Summer at Home… Part 2 - Create the Space
Bring Montessori home this summer without bringing home the school!
A series leading up to summer
I began this series in early May with some main principles of the Montessori philosophy and some simple steps that you can do to start your Montessori summer at home. If you missed that post go back and check it out now.
In this post we will deep dive into one of the steps that you can start today to create your mindset shift that will support you in bringing that peaceful, calm, organized feeling of a Montessori into your home for the summer.
Create the Space:
No….I don’t mean your space like this….. While it is beautiful, this isn’t always realistic or practical. I’m talking real life! Practical changes in the space that you already have.
Why do we want to change the space? In reality, I don’t want you to make big changes.
I want you to make thoughtful changes to create intentional space that promotes order and independence!
Montessori classes are successful at creating the structure that promotes order and independence because they are designed for the children in that space. You do not have to turn over your whole house to your child to create this same idea. By taking into account the ages, interests and skills of all the family members you can create a space where everyone works together as a family to support each other.
Let’s look at organizing your space:
Have a place for everything - putting things away is easier when everyone in the house knows where the item “lives.” If you don’t need it then get rid of it… if you do need it then create a “home” for the item. Encourage all family members to return items to their “home” in order to locate them easier the next time. Make children’s items accessible to them. Child plates, cups and utensils in lower cabinets promote independence in kitchen. Lower hanging bars in closets, using the bottoms of dresser drawers for easier access for children’s clothes. Shorter shelves with fewer items promotes returning items to their places.
Create beauty - The feeling that comes from walking into a Montessori classroom is unique. Walking into other childcare settings can sometime be overwhelming to the senses - lots of items, things on the wall, colors and sounds everywhere. A Montessori setting is different - it is home-like in its creation in order to set the tone of beauty, order, importance. When something is beautiful we want to take care of it. Even children have a calling to take care of beautiful things. Choose designs that feel special and beautiful to create care. In the child’s space try choosing simple designs, hanging pictures at child level, and choosing furniture that is sized for them. Choose toys that are durable, open-ended and made of more natural materials if possible.
Reflect interests - Reflect interests in the home of those that live in it. Allow the child to take part in creating their space when they are old enough to make simple decisions. Rotate toys to reflect current interest while maintaining less clutter. Make toys and materials easy to access and provide acceptable items. For example - if your child loves creating artwork - provide age appropriate materials and space to create, however, keep the things that need adult assistance out of the child’s reach in a different location so the child has free access to appropriate items. Build in time together to teach expectations in the space and practice interests. Exploring new interests together as a family can create memories and lead to new hobbies.
