Nature Walk II; Montessori quotes about teenagers

We escape sometimes, far away, deep into nature.  As my children grow into teenagers, I find myself looking to my well loved child development books to figure out how to parent in a new way, to a child in a new plane of development.  I am sharing some of my favorite quotes from Marie Montessori about the older child.

"Life in the open air, in the sunshine, and a diet high in nutritional content coming from the produce of neighbouring fields improve the physical health, while the calm surroundings, the silence, the wonders of nature satisfy the need of the adolescent mind for reflection and meditation." (From Childhood to Adolescence, p. 67)

When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength.- Discovery of the Child

"The adolescent must never be treated as a child, for that is a stage of life that he has surpassed. It is better to treat an adolescent as if he had greater value than he actually shows than as if he had less and let him feel that his merits and self-respect are disregarded." (From Childhood to Adolescence, p. 72)

It is also necessary for his psychical life to place the soul of the child in contact with creation, in order that he may lay up for himself treasure from the directly educating forces of living nature- The Montessori Method

Let the children be free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and, when the grass of the meadows is damp with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath it's shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning as it wakes every living creature that divides its day between waking and sleeping- The Discovery of the Child

The Nature in Me

Something about getting moving in a nature setting does me so much good.  My whole body tingles as my blood fills tiny little capillaries in my fingers and toes.  Walking on a tread mill is good, but a hike through the woods or around a lake is better.  Yoga actually does this for me too.  I love moving.  My body loves it.  Sometimes, when I have been still for a long period of time, I forget how much I love moving, and think I could just sit forever.  Then someone, maybe a child, maybe a hiking partner, maybe Mr.Sunshine, gets me up and going.  Recently, we took a walk around Long Hunter State park outside of Nashville.  My Dad was visiting and took these pictures. Thanks to him, you can see I exist.  Unfortunately, you have to take my word for it that he exists.    

My children love moving to, as most children do.  And exploring, and doing exactly what they are asked and told not to do.  Like walking in the mud.  Dash went straight for the furthest, muddiest, part of the beach.  And in less than a minute, he sunk into the mud, and was stuck.  I hopped from rock to rock to help.

Dash told me quietly that he was very angry at himself, that he knew I had just said that if anyone gets muddy or wet we would have to leave.

I had such sympathy for him.

He was exploring, 

never meant to get stuck.

I remembered a time my boot had been stuck in the mud, 

and I had fallen into ice cold water, 

and my brother had to carry me all the way home,

shivering.

And I remembered when my boot got stuck in the snow, and my sister and brother could't find it, 

and I had to go home missing one boot.

My brother probably carried me then too.  

We did not find it until the snow melted.

Elias helped Dash, instinct told him to go get Dash's boot, and help him put it on.

We moved on, and walked and enjoyed moments of quiet reflection.

Atticus had one "melt-down"

He warned me.

He said, "Mommy, I am melting"

He just couldn't go on.  He wasn't tired.  He just couldn't move one more step.

Dash immediately came to his side, just as he did when we

were hiking the in the Appalachian trail.

I don't know what he said or did, but somehow he got Atticus to keep going.

Potomac Nature Walk

It is only quiet in our home when the boys are sleeping or when we have just come home from the library with bags full of books.  Then, it is sacred, still, quiet.  Otherwise, it is constant noise.  They love to hear their voices loud, and they talk over me and each other and the shout and laugh and scream. 

They don't walk quietly, they stomp, jump, run, tumble, and fly down the stairs.  They dress up like ninjas and hit and kick each other, yelling "HI-YA!!!"  They ride their scooter around the house and chase each other yelling "I'm gonna get ya!"  They jump off the bed, making the ceiling above the living room boom and shake like an earthquake.  They get angry and yell and cry and hit each other.  Then yell for me and cry some more.  

Peace comes here;

They need this.  They need to climb with a purpose.  They need to see brown dirt and put their hands on it.  They need to climb up high and see the earth from a new perspective, quietly hidden among the leaves, like spies.

They need big space to run a long time, and then pause to watch a snake slither into its hole.

They need green.

They need the peace of a steady river that has been flowing for ages.  They need to feel it with their fingers.

They need to see a seemingly unsurmountable task, and then they need to conquer it, with their strong, growing bodies.

And I need it too.  My heart fills up with love and joy when I am in a space like this.  I feel like the happiest, luckiest person on the planet.  I see how nature has created the most perfect home for us to live, and I am reminded of all the goodness surrounding me.