Montessori Method at Home

It’s amazing what a three year old is capable of. Just evening my son cleared his plate from the table, helped unload the dishes, brushed his teeth and got dressed for bedtime all on his own. But it wasn’t always this way. After my 2^nd son was born my 3 year old regressed completely and wanted everything done for him. How many of you have children that go limp while getting dressed in the morning or say “I can’t, its too hard…do it for me?” After a few months of playing along I finally decided enough was enough and did my research. I knew that Walker would be starting Montessori in the Fall and wanted to try and start implementing some of those practices at home to see if he might regain some independence. “The Montessori method is based on the basic principal of child independence. It was founded on the belief that children should be free to succeed and learn without restriction or criticism.”

It has been about 9 months and I have found that when I took a step back and relinquished control and some power to let my child be the curious individual that he is, that he learned a great deal more and was a much happier little person. Giving Walker independence has given him the self-confidence he needed to master practical life skills at a young age.

Montessori’s method calls for free activity within a “prepared environment”, here is how I prepared my home for my children

1) Make their space Montessori ready 

Here’s how I did it… 

• Make everything accessible
• My son is able to choose a toy or work (as they call it in Montessori) and is free to use it for as long as he would like…with the hopes that when he is done he will put that toy back before choosing another one
• He is able to access all of his clothes and shoes so he can choose them and dress himself. They are organized so he knows where to go for certain things without needing to ask
• He has a low to the ground bed so he can get in and out as he pleases without help
• He has a bedside lamp with an easy switch so he can turn his light on and off independently
• Keep a step stool in the bathroom so they can wash their hands and brush their teeth independently
• Keep a stool in the kitchen so they can help prepare food — washing lettuce and using the lettuce spinner as well as cutting fruit with a small pairing knife is one of my sons favorite things to do

2) Simplify to reduce stimulation 

I de-cluttered his room. Removing all battery powered toys and things that over stimulated him. I found that keeping his room neat and not overcrowded was key — chaos, clutter and too many choices lead to more chaos and clutter.

• There is very little frill in his room – the only wall decoration I have is a large map of the world that takes up an entire wall and we also display his artwork
• I made him a cozy and comfortable reading corner where he can take a break, rest or look through books. Books are always accessible and at eye level
• There is a work table in his room where he can sit and work on whatever he chooses
• Plenty of open floor space so he can work on the ground if he chooses 

3) Assign responsibilities

Once he got a taste of independence he felt empowered. So much so that he would ask for projects almost daily. I decided to make him a task chart, which basically is a chore chart. He loves it and is so proud when he completes his work for the day. Since he cannot read, I took pictures of him doing these tasks and laminated them and put them on a magnetic board. When he has completed his task he moves the picture to the other side of the board — again proving his independence. Here is what is on our task chart:

• Feed the dogs and fill their water bowls
• Collect trash cans and dump them into the larger trash can
• Sort laundry into lights and darks
• Unload the dishwasher
• Help prepare snack
• Water plants
• Clearing and rinsing of dishes

4) Montessori for babies

You can start as early as you want to pave the groundwork for the future.

• The crib went to the attic and I laid his mattress on the floor. He can crawl onto it, sit comfortably, lay and look in a mirror and take his naps on it as well
• I took away all batteries required toys and left simple wooden toys for him to play with. Things he could manipulate, different textures, different sizes and lots of small musical instruments like shakers.
• I keep a sheep skinned rug on the ground so he has another option of play space
• Baby sized furniture so he can practice sitting in a comfortable chair
• Books are accessible and on the ground so he can pull one out and look at the colors as he chooses.
• All toys I grouped in baskets that can be sat on, smashed and crawled over and that a baby could easily access.
• Soft music is also something I added to his room

I have found that I want my three year old to be bored. The more bored he is the better he plays imaginatively. His little mind creates cities and circuses from all over the world that people can come and see. It truly is a joy to watch a child at play and enjoying himself independently.

While the Montessori method might not be for everyone — a modified version of giving some power over to your child might help you in your day to day life. It sure has helped me!