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Dr. Ezgi Fındık

Understanding the Child's Independence Process

In the light of Montessori philosophy

First bond, then independence…


Independence is a process observed anthropologically in all mammal species.

Independence means that the living being meets its basic needs on its own or makes demands by finding suitable resources to meet its needs and survives in this way.


All mammals enter the process of independence through the bonding relationship they establish with their primary caregivers immediately after birth. In other mammalian species, the completion of this process is much faster than in the human species. This is why the first three months of life in particular are considered the fourth trimester of pregnancy. A foal that spends approximately 11 months in its mother's womb has the capacity to stand and walk, allowing it to physically distance itself from its mother approximately two hours after birth. However, we know that for humans this happens after about a year. Therefore, when we look at it from a developmental perspective, independence is a process that works in one way or another; It's impossible to stop this. Independence is an essential part of a healthy development process.



The process of independence begins with the birth of the baby


For about six years, I have been actively working with parents on how they can support their children's independence process. I often observe this: when they encounter the concept of "independence" for the first time, the image that appears in the minds of parents is "a person who has completed the independence process". Naturally, this is seen as a developmental area that is not appropriate to support from infancy. This sometimes even worries and frightens adults who are parents of a baby. Because although independence is a phenomenon that belongs to the child's development process, while parents create space for the child to become independent in this process, they also become independent. Like bonding, independence is a process that involves both parties.


Montessori states that the process of independence begins with the birth of the baby.

The first step in supporting independence from birth is a healthy attachment. It is not possible to become independent without establishing a connection. A safe emotional bond is established between the baby and its parents when the baby's needs are met on time and adequately by primary caregivers. The baby's independence depends on the establishment of this bond.


As in all areas of development, independence is a process and is not completed from one day to the next. In this sense, it is very important to work on what can be done from birth and to organize an environment that will meet the child's need for independence in order for the picture we expect to see at the end of the developmental period to be real. Creating an environment that meets the developmental needs of the child has two dimensions:The first of these is the regulation of the physical environment, and the second is the regulation of the social environment, including routines and adults' attitudes.


Choose appropriate materials that will support the child to do something on his own


The arrangements that can be made in different areas of independence, from nutrition to toilet, from sleep to self-care, are changing. In this sense, the materials used when organizing the environment may differ from each other. But of course, they are all based on the same philosophical foundations: supporting and enabling the child to do something on his own. And of course, while doing all this, it is also important that the materials are produced from the right materials and in the right way in terms of health and safety. Sometimes just presenting the right material to the baby in the right way enables a big step to be taken in the process of independence.


I find MANU design products, the philosophical foundations of which I will explain in detail in other articles, and the effort to produce the right material in the right way very valuable within the framework of all that I have written above, and I am very pleased to be involved in such a project. I want to express. I hope you will enjoy following it and using it with your baby :)




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