Is self-esteem really stressed in a Montessori program?
The single most important thing we can give a child is a well-developed sense of self-worth. This comes from meaningful work to do and successes he himself realizes. Everything we do later in life depends on how we feel about ourselves. This is something that comes from within at an early age, not something that can be learned when we’re older. We encourage children to work, gently directing them toward material that is appropriate to their development. • Why is it so important that my child become self-directed? What motivates him to learn? All meaningful work comes from within. We can impose discipline or work on a child and sometimes we see results–however temporary. Each of us has to learn to prioritize, to choose our life’s work and to discipline ourselves for our life to have true purpose. We do children a great disservice not to encourage them in these endeavors at an early age. If by the teenage years the child has not learned to make wise choices, he can fall prey to peer pre
