Weaning the Montessori Way
First of all, when I say weaning I am referring to introducing solid food, not to weaning off of breast milk. Calvin still nurses at least twice daily at 17 months, and I don't see that stopping any time soon! The weaning process, like all aspects of Montessori, should promote independence. This is why instead of a high chair, Montessori parents use a baby-sized weaning table and chair. Once the baby is mobile, he is able to get in and out of the chair by himself. A stool is placed beside the table for an adult to offer assistance as needed. We rarely need to sit by Calvin to help anymore. The weaning table: Calvin's table and chair are the TAG Child's First Table and Toddler Chair . He began using them at 6 months, as soon as we began introducing him to solid food. Next to the table is a small shelf with bibs and cleaning cloths. At six months old, Calvin was not yet crawling, so we put him in his chair. It was not long after he began crawling that he be