How can we practise Montessori at home?

You might be wondering how you can reinforce the Montessori philosophy at home. In discussions with Montessori guides @gmnabudhabi, we decided the best way to start is by enforcing 'ground rules' with your child.

In Montessori, we give children 'freedom within limits', which means children can have free choice of activities in a safe and well-prepared environment. To be able to manage their independence, children need to know the appropriate ground rules in order to do this.

The ground rule of 'tidying up' is a good place to start as it helps to keep the child's environment safe from obstacles and teaches them to be disciplined. You can demonstrate how to tidy up after an activity has been completed and then how to carry the activity to its place on a shelf. This should be encouraged before a new activity is chosen and brought out into the environment. You can also encourage age-appropriate cleaning of plates, cups and cutlery. You could do this by having a bowl of soapy water down at your child's level with washing equipment so they can clean the items when they have finished eating or drinking. It doesn't matter if your child hasn't cleaned it properly or tidied away perfectly, we still praise their efforts regardless without pointing out the errors.

In Montessori, we want to use verbal praise that instils self-motivation and self-confidence rather than external factors such as validation from adults. See the poster from @guideandgrow on suggested phrases to use.

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