Maria Montessori's jar of calm: how to build it at home
Unfortunately, the magic formula to appease children's moments of frustration does not exist yet! However, a quick and easy tool to make can come to your aid. Invented by Maria Montessori, it serves to channel the feelings of stress and anger that we struggle to understand in our children.
Consulates, you are not the only one: Nanny Simona gives you some advice in this video on how to manage feelings of guilt as a parent.
What is the Montessori jar of calm for?
Maria Montessori's jar of calm, or calming jar, is a special pedagogical tool that is inspired by the Montessori method, and requires the child to calm down independently after an episode of quarrel or tears. At the base of the whole Montessori method is the principle that the little ones should be helped to do it by themselves, which is why even a small jar is very important: it accompanies the child to regain self-control and to acquire greater self-esteem.
The jar, which in reality can also be a simple plastic bottle, would help children to find peace of mind and to be able to establish a dialogue with their parents. On the other hand, this is very difficult to achieve when children are fully venting their emotions.
This magical jar is therefore particularly suitable for children aged 2 and up, the stage of the famous terrible two, where the little one begins to discover their emotions, including anger and frustration.
You can use this home method all those times when the child seems anxious, stressed or angry, and he needs a few moments to regain peace of mind and manage feelings as best he can, depending on his ability.
Let's see how it works together, it will amaze you with its simplicity!
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How the magic jar of calm works
The still bottle has a very simple operation, but it is very effective and above all it can be built at home with just a few elements.
The power of the jar derives from its content: colored glitter inside an equally cheerful and iridescent liquid. Just shake it to make the contents flow from the bottom up, going to fascinate the child and bring him back to the present moment. The effect created is truly magical and soothing.
In these moments you can be close to your baby and observe his reaction. Alternatively, you could also teach him to count or take long breaths to maximize the effect of the jar.
This tool is also an excellent support to increase the ability to concentrate and therefore to be used even before starting homework.
Once the jar of calm has had its effect, try to start a dialogue: the child, feeling reassured by now, will be more predisposed to open up to you and to better explain the real reason for his sadness or anger.
Use the bottle of calm even when two or more children are arguing with each other, it will help them make peace.
As you may have already guessed, the calming jar can be used in different daily moments, the important thing is not to use it as punishment or blackmail.
Maria Montessori had noticed that during the children's outbursts, the heartbeat accelerated and the breathing became faster: by making this simple tool, we went to work on self-control of emotions.
How to make the jar of calm do it yourself
Materials
- 1 glass jar with lid (or a plastic / glass pot)
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of glitter glue
- 3 or 4 teaspoons of glitter
- 1 drop of food coloring
- Warm water (or 1/2 tablespoons of clear shampoo, without using glitter glue)
Method
- Pour the hot water almost to the rim of the jar (you need to leave a small space at the top to allow the liquid to move when shaken) and mix it with the glitter glue. The amount of water to be used will vary according to the capacity of the jar.
If you are opting for a plastic container, always be careful not to use water that is too boiling, so as not to deform it. - Mix everything well, so that the glitter is dispersed in the water.
Glitter and glue of this type can be readily available at stationery or home improvement stores. - Add glitter to the content and mix again.
- Combine 1 drop of food coloring in the jar that you can easily buy at the supermarket. In this step you can decide to add a teaspoon of shampoo that allows the glitter to go down more slowly.
- Screw the lid tightly onto the jar; to fix it better you can use hot glue.
Variations: if you want a more colorful instrument, just add a little more glitter and food coloring, before sealing your baby's jar of calm.
If you feel better, you can mix the water and glitter in a separate bowl before pouring the contents into the jar.
It can become a nice gift to give at Christmas or on some other occasion for your friends with small children.
Have them unwrap a complete kit with the main materials to use and some glitter or glitter in different shapes and sizes, so that they can choose according to their preferences.
It will surely be a gift appreciated by both mothers and children: the latter will have a new game with which to become familiar and that will help them overcome the most critical moments, the former will have received a homemade gift, simple and creative!
Blue and light blue: the colors of calm
What color should I make my jar of Montessori calm?
Usually the ones that best inspire calm are blue and light blue.
However, you can choose the color according to your personal taste.
Here we suggest the 3 best colors to get the maximum relaxing effect from the jar, thanks to their anti-stress power:
- blue: the blue color, the color of the sky and water, manages to convey well-being and calm;
- green: has the ability to give tranquility and peace;
- purple: less present in nature than blue or green, it is a shade that gives harmony and mental calm.
Opt for glitter and dyes in these shades to give an even more intense color to your Montessori jar!
