4 Simple Montessori Things to Do in Your Home

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I am not a Montessori teacher. After learning about it, I wonder if it’s something I should have done! I do want to become a Montessori Mom!

There is still a high likelihood that I will start homeschooling someday. What drew me to the Montessori program in our district was that the style of teaching and way of doing things was very similar to how I want to parent and how I would do homeschooling. Independence is extremely important to me as well as pushing children to reach their potential.

Even now that I have decided to become a stay-at-home mom, I am so in love with Theron’s Montessori school that we are planning on keeping him there, and when the time comes, sending Harper. But I still want to make our house a Montessori household, especially if I’m staying home!

There are small ways that you can start making your home a more Montessori home. Even if you don’t feel like you want to go “the full monty” (haha, get it?…), there are certain practices that are so beneficial for your children. Some of the practices that I definitely want to start in our home are actually very small details that can help our children learn independence and initiative. Some we have already started incorporating, while others I hope to make a bigger part of our life.

Here are some simple things you can do! Even if your playroom doesn’t “look” like it’s Montessori with a ton of wood toys and your child working on a mat on the floor, and dry beans in containers everywhere (if you’re already a Montessori teacher or parent, you might know what I’m talking about with the beans!), you might already incorporate some Montessori practices without even knowing it!

Make Clothes Accessible

Put clothes on low shelves with baskets (instead of drawers, which might be difficult to open) so children can prepare their clothes in the morning. Theron wears a uniform to school and he knows exactly where to get his underwear, shirt, and pants on his own. He is also encouraged to put them on by himself. When he has them backward, I do correct him, but I encourage him to fix it on his own. I only help him when he really needs it (and he asks for it-instead of whining).

We used this shelf from Target. This would also be perfect for a toy shelf! It can be laid vertically or horizontally. We laid it horizontally to make it work for our kids! We used regular cloth baskets like these. Green for Theron and pink for Harper.

Cleaning

Your child should be practicing real-life skills right away! When they spill some water, don’t clean it up for them. I will even hand our 1-year-old a paper towel when she makes a mess. She wipes up the water on her own! This is hard to do because we want it to be done correctly, but you’ll be surprised how quickly they learn when shown. Harper just wipes and we usually have to really get it clean after she’s done, but Theron uses the techniques that we showed him to soak up a spill and does a pretty good job! He will then go get his spray bottle to clean up if it’s something sticky.

Also along this line, make sure there are cleaning supplies readily available that they can get on their own. They should have a little station with a small broom and dustpan, and cloth and (if ready) a spray bottle of water. Theron uses our Force of Nature cleaner that he has been taught how to use! It is safe for even kids to use, but effective as bleach! (To read about it, go HERE!)

Chores

Chores should not always be something that you do while you’ve found something to keep your kids occupied. Although, sometimes, you just need to get done! Here are some great activities that keep my kid occupied for a long time!

For the most part, I try to include my kids with the chores. There are many ways to include your child on the chores, whether it be giving them a specific task that is THEIRS or having them help you as you go about the day’s chores. Whatever way you include your kids in the cleaning and taking care of the house, it will help them with their practical life skills in the long run!

Theron’s favorite activity is vacuuming. I had originally gotten him a little toy vacuum, then I had the realization… If he’s going to be “vacuuming” anyway, it might as well actually be doing something! Now I take the long part off of our vacuum and it makes a perfect toddler-sized vac. Think of ways that you can make the chores kid-friendly like this! It’s pretty impractical to try to remodel your house to look like a Montessori classroom with a small sink, low counters, and all of that. But you can get creative (like with the vacuum!).

Some ideas are to find a lower cabinet that has all of the kids dishes, cups and utensils. When it’s time to empty the dishwasher, they can put all of their dishes away. Theron has gotten pretty good at this now! You can have them handwash their dishes in a small container too, if you REALLY want to get Montessori (I don’t do this… I don’t even really handwash the dishes, so…) Another idea is to put the dog food in a place that your toddler can be responsible to feed the dog.

Low, Organized Toy Shelves 

In order to do this, some minimalizing had to be done for us. We got rid of a ton of toys that were just causing more clutter. We made the way the shelf is organized very simple. Theron can put the toys back on the shelf on his own and get a new toy. The organization is very simple and things are expected to go back in the same place. The toys that are more appropriate for Harper are on the lower shelves. She does put toys back, but not always exactly where they go or how. The important thing is that she is getting the practice of putting things away. She does often remember which shelf a toy goes!

Keep It Simple

The important parts of Montessori are encouraging practical life skills and independence. Looking at Montessori-specific materials and supplies can make you think it’s all a bit much. It can really be overwhelming! Although the items you find are very valuable and awesome resources, you can practice those skills with just things you already have! 

There are some great resources out there that are great for practicing skills!

To see other ideas of how to be a Montessori parent, check out the rest of my blog! You can also subscribe to my email to stay updated all things family!

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