When I was a new mom, I desperately wanted to know what made for a good mom. Love your kids… ok, that seems pretty natural, but like all worthwhile tasks in life there had to be a certain level of objective excellence that could be achieved. I found my answers from 2 places.
- Asking parents that had kids I admired, what they felt they had done well, and
- A book called “Revolutionary Parenting,” by George Barna
Both of these sources of wisdom said something very interesting: to be a really good parent, one has to be willing to do things outside of the norm. One has to be willing to choose different parenting styles based on the individual child they have, and one has to be willing to choose different parenting styles from their peer group!
In other words, parents who want to excel at parenting need to be very intentional about the choices they make and be unafraid of those choices.
We find at our school that families that really thrive in Montessori also share this same trait.
They are brave.
They are willing to try something new, to seek for a better way, and to commit to that vision. They don’t just jump at the next shiny object looking for greener pastures. They dig deep and look closely to see if this philosophy, this method, rings true for what they see is needful for their child to thrive, and then they commit to it wholeheartedly.
They are willing to not just do what is in their comfort level, but to step out and look for another solution. This bravery reminds me of one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost and his beloved lines:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
The choice to gift our child with a Christian Montessori Community will in fact make all the difference. Our little ones will be different people at the end of this journey. Our children will develop a tremendous amount of skills needed to create fulfilled and meaningful lives. The connections made with the world, others, themselves, and our creator will allow our children to grow in every area, not just academically.
Our willingness to choose the road less traveled is our badge of courage and a really good sign that we are taking this parenting thing seriously. When you choose a different path, you forever give your children permission to do the same.
Well done!
