love for being outdoors. All we can really hope for is that she has access to this avenue should she want to follow this path. Along with the self-confidence I’d love for her to develop, I, too, need to accept that she’ll be independent enough to decide what she wants to do – truly make up a mind for herself. Reminding ourselves that we also need to be confident that our children will make the right choice, should we give them the right level of support, attention and care.
If you’re interested in finding out more about activities that we participate in with the children, then be sure to stick around for more family-based content. If you’re ever interested in asking us a question regarding parenting styles or genuinely interested in finding more, don’t forget to leave us a comment below.
Emmanuel Lacoste