Today I am sharing 10 things that have made a lot of difference in aiding my son’s independence in our home has included:1. Having his bedroom as a complete ‘yes’ space and a mattress on the floor as his bed, so that he can choose to get up when he wants to and does not need us to help him. Everything else in his room has also been placed at his level, including an Ikea Expedit shelf which we turned into a wardrobe by adding a tension rod for the hangers (picture above).
2. I also created simple outline labels of different items of his clothing, which have been on his drawers since he was a baby, to help him identify what is where (You can find the free printable for those over here). Since he turned 4, we now have a wardrobe made of a shelving unit and baskets, each with the clothes outline labels on them.
3. Cutting down a second hand Ikea LATT children’s table and chair set, to make a low weaning table for him. He used this until he was around 3 years old and now has a slightly taller table and chairs (for his size) in his section of the living room
4. Getting a Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair, that he can easily climb into and out of himself, for when joins the family at the dining table
5. A learning tower kindly given to us by a friend, so that he can join in food preparation (we have had this since he could confidently stand and he has loved things like helping to whisk eggs with my husband for breakfast since he was really little!
6. A set of coat hooks and the lower part of the shoe cabinet for his coats, accessories (in small hanging pouches) and shoes - all easy for him to access.
7. A self care station in the bathroom (made from a small second hand wooden table that we painted and added an acrylic mirror to) for him to brush his teeth at an appropriate level to him. We added a bowl as the sink, an Ikea water dispenser for the water source, and command hooks to hold a little flannel (his hand towel).
8. An Ikea kitchen which has been adapted to have a water dispenser (similar here), so that he can get his own drinks and wash his hands.
9. A small standing ladder so that he can climb into and out of the bath by himself (with close supervision).
10. Placing small laundry baskets (little bins) around the house (by the bath, in his bedroom, next to our washing machine) so that whenever he had anything for the wash, it was within easy reach for him to put it there himself
A few more suggestions for incorporating Montessori in your home
To try and see as much as possible from your child’s point of view, both physically and mentally. You can literally get down to the child’s height to see what your home looks like and see if there is anything that could work better at this level - maybe add some small pieces of artwork to add more interest to their surroundings, or perhaps find a space lower down for some items of theirs that are used often, for them to reach themselves.
Focusing on curiosity and exploration from their point of view as well; acknowledging their excitement and wonder at having reached something (perhaps that you didn’t expect them to reach) rather than quickly saying no and removing them from that place. Speaking of saying no, I would try and use this word as sparingly as possible, saved only for very serious situations. Otherwise children can get so used to the word being used so often around them, that it ceases to have much meaning for them (a great episode from Janet Lansbury's 'Unruffled' podcast, about this here)!
Physically, it is always a good idea to have a ‘yes’ space in each area of the house - a place where it is safe for the child to explore happily. If this can be in the main living areas of the home and in the child’s bedroom, this is ideal for both child and parent as it means both are more comfortable in the spaces!
Your home will likely evolve and change as your child changes and enters new stages, and I have found that observation is key. To take a little bit of time to watch your child and how they use a space, what could be adapted a little bit, and where they are at right now with their capabilities, really helps to keep developing the space that is right for them at this time.
For example, maybe you can see that you have been wiping floor spills for them since they were very little, but now they may be ready to have a small designated floor cloth folded up and placed into a low cupboard, for them to reach themselves when they spill something.
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