Bright Eyes Yoga

Beautiful ❤️

What a sad day. No matter how you feel about the monarchy; today a family lost their much loved matriarch and many around the world will be mourning the loss of a strong woman who was a constant in turbulent times.

The following days could prove unsettling to children. There will be a sense of collective grief amongst those in the UK (and commonwealth), television and radio programmes will change, there will be constant sombre music and talk of death and funerals. All of this coming at a time of societal change and with children starting or returning to school.

What's the best way to handle this with children? I'm a firm believer in not shielding children from death. I don't think we do them justice in trying to protect them from it. If we don't talk to them about it somebody else will; such as a a friend in the school playground, or they will overhear a conversation. When somebody dies, whether in our close family or someone who played an important role in our life - like the Queen, we should take time to sit and explain to our children what has happened, using simple, child friendly language. Avoid using ambiguous terms such as "passed away", "went to heaven" (conversations about religious and spiritual beliefs can happen later), or "gone to sleep", instead be clear that the Queen has died; actively use the term death.

It's natural for children to ask questions, try to answer them as honestly and accurately as possible, however uncomfortable or inappropriate they may feel to you. It's also natural for them to worry about you, or others close to them dying, here try to reassure them, but again be honest. It is always good to have a few children's books to hand which can help you to explain death to younger children. Children may like to process their feelings and remember the Queen by drawing pictures, or writing about her (this is akin to us as adults writing in a book of condolence).

If you're upset at the news (or it has triggered past grief in you), don't feel that you have to hide your emotions, again it's good for children to see us grieving. Similarly, it is more than appropriate for children to be allowed to watch the funeral on television if they - or you - would like to.

Much love to everyone today, it's going to be a strange, sad and discombobulating period for many (in times that are already tricky).

Image credit: Joel Rouse/ Ministry of DefenceDerivative: nagualdesign - defenceimagery.mod.uk, OGL 3, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65165563

💔

to 2017 when my son was starting School and this love was at home with me. Best poem for first days, always 💕

All the same emotions come up still so for anyone starting School alongside their loves (as we all journey together) I hope it goes well today and later this week whatever year and class they are joining.

A great friend gave me the best advice that I still follow- take your sunglasses even if the sun isn't out.

And for my absence over the weeks and months and possibly years- i'm still here, not teaching for now but renovating and helping a family home come back to life in Wiltshire if you fancy seeing a slow works in progress that should begin later this year 🤞

School is big in lots of ways and there are some amazing resouces out there.

My go-to is always the wonder so do check out her content as it is gold dust for all. Nat, you are a touchstone x

Maria Montessori, the Italian educator and physician who created the Montessori Method, was born on this day in 1870. Montessori's educational philosophy of encouraging children's learning through discovery is now used in an estimated 20,000 schools worldwide.

Montessori grew up in Italy and enrolled in the University of Rome's school of medicine in 1893. As a woman, she faced hostility from both fellow students and professors, even being forced to perform dissections alone after hours as it was deemed inappropriate for her to attend classes with men in the presence of a naked cadaver. Despite the obstacles, she graduated in 1896 and set up a private practice.

Montessori rapidly became an advocate for both women's rights and the rights of children with disabilities. She regularly worked with children facing these challenges, and she was a major supporter of their right to access education. In 1901, she left her practice to engage in further study in psychology and educational philosophy, and began considering how to adapt the methods she used for general classroom use.

In 1906, Montessori was asked to oversee the education of children of working low-income parents in Rome. At first, it was outfitted like a standard classroom of the day, but as Montessori observed the children and provided them with the resources she had developed, she discovered that they preferred practical activities to toys and that, if they were given a free choice of activities, they would develop spontaneous self-discipline.

In response, Montessori decided to transform the traditional classroom: she replaced the large furniture with child-sized desks and chairs, put tools and activities on low, child-accessible shelving, and included more exercises that encouraged caring for the environment and the self, such as cooking, gymnastics, and care of pets, as well as practical activities such as sweeping, self-dressing, and hand washing. She also introduced literacy materials like moveable cutout letters and picture cards with labels, which resulted in her students becoming proficient in reading and writing far sooner than was expected with traditional methods.

Her Casa dei Bambini (Children's House) was a great success, and by 1907 another had been opened in Rome. The independence, concentration, and self-discipline of her students began attracting attention from journalists, politicians, and educators, and in 1909, Montessori held her first teacher training course. In 1911, Montessori methods had been adopted in Italian and Swiss public schools; by 1912, Montessori schools were being planned in places from Paris to India, and Montessori societies were founded in the US and UK. By the time she died in 1952, Montessori had revolutionized the way educators and parents thought about child development. Her legacy is obvious in both public school systems and in the Montessori schools that can be found around the world today.

For several books by Maria Montessori that explore her educational philosophy, check out "The Montessori Method" (https://amzn.to/3BilWwq), "The Secret of Childhood" (https://amzn.to/3DtO9Ci), "The Absorbent Mind" (https://amzn.to/3jAXFMd), and "The Discovery of the Child" (https://amzn.to/3mLJDZW)

To learn more about her work and educational philosophy, we also recommend the insightful biography "Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work" at https://www.amightygirl.com/maria-montessori-life-work

To introduce children to this inspiring role model, we recommend the board book "My First Maria Montessori" for ages 2 to 4 (https://www.amightygirl.com/maria-my-first-maria-montessori) and the picture book version for ages 5 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/maria-montessori)

Many of the toys featured A Mighty Girl's toy section were selected with a similar philosophy to Maria Montessori's in mind -- we've sought out high-quality toys that would help children to exercise their imagination while mastering basic skills and growing confident in their abilities to be self-directed learners.

If you're new to A Mighty Girl, mouse over the "Toys' button on our main menu bar to open our toy directory which is divided into six main categories: Toys/Games, Imaginative Play, Arts/Crafts, Outdoor Play, For Baby, and Kids' Gear. To start exploring our selection of over 2,000 girl-empowering toys, visit https://www.amightygirl.com/toys

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