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Two years ago the Huffington Post published an essay by Darell Hammond, an advocate for increased free time and play in childhood. You can find the complete article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/darell-hammond/in-defense-of-boredom-why_b_795173.html, but read on to get a sense of his passion and purpose:

Over-tested and over-scheduled. That's how the recently released documentary, Race to Nowhere characterizes today's youth. One grim shot after another shows children and teens rubbing their eyes in front of computer screens, falling asleep at their desks, and staring listlessly out car windows as they are rushed from one activity to the next.

And to what end? As one articulate youth puts it, it's all just a "race to nowhere."

Adults are cramming as much as they can into their children's days under the misguided notion that boredom is a bad thing. Then, in the precious hours of free time they have, kids turn to TV, computers, and video games to keep themselves entertained. The result? A generation of kids who are adept at following rules -- whether in a classroom, on the soccer field, or on their PlayStation -- but who are at a complete loss when it comes to innovating, designing, tinkering, or doing anything that requires drawing from their own imaginations.

No wonder research indicates that we're in the midst of a "creativity crisis."

So how does boredom serve a purpose in childhood? It essentially tells a kid: Think of something to do. Use your own resources. Use your imagination. Go play!

The recent Newsweek article on our creativity crisis notes, "In the space between anxiety and boredom [is] where creativity flouishe[s]."

Yet childhoods these days are all anxiety and no boredom. Kids in elementary school are already worrying about their grades, feeling pressure on playing fields, and failing to get their recommended nine to 11 hours of sleep. And they are increasingly isolated, interacting with friends more and more online, and playing alone in front of screens.

As Paddy O'Donnell, a professor of social psychology , points out in The Times, "Boredom shouldn't last long if children are in the right environment where they're dragged off either by curiosity or the desire to socialise. It continues only if there's no one to play with or the environment's too restrictive."

In other words, boredom serves its purpose if children have both the time and space to play -- and preferably, some other kids to play with.

"Productive boredom" may sound like an oxymoron, but under the right circumstances, boredom will lead to child-directed activities that promote creativity, hone life skills, and enhance physical health..

Kids need to stop racing. By granting them the privilege of boredom, we must let them start hopping, skipping, jumping, and wandering instead.

Click here to for information on the GiveAway of Montessori Parenting

There’s a new book out by Dr. Jim and Sonnie McFarland which is a must have for parents of Montessori students, but more than that, Montessori Parenting: Unveiling the Authentic Self is a resource for anyone interested in holistic parenting, who seeks more than a standard how-to parenting book for living with and loving children, who yearns to raise a child whose potential is nourished and whose spiritual self is well cared for. Sonnie and Jim present a model for parenting that is based on the work of Dr. Maria Montessori, a model that affirms the sacredness within each child, an approach that speaks of the child’s essential nature, or “Authentic Self” which is revealed when she is raised with love, respect, and spiritual nurturing. Montessori Parenting has the fine distinction of having been awarded the Independent Publisher 2011 Bronze Award in the category of Parenting. It is a book for all who want to understand the child as a spiritual, loving being with potential much greater than we adults generally recognize. 

The book looks briefly at Maria Montessori’s life, the characteristics of  the Authentic Self (known to Montessorians as the traits of the normalized child) and Montessori’s philosophical view of the child’s place in the universe- a recognition and understanding of the child as a sacred, spiritual being whose hidden potential, when nurtured by parents and educators reveals natural characteristics that otherwise are apt to remain hidden deep in the child’s soul. 

In order to more clearly understand the process of a child’s natural development, the McFarlands created The Veil Model, which is explored in Part Two of Montessori Parenting. This model includes the following stages which are clearly and eloquently explained, each stage in its own chapter: 

• Volition- the child is inspired to engage in a particular activity
• Engagement-sensory stimulation is received as the child is motivated and engaged
• Integration-information is  assimilated by the child
• Love-the child experiences a moment of self-realization, what she is capable of 

In Part Three of Montessori Parenting, the emphasis is on the home, providing parents with concrete ideas for  creating and maintaining a home environment that supports the unveiling of the child’s Authentic Self. The four areas of the home environment that are covered here are: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

The McFarlands conclude Montessori Parenting with a section devoted to the adult, a gentle reminder  that the adult too, has an authentic nature based in compassion, wisdom, and love, and that only when the parent is aware of, and honors her own essential self, will she be able to honor and nurture the child’s Authentic Self. Therefore, Part Four is devoted to the discussion of practical skills that will help the adult to nurture her own body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

Based on the fundamental tenets  of the Montessori philosophy, Jim and Sonnie provide a clearly organized framework for integrating the  essential Montessori principals into the home and for enhancing ones understanding of child development. This is a book that provides a necessary philosophical backdrop, as well as  practical ideas and information for those  who are interested in understanding the Montessori way  applied to parenting, and it is written in such a manner as to be accessible to all readers. Non-Montessorians will appreciate the straightforward, comprehensive approach to holistic parenting and any parent who is looking for thoughtful ideas for nourishing the spirit of the child and for creating a home environment based in love and respect will find this a must-have book.

The McFarlands have gone to the heart of Maria Montessori’s philosophy and method- the unveiling of the child’s true and essential self.

Dr. Jim and Sonnie McFarland

Find out more about Sonnie and Jim's work on their website, Shining Mountains Press.

Mary asked if I would present a peace workshop to the elementary children at her school, giving me a chance to work directly with the students, rather than the teachers, and so I visited with the children in three classrooms, two lower elementary classrooms and the upper elementary.  I was excited, because it is, has always been, the children who inspire me. It was the children first, who helped me understand how Montessori's vision for a new educational system worked, and the children who urged me on to learn more, to do more, to be more. The first thing I told the students at Country Meadows Montessori School was that I was there to learn from them, that they were probably thinking I was there to teach them something and maybe that would be true, but most of all I knew in my heart I would learn from them. And I did.

Being in the classrooms with these beautiful children reminded me again of human potential, gave me an opportunity again to see what young children know, who they are, and how they are capable of being and doing things we don't usually imagine children to be or to do.

We talked about the inner self, the need for quiet, and time alone, doing nothing. We contemplated the light of love and goodness inside all of us, and what makes that light shine. We thought about how we can be seekers of goodness, looking for the love and light in each other, and then finding a form of expression to share what we know and see. I wanted the students to think about looking for good in everyone and to begin to explore the idea of affirming one another. All this with children ages 6-12. 

Was I inspired? Nothing less. Inspired by the children's honesty, their willingness to share with me, a stranger to them, some of the things that matter most to them-family, friends, pets. They spoke of things adults sometimes have difficulty talking about.But most of all, it was my sense that they had an inner knowing, a way of connecting on some level to the really important questions of the human experience:Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? How can I make the world a better place?

Seems to me that we really can change the world by working differently with children.

Thank you Maria Montessori.

Thank you Mary, Roger, Jim, and Neela.

Thank you each and every one of the elementary students who made my visit last Friday such a special experience. I am deeply grateful.

It's not.

I'm not making a blanket statement here. The issue is over scheduling. Seems fair enough to integrate some scheduled activities into childhood summertime. Those scheduled activities best suited for a child are those that are decided based on the Montessori's mantra, follow the child. What is best-suited child for one child, may not be a good choice for a sibling. I'm not going to say much about making those decisions. I want to speak instead, of the child's vital need for free time.

Children need regular and ongoing experiences of unscheduled time that is their own. These are the times, free of unnecessary adult oversight, 
that children are at liberty to be bored. Adults error when they they allow a child’s life to be so scheduled there is not time to experience boredom, which is actually the catalyst for creative activity. Boredom “forces” a child inward, before they even know what going inward is, and that’s fine.

The important thing here is that children have the freedom to figure out what to do on their own. Too much scheduling by adults is really more than a simple interference; it is an obstacle to the child’s growth. It slows and sometimes even blocks the development of creative thinking and independence.

Not to mention the sad consequences reflected in a child who is deprived of experiences in solitude and aloneness. Solitude is an essential human experience and needs to be a part of all phases of life including childhood. The spiritual gifts are explored in silence, stillness, and solitude. Can we value that enough to stop over scheduling our children??

These were not the type of year end activities that would normally be found in traditional first, second, or third grade classrooms, but  observing how the children responded encouraged me to keep these special events on the annual list for May, for the drawing near of the separation of our close knit classroom community.

The big events, such as special programs presented to parents or the class production of Charlotte's Web, were attended by family members and students in other classrooms. They seemed monumental in scope, sometimes taking months of preparation. But mostly these events were intimate to our classroom. 

There was always a day or two designated to dusting, washing, and checking the classroom materials, organizing all of the cards in all of the dozens and dozens of work bins, covering everything to make certain they remained dust free and protected from the maintence staff who would be in the room washing the floors, painting walls, or doing other necessary work. The children fully participated in this task, took their work seriously, and did it well. 

We made time for extra music in May, the instruments would come out and be passed around song to song, and spontaneous bouts of dancing would occur among both the boys and the girls. By fourth grade they would become a little more self-conscious and such free-form dancing and spirited joyfulness would be kept in check by some of them, but in the 6-9 classroom, this was not the case. They loved the music of Peter, Paul, and Mary, Gemini (San and Laz Slomovitz), and Pete Seeger.

We held candlelight ceremonies to honor the third graders who were concluding their time in the 6-9 classroom. Each 'moving-on' student would, at the end of the ceremony, pass her candle on to a second grade student who would be in that revered, third year position, the following year. 

On the last day of school we held a special,  final circle time gathering. The children shared memories, acknowledged friendships, and  talked about how they had grown and changed. It ended with tears and hugs all around. We were indeed, a community learning about life together. 

With all the busyness and extra fun events during that last week or two of school, we took the time to do what mattered most--express our gratitude and say our goodbyes. The response of the children made it clear to me that this was something they needed and appreciated-opportunities to bring closure to the yearlong experience of sharing, learning and loving together. 

If you're new to Montessori Education and the term "normalization" is unfamiliar to  you, consider reading my two previous posts on what is meant by normalization. It's a term that doesn't sit right with some people; it sounds like we're trying to fit all children into a narrow little category of how they are supposed to be, but that's not what normalization is at all. Rather, it is the true traits that are revealed by children when they are allowed the freedom to develop naturally. Sometimes Maria Montessori described it as following the laws of nature. 

Our long-held beliefs about how young children should be parented and educated are interfering with the development of the very traits we say are honorable and good in human beings. For example, we value independent thinking and the ability to make sound decisions, but the real-life experiences that nurture those traits and skills are taken away from children. They are rarely free to make or act upon their own thoughts and ideas during the school day. Perhaps that’s why most children say recess is their favorite part of school. Adults smile at that, but seriously, there’s a big message here that we just haven’t gotten. Recess is where children have the most freedom.

A normalized child is a child who has developed personality traits that most adults today do not associate with children. Montessori used the terms “normal” and “normalized” to describe the state in which the potential of the child is visible. The traits of a normalized child are:

• a love of work
• the ability to concentrate intensely
• a desire for order and organization
• an appreciation for beauty
• inner discipline
• a love of silence
• independence, autonomy, and self-reliance
• compassion, respect, and sociability
• joy and inner peace. 

“Man’s true nature lies hidden within himself. And this nature, which was given him at conception, must be recognized and allowed to grow."

Children in Montessori classrooms also have a unique opportunity to learn how to live peacefully with others. Because they are free to move about and interact with others, there are many opportunities to deal with real life situations. There is much attention given to self-discipline, respect, compassion and kindness. Three years in the same classrooom gives children the opportunity to learn how to live respectfully and compassionately within a classroom community.

And finally, Maria Montessori understood how important it is that children learn at a young age that they are a part of something larger than themselves, that their lives have purpose, and that we are all interconnected.

Montessori guides (teachers) ofter create a peace area in their classroom, as well. This is a place where the child can go to engage in simple activities, and sometimes non-activities, to promote inner peace. On my Teaching for Peace:Teacher Resource page, I'll be writing some posts on how peace areas are used in the Montessori learning environments. 

It's one of the most common misconceptions about Montessori Education, and apparently a difficult one to dispel, as Maria Montessori herself was forever trying to set the record straight. When we adults contemplate a classroom of 20-30 children doing whatever they want, it is easy to imagine chaos and disorder. Images of unruly behavior, squabbling, and idleness convince us that real learning can't possibly be occurring here.  

But the truth is, that in well-run Montessori schools, you won't find anything like that. Here's why:
Children are free to develop their potential, they are not at liberty to be disrespectful, rude, or enage in disruptive behavior. They are free to develop naturally, or as Dr. Montessori, said, normally. When they are free to develop in this way, their natural traits are revealed and we see who the child really is, and what he is capable of doing and being. They become almost unrecognizable to adults who hold onto skewed ideas of childhood.

Who is this child who grows in freedom? What are the traits that describe the child who is free to develop naturally? They are:

• love of work 
• intense concentration
• propensity for order 
• inner discipline
• love of silence
• independence, autonomy, and self-reliance
• compassion & respect
• joy and inner peace

Freedom and self-discipline go hand-in-hand in ME. A Montessori classroom that is true to the core principles is not chaos. It is not idleness. It is not loud. It is not unruly. It is not disrespectful. It is not a mess.

It is a peaceful environment in which children are free to choose meaningful work and engage in purposeful activity. It is a place where rigorous learning takes place, where children learn grace and courtesy,and where a sense of community is intentionally cultivated and independence is supported. It is an environment in which the whole child is nourished-where the spirit is protected and nurtured in order that the full potential of the child can be revealed.

I found it to be one of the most well-organized AMS conferences I've ever attended with plenty of informational and inspirational workshops.  I gave a workshop on Saturday titled, Creating a Peace Curriculum, in which I guided participants through the process of creating a peace curriculum for their schools and classrooms. I've posted some of the ideas and activities I shared on my Teacher Resources & Lessons page. 

For me, this was an especially nice gathering. I caught up with Elke and Anita, my New York roommates from the Centennial celebration in 2007. Hard to believe it's been five years! I got to meet Bretta and Marie face-to-face, they provided me with information about Cleo Monson (and the early years of AMS)  whom  I wrote an article about  a couple years ago. It's always good to see Sonnie and Patti and hear about the peace projects they are involved with. Sonnie just published a book on parenting and Patti is involved in orchestrating service projects for conference attendees to participate in. 

I had a nice visit with Kathy, the editor of Montessori Life, and  Margo, too, from the Montessori Foundation in Florida. It was good to see Krissy and the folks from Montessori Services, always working hard because they have one of the most popular exhibits in the exhibit hall!  I also chatted with Carly and Holly from Parent Child Press. Parent Child Press is a small, family owned publishing company, and they carry wonderful products. Their founder Aline Wolf, wrote Nurturing the Spirit in Non-Sectarian Classrooms. I picked up an extra copy of this book-one of my all-time favorites- to give away at my workshop.

I also met a woman who was attending for Parent Day, and she talked with me at length about what it meant for her to have her daughter in a Montessori School. I met Bonny and Stephanie from Dream a World, and some really kind indiviuals who attended my workshop on peace curriculum building.

It was a great conference!