How can you be Montessori with young infants?  They can’t complete works or play safely with small objects.  They can’t bring works to a table or roll up a work rug.  They are not ready to develop independence or self-care skills.  What can you do with a newborn?

Luckily, Montessori is more than just an educational method to be followed in a classroom.  Montessori is a way of life, an understanding of the whole child, and a desire to help the child to develop every part of herself.  One of the things you can do with a very young infant is very simple, yet may feel awkward at first — talk to her!  About anything — your day, your hopes and dreams for her, what you’re picking up at the grocery store — the possibilities are endless.  This provides the social interaction your young infant yearns for and begins an introduction to language before she can even engage in it.  It may make you feel silly — walking through a store and talking to somebody who can’t respond feels strange at first.  However, the more you do it, the more natural it will become.  I have become so used to it by now that sometimes (as rarely as it occurs) I’ll be running errands all by myself and find myself talking out loud even though there is no child with me — that’s when it’s really awkward!

Talking to your infant from the very beginning is an invaluable gift you can give to her, and you will soon find her staring at you and absorbing every word you utter.  Take advantage of it now, while your child is still listening to you!