There’s a common belief that “rich kids” with a lot of expensive toys have all the fun. Not necessarily so, at least according to Dr. Maria Montessori.
In a book called Maria Montessori Speaks to Parents, Dr. Montessori discusses how an excess of toys — and the pampering that often accompanies them — might actually make a child less fortunate:
“We are completely on the wrong track when we believe that expensive toys should keep a child happy, or that the child who has a nanny to do everything for him is particularly fortunate. In reality it is the child of the busy mother, who is left to try and do things for himself, left to improvise toys from simple things and use his own ingenuity, who is fortunate. … [C]hildren with cupboards full of toys are often bored and naughty, while the child who is left alone takes pleasure in very simple things and is happily absorbed for hours at a time in work of his own choosing.”
With Dr. Montessori’s words in mind, let’s make our Christmas this year one of quality over quantity, both in terms of the toys we give our children and the time we spend with them.
Happy Holidays from Montessori Education!
For further insight about Montessori approaches at home and in the classroom, check out the Montessori Education Podcast.