Tim Seldin & Paul Epstein Ph.D. An Education for Life

“Montessori
is too
structured!”
“Your children
are STILL in
Montessori! You do
want them to go
to college ...
don’t you?”
“Children
have to
grow up and
face the
real world
sooner or
later!”
“Montessori
has no
structure!”
Does any of this sound familiar?
Montessori parents often hear
statements like these. They
hear them from well-meaning
relatives, co-workers, neighbors,
and just about anybody who knows
that they have a child in a Montessori
school. When it comes to Montessori,
it seems that everyone has an opinion!
Many parents of children enrolled in
Montessori schools have heard the
statement, “It takes courage to be a
Montessori parent.” The first time I
heard that statement, I remember
wondering why anyone would think
that it takes courage to send children
to a Montessori school? I still wonder.
Maybe it’s because Montessori tends
to encourage children to think for
themselves and articulate their own
opinions. There are moments when it
would be a whole lot easier for parents
to live with a six-year-old, who blindly
and obediently accepts explanations
for why you don’t create a recycling
center right in the middle of your
kitchen, rather than a righteous
Montessori four-year-old who announces
that she knows where ham-
burger really comes from and she’s
never – ever – going to eat it, or any
other animal, ever again. Period!
As children get older, many Montessori
parents come to understand the
“courage” statement in a whole different
light. About the time that children
hit the kindergarten year, parents may
find themselves defending their choice
to keep their children in Montessori.
The opinions of relatives are often the
most difficult to discount, because
they come from people who are legitimately
concerned about the future
of their grandchildren, nieces, and
nephews.
The pressure can become intense.
Most parents who continue with
Montessori report that there were
times when they were very tempted to
walk away and put their children into
the capable hands of a more traditional
school. “After all,” they rationalize,
“we didn’t go to Montessori, and we
turned out all right.” Or did we?
One characteristic that many Montessori
parents share is their concern
over the manner in which society has
DOES MONTESSORI PREPARE CHILDREN FOR THE REAL WORLD?
Does Montessori
Prepare Children
For the Real World?
Reflections on a
Montessori Education:
Montessori Parents, Educators,
and Students
come to define “success.” Is a child
who grows up to become a doctor or a
lawyer any more successful than a carpenter
or a musician or a teacher or a
homemaker? And on what basis can we
legitimately fear that these bright and
enthusiastic Montessori children of
ours would be any less likely to earn
professional degrees because of their
Montessori education than if we sent
them to some other school?
As the parent of two children, each
of whom spent ten years in Montessori,
and as someone who has had an
opportunity to observe the long-term
development of my own children and
that of their Montessori peers, I know
that Montessori students do well in
college and careers. I also know, however,
that many parents worry that
because Montessori looks different, it
may handicap their children in some
way.
Most of us who choose Montessori
are comfortable with our children; we
are confident in their intelligence,
curiosity, and ability to make their way
in the world. I would like to believe
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