To raise an organized baby, don’t ignore the order sensitive period

What is the order sensitive period? In Montessori education, according to the characteristics of the baby\’s growth process, several different sensitive periods are subdivided, such as sensory sensitive period (0-5 years old), number sensitive period (4-5 and a half years old), language sensitive period Sensitive period (0-6 years old), social norm sensitive period (2-6 years old), etc. Sensitive periods are often emphasized in the Montessori philosophy because they can help us better recognize and understand children\’s behavior. Montessori sensitive period age table: Among them, the order sensitive period starts from birth, and is most obvious in babies from 18 months to 3 years old. The order-sensitive period is a critical period for a baby to establish a sense of order. If the order of familiar things around him is disrupted, he will become restless. Some very subtle changes, such as the order of brushing teeth and dressing the baby, are trivial things that adults can easily overlook, but are very important in the eyes of babies. So the baby is not throwing a tantrum \”out of nowhere\”. Many times the so-called \”terrible two years old\” is actually an overreaction after the precise order in the baby\’s eyes is disrupted. Babies in the sensitive period of order sense are very eager for \”consistency\”, because consistency means a sense of security. Parents can also use this stage to create a stable environment and life routine to cultivate their baby\’s orderliness. How to use the order sensitive period to cultivate an organized baby 1. Keep the external order tidy. I remember the first time I visited a Montessori classroom, I was deeply impressed by the orderliness in the classroom. Every time the children play with a toy, the teacher will encourage them to put the toy away. Moreover, after school every day, the teacher will spend some time checking the classroom to confirm that all items are placed back in their proper places. At first, I thought this was just to create a tidy living environment for the children. Later, after chatting with the teacher more, I realized that this was to satisfy the children\’s strong need for order and to further cultivate their orderliness. Putting away toys can especially cultivate your baby\’s orderliness. One-year-old babies can participate. For specific methods, you can refer to my previous article: The small matter of putting away toys is the baby\’s first lesson in self-management. In addition, , it is also important to keep the baby\’s living environment stable. For example, set up a fixed space for your baby to eat, sleep, play, and read at home, and try not to change the position of the furniture in the baby\’s room frequently. 2. Maintain a stable internal order. The baby\’s internal order includes both her life patterns and social relationships. Since Su Bao was born, her pediatrician has tirelessly emphasized the importance of a baby\’s routine, not only to make the baby healthier, but also to cultivate their sense of security and orderliness from an early age. Before Su Bao was 1 year old, I always used the E.A.S.Y (eat-play-sleep-mom\’s own time) schedule recommended by pediatricians for Su Bao, so that the baby would do fixed things at about the same time every day. Life is orderly and predictable, which can reduce the baby\’s anxiety very well. Moms who are interested in EASY can leave a message and let me know. I will write about it when I have time. After he turned 1 year old, I divided Su Bao’s daytime activities into several chunks, with a fixed sequence. For example, go to the library in the morning,Attend early education classes, have a lunch break at noon, and do outdoor sports in the afternoon. Before going out, Su Bao likes to put on his small school bag and then put on his shoes. After going out, he eats snacks on the road. Before going to bed at night, he takes a shower, brushes his teeth and reads picture books. We try to keep this sequence every day. When we take her on a trip, her daytime activities will be different from those at home, but we will try to keep the same routine. Perhaps because the internal order always has a certain stability, Su Bao usually adapts to the new environment quickly when traveling. The baby\’s social relationships are also part of the internal order, which mainly refers to the people around her (caregivers). I remember that a good friend once complained to me that every time the aunt was changed at home, the baby would cry and wake up frequently at night. In my house, Dad Su wakes the baby up every morning and then reads picture books with her for half an hour. One time when Su\’s father was on a business trip, I went to wake the baby up. When she woke up, she was startled for a moment, then cried loudly and wanted her father, and she was determined not to want her mother. These are the anxieties caused by the baby\’s internal order being disrupted. If conditions permit, try to fix the person who will take care of the baby at home. If there are elderly people taking care of their children, the time period for the elderly people\’s participation can also be fixed. For example, the elderly people can take them to play in the community at a fixed time period, and the parents can read picture books before going to bed at night. Of course, maintaining the stability of internal and external order is a relative concept. The baby is gradually growing up. When he goes through this stage and his inner order is established and stabilized, he will no longer be so \”obsessive-compulsive\”. If you encounter situations such as moving, sending your baby to kindergarten, giving birth to a second child, etc., the baby\’s precise internal and external order will be somewhat disturbed, which is inevitable. I think the general principle can be: when conditions permit, try to stay as orderly as possible. When the order has to be disrupted, adults should accompany the baby to prepare mentally in advance and teach the baby to gradually adapt to the changes in life. As a new mother, I am constantly exploring the characteristics of each sensitive period of my baby and share what I have learned with everyone. I believe that only by understanding the scientific laws of baby development can we more easily raise ourselves and encourage each other.