Follow the Child

"Follow the Child" is a Montessori mantra. It basically means that
in educating children, rather than pushing information to them, we
should offer little seeds of inspiration, see where their interests
take them, and be there to guide them toward the information they
seek out. I have been trying to teach Mary Grace about money for a
year or so, without success. She just hasn't been interested. Then,
today, she comes to me with a little purse and ALL her money from her
piggy bank stuffed inside. She says, "I want to go shopping." She
is also all dressed up in an adorable outfit with barrets in her
hair, jewelry, and fancy shoes. So, quick, I change my plans for the
afternoon so that we can go to the mall. She had no idea what she
wanted to buy, just wanted to shop. Love it. We had some great
discussions about why we pay sales tax, about saving vs. giving vs.
spending, we did lots of math problems, and had a little talk about
why some teenagers choose to pierce themselves in unusual places.
All in all it was a great little outing. My favorite part was when
Mary Grace spent $1 (about 1/5 of what she spent the whole afternoon)
on a merry go round ride for Evelyn and Willa. It more than makes up
for all the times she kicked the backs of their seats on the ride home.