The Montessori Method is a proven way to help your children learn important social, logical, and practical skills that will follow them into adulthood. Many schools and pre-schools have already seen incredible results in children that underwent the Montessori-inspired educational processes.
Fortunately, with a bit of effort on your part, you can bring this motivational environment to your own home! Here we’ll give you some tips on how to do this effectively and without disrupting your child’s established daily routines.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive right into the world of Montessori learning at home!
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1. Let your kids do things on their own
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Every parent wants to be there for their children, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, once you start doing everything for your child, that’s when you have a problem. They’ll never learn how to be independent if you keep on fixing every mess they make. As the Montessori method teaches us, children should start doing some “adult” things while they’re still young. If they make a mess while they’re playing, let them clean it up themselves! Include them in your daily routines and let them help you with various chores around the house. You’ll get to spend more quality time together, and they’ll learn real-life skills while they’re still young.
Overall, if you’d like your child to grow into an independent adult, you better start teaching them life skills as soon as possible! As long as you’re there to monitor them, there’s no limit to what they can do!
2. Order and tidiness are key to Montessori!
Cluttered spaces and Montessori simply do not go hand in hand. Your child should find purpose in every item they can see at your home. It allows for a specific type of learning on its own, but it’s also a good way to make your child keep things tidy.
So, yes, you should start separating different items and teaching your child that everything has its place and purpose. You’ll quickly see a change in the way they play, communicate and respond to visual cues. It’s a simple trick that can do wonders for your child’s development and future behavior.
3. Let your child make their own choices
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You have to let your child make their own choices, no matter how minimal they seem. For example, keep a couple of outfits ready every morning, and let your child choose what they’d like to wear for that day. It will help them grow into decisive adults who know exactly what they want from life.
Of course, you should limit your children’s options to make it easier for them. Children are naturally curious and things tend to catch their attention extremely quickly. So, making them choose between 100 different things is not a viable approach at that age.
Again, Montessori is all about preparing your children for real-life situations and struggles. Decision-making is a vital skill for every aspect of adult life, so make sure your kids start developing it as soon as possible.
4. Invest in Montessori-inspired furniture
Furniture aimed at children can be a great way to channel their inner curiosity and practicality. Items like the toddler kitchen stool found at www.katanabana.com can help your children get involved in housework and other practical activities that can benefit their logical skills.
We’re not saying you should spend your entire savings to transform your home into some sort of a Montessori paradise, but investing in a couple of items can go a long way.
We suggest you browse the internet until you’ve found some items that suit your specific needs and preferences. There’s such a wide range of options available today, so we’re sure you’ll find exactly what you’ve been looking for!
5. Let your child have their own space
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Providing your children with an environment where they can focus and concentrate on their tasks is of the utmost importance. You have to figure out how your child functions and learns before you start reorganizing your home. Remember, Montessori is all about embracing your child’s uniqueness and the distinctive ways they learn things.
Some children enjoy learning and playing alone, while others require company. Be it as it may, it’s your responsibility to provide them with an environment in which they can grow without being interrupted.
Lastly, ensure your child has an organized schedule they (partly) choose for themselves. Don’t let them waste too much of their time doing something unstimulating or lazy.
6. Switch up your “rewards system”.
Now, rewarding your child for their good behavior is an okay thing to do. However, if you’re planning on going the Montessori way, these rewards should be kept moderate. The reason for this is that the Montessori Method requires your children to find joy and their inner motivation through learning new skills.
Make their daily tasks fun and enjoyable instead of rewarding them for doing something simple. It will make your child feel motivated to learn for learning’s sake, instead of their motivation being fueled with the promise of a new toy, for example.
With all of that being said, again, we don’t think rewarding your children is something that should be avoided at all costs. Just keep it moderate and don’t go overboard.
The bottom line
Implementing the Montessori Method can be incredibly beneficial to your child and their inner development. Creating such an environment at home may not be easy, but it’s certainly worth the effort. Your child will grow into a decisive, strong-minded individual that possesses many skills that will make their life much easier.
As long as you take the Montessori approach in everything you do, including the furniture arrangements if need be, your child is certainly going to love it. We suggest you do some further research on the core philosophy behind the parenting method in question, so you can implement it in a more effective way in your own home.
All in all, we hope our article helped you on your Montessori journey, and we wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors.
