• first plane (0-6yo) - the absorbent mind
  • Infant (0-1yo) - fully dependent on the adult
  • Toddler (1-3yo) - begins to ask "what?" and "why"
  • Preschool (3-6yo) - seek to crystallise everything they absorbed from 1 to 3 years
• second plane (6-12yo) - curiosity begins to reach beyond the world in front of them
• third plane (12-18yo) - increasing social independence
• fourth plane (18-24yo) - finding their place in society. if everything in the first three planes of development has been done, the final place of development takes care of itself

• Build trust
  • Basic trust in the environment - Through close contact, being held and having their needs met
  • Basic trust in self - By helping them develop independence and providing opportunities for movement, exploration and communication
• Give acceptance
• Give respect
  • Teach baby that they own their body - Ask permission before handling, be gentle
  • Thank our baby
  • Trust our baby and their abilities - Offer as little help as possible and as much as necessary
  • Observe before responding or to understand them - Two-way communication
  • Accept their individuality - Observe to u...

• Toddlers need to say "no" - crisis of self-affirmation
• Toddlers need to move - mastering movements, maximum effort
• Toddlers need to explore and discover the world around them - daily life activities, outdoors
• Toddlers need freedom - help them grow to be curious learners
• Toddlers need limits - keep them safe, teach them to respect others and their environment, and help them become responsible human beings
• Toddlers need order and consistency - helps them understand
• Toddlers are not giving us a hard time - be supportive when they are having a hard time
• Toddlers are impulsive - guide them and be patient
• Toddlers need time to process what we are...

• Human tendencies
  • Orientation - Points of reference, connections
  • Order - A designated place for sleep, physical care and play, and for things to be in their place
  • Communication - Talking, smiling, gesturing and touching
  • Exploration - Opportunity to look at things, taste, touch, move them around, bang them, throw them, etc.
  • Solving problems - Opportunity for free play with little help
  • Repetition - Opportunity to focus and master skills uninterrupted
  • Abstraction & imagination - Opportunity for hands-on experiences
• Prepared environment
  • Can be indoor physical spaces or outdoors...

• Baby-sized furniture - Low bed, low table & chair
• Beautify space - Art, photos, plants
• Set up simple activities on low shelf so baby can learn to choose
• Make activities look attractive on shelves, not toy boxes
• Display only a few activities
• Have a place for everything and everything in its place
• See the space through their eyes
• Store and rotate activities

Entrance:

• Mirror
• Designated location for shoes

Movement Area:

• Basket of 5 or 6 board books -> Cozy book corner, bean bag
• Art - Pictures of plants, animals, and fa...

• Natural materials - wood, fabric, rubber, stainless steel
• Not choking hazards
• Beautiful materials - colourful, decorated
• Variation - colour, size, weight, texture, shape, functions
• Intuitive to use
• Limiting number of activities - 5 or 6
• Maintain & restore - Wait until they are done completely and then tell them we are going to restore the activities
• Quality over quantity
• Prepare the environment, not entertain
• Offer help only when needed and offer just enough help for baby to complete the task themselves

Language:

• Refer to them by name and talk them through our actions

• Target 1 skill
• Natural material
• Has a beginning, middle and end
• To be complete
• Organised in trays & baskets
• Repetition
• Freedom to choose

Categories:

• Eye-hand coordination
• Music & movement
• Practical life
• Arts & crafts
• Language

SHOW

• Slow Hand Omit Words

General principles:

• Daily rhythm (wake, feed, play, sleep)
  • Observe and follow baby's rhythm to aid their orientation and sense of order
  • Make small adjustments from time to time if necessary
  • Help baby recognise transitions by having cues - song, saying/ doing the same thing every time
• Rituals (birthdays, holidays, annual vacation, weekly activities)
• Eating
  • Instead of spoon-feeding, let baby feed themselves at their own pace
  • Baby-led weaning - food cut into large pieces and cooked until soft (carrot, broccoli, toasted bread, soft fruits)
  • Eat together at the family table rather than feed separately
  • Start first with a fork

It's not about perfection. It's about presence.

Intellectual preparation - to cultivate trust in our baby

• Be open to new research, continuing education related to parenting
• Be selective and limit our exposure to a few options that resonate with us
• Be open to learning opportunities outside of parenting

Physical preparation - to maintain a loving attitude

• Keep hydrated and eat nutritious meals
• Set aside time to stretch or work out
• Get as much rest as as we can

Emotional / Spiritual preparation - to adopt a posture of humility

• Have a support system (an extra set of hands)

• Be kind and clear, not aggressive
• Before we jump in to criticise, look at our feelings first
• Seek to understand their perspectives and look for possibilities together, rather than correcting them
• Come from a place of shared values
• Stay calm without getting upset and remember not to take it personally
• The important thing is to maintain our relationship and see that others are coming from their own experience
• Our children pick up how we treat others, so we keep modelling this respectful approach with everyone in our lives
• Say thank you and mean it
• Aim as much as possible to agree on the bigger picture and accept that our baby will learn that we are all different

• music: play musical instruments, listen to music, sing, dance
• books: realistic, relate to life of a young child (board books > hard cover > paperback)
• rhythmic language: poetry, rhymes
• art: crayon, pencil, paint
• vocabulary objects: fruits, vegetables, clothing, animals
• puzzles
• care of environment: wipe table, clean floor with dry wiper