Absorbent Mind
The absorbing mind is the capacity of the child’s mind to observe everything that the child experiences in the environment, and with these impressions it creates its mental structure. A child’s brain develops very quickly. Your baby has 100 billion neurons at birth, but they are not connected to each other. How many connections (synapses) will be formed in our child’s brain depends on the experiences he will have, and the continuation of these connections depends on the strengthening and repetition of these experiences.
Dr. Maria Montessori in her book “The Absorbent Mind”, (1967 Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York): “Impressions not only permeate the child’s mind, they also shape it. The child builds his own ‘mental muscles’ using what he finds about himself in the world.” says. During learning, the brain is really active and makes all connections. Our children are born with their genetic inheritance. But their experiences will lead them to try or not to try. Genetic structure and experiences form the personality of our child.
In short, everything that the child experiences and all impressions form the basis of his personality. However, since children cannot distinguish between positive and negative yet, they cannot filter through the information they have acquired or what they have experienced. Good or bad, they take their minds into everything and use it to form a part of their personality.
So, what are your children observing:
-All the images around them
-The relationship between objects and people
-Attitudes, feelings, and prejudices
-Physical qualities
-Languages spoken around
-Movements
-Unexpressed feelings towards them (things you didn’t tell them but could hear and feel based on your behavior)
In short, they internalize all kinds of experiences they have had, without making any effort and without any elimination.
Unconscious Phase
The absorbing mind is believed to have two phases.
The stage is between the ages of 0-3, which is known as the “Unconscious Stage (0-3)”. This period you are in right now is the process in which your child unconsciously absorbs everything just because he lives. Your child will probably not remember any of this, but he will accumulate everything he has experienced and this will form the basis of his future knowledge and traits.
The Stage is the “Conscious Stage” between the ages of 3-6. This process is the stage of development of what has already been created. This process will be increasingly supported by your child’s developing willpower. Your child will consciously integrate everything he has learned unconsciously between the ages of 0-3 and between the ages of 3-6. During this phase, your child will become more and more aware of self-construction work. By understanding the world, he will begin to develop his memory and consciousness. It will be much more open to adult influence. The adult begins to act directly on the child. Your children’s gradual awareness of the process of building themselves culminates when they are around 6 years old, and a deep unity of their personalities is formed.
In short, every move you make, every emotion you experience, everything you say around your child will form his personality. Of course, not only you, but everyone around you. That is, your housekeeper, grandparents, or anyone who spends time with him. Therefore, the behavior and speech patterns of your chosen caregiver and caregiver are also of great importance. Our advice to you is to keep these criteria in mind while making your choices.