the bean's love of order

perhaps maria montessori is correct.

last week at the end of the montessori playgroup the bean decided to take out the skittles that were packed in a wheelbarrow. each skittle she took out she carefully laid on its side on a table, so that they formed a row. i looked at the directress who said that it's evidence of children's love for order. when i put one of the skittles upright for fear that it might roll off the table, the directress advised me to lay it back on its side and to prop a chair up to the table instead, or i'd risk upsetting the pattern that the bean's created (and thence risk upsetting the bean too).

then 2 days ago, when the bean was eating a banana (she doesn't like the banana to be chopped into pieces, she wants to hold it as it is peeled) i saw that one part of it had gone mushy brown. so i cut that piece off, but immediately she howled and wailed with hot tears of anger and frustration. when i showed her the piece i had cut off, she tried to put it back on the rest of the banana, but it was no use: the banana was no longer the same. fresh wails of anger ensued......well, i have certainly learnt my lesson!