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We are big on Montessori at my house. The philosophy there is basically what you said: kids are adults in the making and parents are just their guides. Ego lead

We are big on Montessori at my house. The philosophy there is basically what you said: kids are adults in the making and parents are just their guides. Ego leads people to think they own their kids and such, but we are just stewards of our kids for small but key part of their life. Many parents struggle with this idea that kids are their own agents and you are just there to help them grow. It seems obvious, but when you really embrace this philosophy it seems to have a huge impact for most people.

wpietri 8y ago
I have a nephew who's been at a Montessori school since kindergarten and I'm hugely impressed with it. Their philosophy has definitely changed my views on management and software process. In my head there's a bar graph for "controlling <-----> supportive", and I evaluate changes on how they affect that position.
ptx 8y ago
This is interesting because it helps explain the American interest in Montessori. But in other parts of the world these ideas are the mainstream consensus view rather than a fringe ideology. Quoting the United Nations website[1]: "The Convention [on the Rights of the Child] provides a universal set of standards to be adhered to by all countries. It reflects a new vision of the child. Children are neither the property of their parents nor are they helpless objects of charity. They are human beings and are the subject of their own rights. The Convention offers a vision of the child as an individual and a member of a family and a community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development. Recognizing children's rights in this way firmly sets a focus on the whole child. Previously seen as negotiable, the child's needs have become legally binding rights. No longer the passive recipient of benefits, the child has become the subject or holder of rights." [1] https://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30225.html https://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30225.html
- bitexploder 8y ago
  I would not call Montessori a fringe ideology, but I would also say it is not very mainstream. A lot of non-Montessori parents reach the same conclusions, Montessori just has it baked into the learning system. As a parent you are kind of all in. We have public (charter) Montessori schools here in CO that are top notch. Anyhow, you are right, and, I would guess, this is new for a lot of American parents. Also, just cause UN says, doesn’t mean other first world nations all buy into it :)

wpietri 8y ago

I have a nephew who's been at a Montessori school since kindergarten and I'm hugely impressed with it. Their philosophy has definitely changed my views on management and software process. In my head there's a bar graph for "controlling <-----> supportive", and I evaluate changes on how they affect that position.

ptx 8y ago

This is interesting because it helps explain the American interest in Montessori. But in other parts of the world these ideas are the mainstream consensus view rather than a fringe ideology. Quoting the United Nations website[1]: "The Convention [on the Rights of the Child] provides a universal set of standards to be adhered to by all countries. It reflects a new vision of the child. Children are neither the property of their parents nor are they helpless objects of charity. They are human beings and are the subject of their own rights. The Convention offers a vision of the child as an individual and a member of a family and a community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development. Recognizing children's rights in this way firmly sets a focus on the whole child. Previously seen as negotiable, the child's needs have become legally binding rights. No longer the passive recipient of benefits, the child has become the subject or holder of rights." [1] https://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30225.html https://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30225.html

bitexploder 8y ago
I would not call Montessori a fringe ideology, but I would also say it is not very mainstream. A lot of non-Montessori parents reach the same conclusions, Montessori just has it baked into the learning system. As a parent you are kind of all in. We have public (charter) Montessori schools here in CO that are top notch. Anyhow, you are right, and, I would guess, this is new for a lot of American parents. Also, just cause UN says, doesn’t mean other first world nations all buy into it :)