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Category: Montessori
From the time Mac was born, I tried really hard to not keep her strapped into one kind of chair or another. She occasionally sat in her swing. And obviously she would be in her (not bucket) car seat in the car. But otherwise she was either sitting with me or down on the floor, free to explore her own space. I believe whole heartedly in giving a toddler and even a baby freedom of movement. But it can be a little scary. Here’s how I gave Mac freedom of movement without also giving myself a heart attack.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through my link, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure page here.
There are many toys that I think are worthwhile to give to a toddler. (Read my post about what a Montessori kid plays with.) Some are good for gross motor skills and some are good for fine motor skills. But one thing that I feel is so worthwhile to give to a toddler is a book. But what makes for good toddler books? There are two important qualities that toddler books should have.
I will throw in my usual disclaimer here that I believe in all things in moderation. Are a few books that don’t have the qualities listed below going to mentally damage your toddler? Of course not.
When Mac was born, I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with her. She slept and ate, but how in the world do you play with a baby? I discovered that there are four very easy activities that should be done with every Montessori baby.
Any parent of a toddler is very familiar with tantrums. Toddlers will scream, throw themselves on the floor, and squeeze some tear out for the most irrational reasons. Believe it or not, there is a reason for this: a toddler’s sense of order is just coming into play. If you want to read more in-depth about the sense of order, read this post here.
But imagine if you were an explorer and you mapped out an area before you went to bed. When you wake up in the morning and look outside, everything is different. How confusing and frustrating it would be. That is what the world is like for toddlers. From the time a child is born, they map their world. My toys are in that basket, the couch is over there, the coffee table is there. If we rearrange or even move something small, we are messing up their world. We have offended their sense of order and they just want their world to stay the same.
Anecdotally, I can tell you I have seen numerous tantrums caused by a disruption to routine or physical space. Sadly, many parents seem clueless to the cause and just end up frustrated. Sometimes after a few days where a child has seemed “off” with their mood, we find out one of the parents is on a business trip and their morning routine has been totally different. No wonder they are having trouble! So what can we do? We can keep their map intact. There are two simple ways to do that: keep things tidy and stick to a routine.
Does your toddler cry when you fold laundry a different way? Were they inconsolable when you suggested walking a different way to the park? Or do they demand that you sing the same dumb song every time they are in the bathtub because you made the mistake of doing it one time? Well good news, your toddler isn’t a dictator or drama queen in the making, they are just getting their sense of order.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through my link, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure page here.
When most people hear the term “Montessori” they automatically think we are all hippie dippies (and I kind of am, but you can read about what the heck Montessori is.) You might wonder what Mac as a Montessori kid has for toys at home. So here is a peek into what she has available to her during the day. I switch out her toys weekly. All of these things are toys that Mac and I both love. Just keep in mind two things:
- She is 15 months old as I write this. I have a large range of things available, from more “baby” toys that are favorites of hers and things that are well above her age range because I like to challenge her, even in areas where she may already be ahead.
- I believe in moderation. While I follow many of the Montessori ideals (like simple, non-electronic, wooden toys), I do allow some that don’t follow those guidelines. I have a general rule about no electronic toys, but I do have a few that I let slide. I also strive to provide Mac with toys mostly made of wood and other natural materials, but there are exceptions. I’ll show those and more to you below.
After having Mac help me with some household chores the last few days, I just wanted to quickly remind everyone that a toddler helping you isn’t helpful. What I mean is that asking a toddler to help you do a chore isn’t going to speed it along and get the job done. You have a toddler help for three reasons: future practice, interest and getting things done. If you need a few ideas, read my post about Four Simple Ways Toddlers Can Help Clean Up.
Future Practice
Now, obviously we all want children who pitch in and help keep the house running. You live here, you take care of it. But parents tend to make the mistake of requiring children to do chores when they are older, instead of right away. Having toddlers help (or “help” as it should maybe be phrased) sets them up to doing more in the future. If you expect them to carry their dishes to the sink as a toddler, it becomes a habit. As long as you start small, you can build up as their skills increase.
In the picture above, Mac was taking the clean socks and putting them in that box. Did I really need socks in a box? No, I did not need socks in a box. (Whoa there Dr. Seuss.) But did she enjoy helping? Yes, and she even put the socks in the basket when I was filling it back up with folded laundry. As Mac grows, I’ll have her start with something easy like stacking washcloths and we will work up from there.
Toddlers can help clean. I know it seems unlikely, but toddlers love to clean! At first, they won’t exactly be helpful, but it will be good in the long run. Not only are you teaching them how to help out around the house, but you are also getting a little extra help around the house. Win-win for everyone!
There are a few things to keep in mind. It will take extra time. It won’t actually be clean when they are done. If the toddler hasn’t gone through the sensitive period for order, they may not exactly understand the process of cleaning for a while. It may be frustrating. But toddlers will love feeling included and helpful. And the more they feel that way, the more motivated they will be to continue helping you out. So here is a list of four simple ways toddlers can help clean.
Dusting
Mac loves to take a wet washcloth and wipe down surfaces in our house, like bookshelves, the coffee table, or her own little table. Sometimes I will direct her to another place, which also helps her learn how to listen and follow directions. She has her own spray bottle of water, but isn’t quite able work it yet. So for now I will spray the table and she wipes it up.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through my link, I may receive compensation. For more information, see my disclosure page here.
When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, there were so many decisions to make. Many things I always assumed I would do, I wasn’t so sure about anymore. One of those things was having my baby sleep in a crib. There isn’t anything wrong with a crib, but after working at a Montessori school I was intrigued by the idea of a floor bed.
But before we started my daughter in a floor bed, I needed to figure out where to have her sleep until she was old enough. I knew that I wanted her nearby, but I had some anxiety about bed sharing with her. So after some research, I decided to try a co-sleeper bassinet. (We bought an Arm’s Reach Euro Mini Co-Sleeper Bassinet. That exact style is no longer available, but the Arm’s Reach Mini Ezee 2-in-1 seems like almost the same thing!)
(If you are more intrigued by the floor bed, you can read about what a floor bed is, how we shared a room with a floor bed, and how Mac has her own floor bed room now. We do bed share part-time now that she is a toddler.)
At first, I was going to try to make a sidecar crib. There are plenty of DIY instructions on Pinterest and Google to describe the process, but I just wasn’t certain we were handy enough to make it work. So instead, I found the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper Bedside Bassinet. We ended up using it for both of our children so far. (Make sure you check out this co-sleeper bassinet by the same company. It looks almost identical!) Here are a few reasons why we love it.
While I was pregnant, I did some research on how to make a Montessori environment for an infant. I will be honest, I was a little intimidated because it sounded like a lot of work to take my already cluttered and messy living room and somehow also accommodate an infant who was supposed to have freedom of movement. We live in a 1,550 sq. ft. townhouse. I literally don’t have another room that I could revamp into a playroom. Mac even roomed in with us for almost a year, partly due to the fact that we had to go through the guest room and totally clean it out so she could sleep there. So the idea of dong Montessori at home in our living room was a little daunting.
Three Months Later: I made a few updates on things we have already changed.
