Guided Mindful Parenting
From Birth
A New Life Awaits
MEANING OF MAREA
MAREA is the Italian word for "tide". Tides are periodic and predictable due to the combined effect of the invisible yet undeniable gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun, and the rotation of the Earth. In comparison, parenting also has its euphoric highs and desolate lows. Though it is seemingly one of the most natural human activities like the tides being one of the most reliable natural phenomena, parenting can feel so much out of our control at the same time. If we could only unravel the great mysteries of modern parenting, understanding the different forces at play, we would finally begin to harness the power within ourselves, the parents, to guide and nurture our beloved children to thrive.
We observe the tide's ebbs and flows at the seashore. But when we look further out onto the sea, we can see that tides are due to the displacement of vast amounts of water in the open sea, which are in turn driven by the inexorable motion of celestial bodies. Similarly, our children's behaviour is a superficial manifestation of their inner feelings, mental states and reaction to the outside world. Their understanding of the world began when they were born, if not earlier than that. Who is better at laying down the foundational understanding of the world than us parents? From the first embrace, the first eye contact, and the first soothing voice from us, our children learn if the world is a welcoming place for them. How crucial are those first days of parenthood?
If we learn to truly observe our children, we just might finally see patterns and root causes in their behaviors, just like those who relied on the sea long ago must learn to understand the motion of the sea in order to predict the tides. We know that mindful observation can lead to recognition. Repeatable recognition leads to prediction and allows for proactive preparation. With proactive preparation, we can from the start nurture our children’s naturally absorbent mind and feed it with enriching experiences and senses, strengthen emotional regulation ability and build secure bonds with us.
The name MAREA is also a tribute to Dr. Maria Montessori, the Italian educator whose famous Montessori teaching inspired us to create the MAREA App. Dr. Montessori believed in respecting children as capable individuals with an innate desire to work and contribute to their surroundings. Redefining the child-parent relationship, she described her work as “an effort to bring about a great social revolution on behalf of the forgotten citizens whose rights have hitherto never been properly recognized by society”. Dr. Montessori developed her theory and practical teaching methods by closely observing children. One of her signature teachings is that children have sensitive periods which if we as parents are able to recognize them, we can profit from them to the fullest extent. How can we recognize these sensitive periods? By observing our children’s interests and the delight they take in carrying out certain actions with an increasing perfection.
Does observation come naturally to us parents? Can we learn to do it well? Like anything else that’s worth doing, it takes continuous practice, and an experienced guide can make all the difference in the world, especially for new parents who are anxious and exhausted from around-the-clock caring of their newborn. Parenting is hard work, and becoming more and more isolating. It is commonly said that there is no handbook for parenting. But parenting doesn’t have to be trial and error.
The MAREA App is designed to provide guidance for parents at the exact time that they are doing the caregiving tasks. Oftentimes parents seek parenting advice through coaching, workshops or excessive scrolling on social media, at the expense of giving up the limited time for self care and rest. On the contrary, by having a guide at the exact time that they are doing the caregiving tasks, the attainment of the mindful parenting knowledge and skills could be dramatically increased thanks to the simultaneous hands-on experience. The MAREA App offers guidance that is supported by science and experts in early child education, and it is presented through the lens of Montessori teachings. The MAREA App will guide you on the ups and downs of your parental journey in the first year of your baby’s life, because we believe that teaching parents to be mindful and observant will inspire more mindful parenting, the core skill to create a loving and mutually respectful relationship between the child and the parent. This is what Dr. Montessori strived to bring to the world, a revolutionary way of parenting.
HOW MAREA WORKS
Our Guide
Our mindful parenting guide is delivered in the format of scenario-based audio clips. Listen to some samples here! They are designed to help parents bond with their babies using age-appropriate techniques throughout the day (and long night). Every interaction between the parent and the child is an opportunity to deepen this special bond by observing the child closely and tuning into his or her needs. Our audio guides not only provide specific instructions for the parents on how to interact with the child, but also explain the reasons for interacting with the child in certain ways. Since birth, babies are receiving information in all forms and they try to communicate their needs and wants in both obvious (crying) and subtle manners (mirroring). Our guides teach parents to attune to these cues and overtime it will become second nature to understand and respond to the physical and emotional needs of the child confidently.
Your Time
Being a parent is a 24/7/365 job. While you’re already taking care of your newborn child, listening to our audio guides at the same time means you do not need to sacrifice your time for the much needed rest (i.e. how many times have you been told to “sleep while the baby naps”). Instead, focus on real-time, hands-on learning when you are already caring for your baby by listening to our guided audio clips. They will turn a likely mindless task such as changing a dirty diaper into an intentional opportunity to bond with your child with mindfulness. Be wholeheartedly present. By following the professionally designed audio guides many times throughout the day, parents will be able to quickly internalize the teaching, and begin to lead their own discoveries. Previously unnoticed details such as the wiggle of toes when you rub your baby' back gently or the cooing sounds when you sing the same nursery rhyme, will be the sources of delight and wonder at the amount of growth and hard work your baby is doing before they can even walk!
Montessori Philosophy
It is often our parental instinct to jump into action at the slightest movement of our babies, are they cold, bored or what do they need now? Instead of “jumping to conclusions”, let us observe and wait. As Dr. Montessori said “Wait while observing. That is the motto for the educator. Let us wait, and be always ready to share in both the joys and the difficulties which the child experiences”. Many parents fall into the habit of "helping" too soon which inadvertently robs the child of the opportunities to practice in order to gain mastery. Parents could also respond too swiftly while misinterpreting the meaning of their child’s attempt to communicate. This could cause confusion, frustration and potential language development delays for the child. Follow our audio guides to slow down and learn to observe your child, to really learn their unique way of communicating their needs and wants to you. The deeper the mutual understanding between the parents and child, the more potential energy the child can build up for their exponential growth in the first few years of life.
SIGN UP FOR BETA
Want to know more?