January 14, 2006 5:26 AM
Step stool revolution :)
In response to my question on how readers had applied Montessori priniciples with their children this year, the step stool seems to be sparking a revolution - the good kind!
Cathy wrote:
In response to how we've applied something that I read on your blog: we got out 2 step stools for our toddler to use and now involve her in chores. She is thrilled with the independence the stools give her. She can stand at the counter to wash her hands and brush her teeth. She can reach light switches. She carries them all over the house. She loves to be given little jobs to do to help out, like sweeping, setting the table, putting things away in closets. Next we will be getting a hook for her to hang her coat on.I am thrilled to think of all those toddlers getting their needs for independence met!
My theory - which I've written about in Small Beginnings and The Mommy Manual - is that toddlers whose environments are set up to meet their independence needs are more cheerful and content and less prone to meltdowns. Also, children who are included as part of the team cooking and cleaning from the earliest years have more confidence and grow up with a more helpful attitude.
Have any of you seen changes in your child's overall disposition because of the changes you've made?
Posted in Family, Montessori, Mothering, Toddlers | Permalink
Comments
My husband had a difficult time adjusting to the change, but moving the plates, bowls, and kids' cups this past fall has changed our lives - and that of our girls, ages 4 and 6! It was something I had been meaning to do for several years, but never had a kitchen in which I could make it work. By the time we moved into this house a year ago, I had completely forgotten about it. The Mommy Manual reminded me!
So one fine day I moved the pots and pans above the counter (still a while to go before the girls are cooking unattended), and the cups, plates, and bowls below.
Now, the girls help unload the dishwasher with glee - literally - and without being asked! When I hear one of them say that she is thirsty, all she needs now is a simple reminder that she can reach the cups by herself. They help with setting the table of their own volition. Numerous times, too, dh and I have walked to the kitchen on a Saturday morning to find breakfast waiting for US on the table! Just being able to reach what she needed was the impetus our eldest needed to put her growing desire to serve into action.
Though it was a transition - we still find ourselves bending over to get pots and pans and finding plates and cups instead! - after a few weeks dh asked, "Why does ANYONE put their dishes way up high and pots and pans down low? This just makes more SENSE!"
As a former elementary school teacher, it always made sense to me to have the toys, school materials (we homeschool), etc., etc. within reach of the children. It was just something that my mom naturally did for us growing up, too. Thanks for the suggestion to do the same in the kitchen! It is making our girls self-sufficient in one area of the home where I have personally always felt the least competent. Their competence inspires me in the kitchen now!
In His abiding love,
Kari
Posted by: Kari | January 14, 2006 8:58 AM
Well, I can't say it's a 'change' as we read your book before our first could walk, but I have definately seen good fruit.
On Thur. I took 2yo dd to a toy store after visiting the doctor and let her get out of the stroller to play with the train set. When it was time to go I just told her that baby brother was hungry and Mommy needed to go feed him(I didn't even have money to buy her something). She just climbed back in the stroller without the first complaint. I wouldn't have even paid any attention, but the shopkeeper commented on how different that was from most kids. There have been other times too where she has shown a spirit of self sacrifice for others' needs.
I have dd wash her own dishes in big bowls on the floor (my floor stays nice and clean now!)- sometimes she begs to wash when I've been too busy to get to her. She even has her own open cabinet to keep all her place settings in and loves picking out what color plate and fork to use (she is now starting to match the colors).
Dd also climbs the two flights of stairs up to our apartment all by herself and enjoys it! She can come down by herself if I give her enough time which is a blessing when I have baby bro. and the stroller to carry.
I'm still looking for a two-step stool that is light enough to move, but for now a chair lets dd help make pizza or whatever. We have coathooks all ready to hang as soon as we get to our new place next month.
Posted by: Cheri | January 14, 2006 9:28 AM
My husband has never read a single thing about Montessori --- in fact, even the word is probably completely unknown to him.
However, he has been applying some of the principles on his own, beginning with our oldest child, and it has been such a blessing in our family. He is excellent at teaching children how to "do stuff". For example, from about the age of two onward, our little ones have been able to crack eggs and offer significant help with the preparation of our weekend breakfasts, something they all were eager to do. (We just didn't let them use the stove.) He made sure they had step stools; the one from his childhood was a favorite, and he made a larger, somewhat more practical one for when they needed to get a bit higher.
He got them child-sized tools, brooms, and mops. One Christmas, he even got everyone their own toolbox --- a big hit. (Our daughter's was a cute girly color combination.)
As they've grown older, he's taught them to do "dangerous stuff", such as using tools and knives, but he has taught them to be very safe, so I've long set my misgivings aside.
Our little ones have always had chores that he carefully assigned them, and they have approached them with differing amounts of enthusiasm. However, they enjoy being able to be independent, and to be trusted to do fun projects. They are also amazed at children their ages who seem so helpless.
Sometimes I've thought my husband had the children doing things way before they were old enough. However, both my husband and the child involved would disagree quite firmly, and it always turned out they were correct.
My husband didn't think he'd done anything special, just treated his children the way he had wanted to be treated as a child. He also likes passing down his many skills, and he finds it fun to work with together with the kids on any number of projects. Now we're starting to get feedback from older adults in our church, things like, "We have never seen boys work so well together" and "Your boys are such hard, capable workers" and "How did your sons learn how to do that?"
I'm so thankful for a husband who introduced me to the Montessori principles. Not directly, but when I encountered an article on Montessori preschool education years ago, I thought, "Oh, that's just what my husband is already doing!"
Posted by: Rebecca | January 14, 2006 9:33 AM
Hi Barbara, and others. We have a couple of step-stools, but nothing that helps my 21 month old reach sinks and the counter (while be able to see them). Does anyone have any step-stool that they would recommend?
Posted by: gwen | January 14, 2006 9:34 AM
Also, when the children help prepare the food they are more prone to try new foods. They don't seem to be as picky.
Posted by: Claire | January 14, 2006 4:27 PM
