Do You Need Your Child to Sit Still? No, Really: DO You?
Movement is key for a child to develop the adult they will become. Through movement we challenge our bodies and solidify ideas in our mind. We walk through the environment and encounter new things and learn how the world works.
Unfortunately, we have been conditioned to define a well-behaved child as a still, quiet child who doesn’t interrupt.
But if you allow your child to move, then they will be able to sit still when needed. And your life will be easier.
Do You Believe ‘Well-Behaved’ Means Still and Quiet?
Remember restaurants? We used to go there and sit with others to enjoy their company. Ah, the good ol’ days.
During this socialization time, we would hear a loud child interrupt our bliss. That same child would later run through the restaurant with an embarrassed parent scooting along behind trying to get them to come back and sit.
Inevitably, we would come to the conclusion, “Those parents don’t have a handle on that kid.” Or, “That kid needs to learn some manners.” Or, “I would never let my kid act that way in the restaurant.”
Cut to 10 years later and you are the embarrassed parent chasing that loud, running child through the restaurant. And you’re thinking: “Why is the service slow? My kid can’t sit still this long.”
Children Aren’t Capable of Sitting Still for a Long Time
If you have been in charge of caring for a child over 1 year old, you understand that children cannot be forced to sit still.
Even those who do sit still have to use great restraint or have learned that if they move around, there will be consequences from an adult.
Put simply, it’s not fair to ask a child to sit still when they’re developmentally incapable of doing so. And on top of that, depriving a child of movement takes away a key learning tool as they develop an understanding of the world.
Dr. Maria Montessori viewed movement as essential for “intellectual growth which depends upon the impressions received from outside.”
Why Do Kids Move Around a Lot? Because It’s How They Learn
Dr. Montessori developed an education system that honored the need for movement. The materials she created are developed with this in mind.
Here’s an example: In a Montessori classroom, there is a work that involves 10 brown prisms. A child carries one prism at a time until all are retrieved. As the child walks back to the shelf, they must balance to navigate the roomful of children who are working on the floor. They observe the work of others and gain knowledge through this observation.
The Montessori Method Incorporates Movement into Work
Dr. Montessori honored the individual need for movement by allowing children the freedom of choice in the classroom. A child may finish a material and walk to choose the next without having to wait for their peers to finish their work before getting up.
She created alternate seating options by placing small work rugs on the floor so children could reach and move to organize the work on the rug. She created work that allows standing, like watering plants and washing dishes. Movement is vital to a Montessori environment.
Dr. Montessori empowered the adult classroom guides to observe the individual needs of the child and introduce work that honors those needs.
For example, a classroom guide may show a rambunctious 3-year-old how to scrub the table rather than trying to get them to calm down by sitting in a chair.
You Can Help Your Children by Incorporating Movement at Home
But the thing about children is that their education doesn’t turn off when they are outside of a classroom. The need for movement in learning is essential in their whole life.
Our children need us to give them opportunities for movement that honor their needs and fit into the needs of the family.
A child who has had the chance to move is much more likely to be still in moments when stillness is required.
Try these tactics to honor a child’s needs:
Build movement opportunities into the time just before you begin dinner so your child will sit still while eating.
If you are your child’s educator, build into your plans some activities for natural movement.
Every few hours, take a movement break to allow your child to dance or crash into a pillow pile.
Participate in a fun animal walk to the bathroom.
I Can Help You Find Appropriate Movement Opportunities for Your Child
If you are looking for more movement opportunities for your child, check out my newest Subscriber Only FREEBIE, “16 Movement Activities for Your Child.”
I also offer 1:1 Coaching to help guide your specific situation.