Lately I have had a lot of parents stop by my office and ask “What can we do at home?” This is a fantastic question! There are several Montessori concepts that can be brought home to foster confidence and independence in children.
Setting a prepared environment would be a great way to bring Montessori home. Children love to choose and accomplish tasks on their own. Setting an area in your home up where your child can come in the house, put his/her shoes away and hang their coat all on their own is a great first step. Ensuring that hooks and shoe racks are at child level will give the children confidence to complete this simple task without assistance. Preparing the bathroom is also something that can be done at home. Be sure that children can reach the sink, soap, and hand towels to build consistency in doing this task each time they use the bathroom.
My children’s personal favorite for at home environments would be the kitchen. My kids love to help me in the kitchen! They also love choosing their own snacks! In the kitchen, designate a low shelf in the pantry for easy to grab snacks for your child. These can already be prepared and stored in bags or containers. This offers children the ability to choose their own snack, without an argument, and they can feel independent in completing this task. Let children help with simple cooking tasks. My son loves to rinse vegetables and peel carrots. My daughter likes to help mix food in bowls and pour things into pans. Ensuring there is a child sized stool in the kitchen will make it easy for children to get involved.
We love that our families are so interested in learning more about the Montessori philosophy and we appreciate when parents take time to implement simple concepts at home. This will help your child become successful and confident both at school and at home. Children are also much more capable of self care than we give them credit for. Parents will be pleased to see their children accomplish simple daily tasks on their own.
