This post was inspired by Jennifer's 30 Day Montessori Challenge, featured on her blog at Study-at-Home Mama. Today's challenge was to set up a self care station at home for your child. This challenge motivated me to share our self care stations I put together for Little Bee over the past month. My hope is that these fun Montessori spaces, in our home, will encourage you to design a few yourself, for your child. 🙂 Jennifer writes on her blog, "Study-at-Home Mama" to not let perfectionism prevent you from setting up an easy Montessori self care station today! Check out the 30 Day Montessori Challenge and join in on the fun!
There is a bonus ebook available to view at the end of this post called, "Every Parent Can Teach Their Toddler." Please scroll down to the very end of this post to view the table of contents. Don't miss this amazing ebook full of inspirational activities for you and your tot! 🙂
Little Bee recently received this amazingly beautiful hand-crafted placemat from a shop on Etsy. If you would like to order one for yourself, stop by Annie's shop at www.lilorfan.com. I adore how simple this placemat is for Little Bee to learn how to set the table all by himself!
I store all the tot table setting supplies (real silverware, cloth napkin, wooden bowl, and glass cup) on the lowest shelf of the kitchen pantry. Little Bee is able to open the door himself, select the table setting supplies he desires, and then transport them to his tot table to place in the correct spot on his beautiful placemat.
Little Bee's tot cleaning kit is also found on the floor in the kitchen pantry for easy access. Little Bee enjoys using his kit to sweep, mop up spills, put trash in the waste basket, and clean the windows with his small spray bottle. He also helps to sort the laundry and put his dirty dishes in the sink.
Little Bee enjoys brushing his own teeth at the bathroom sink. I found this amazing faucet extender on Amazon. The faucet extender also allows Little Bee to wash his own hands and face.
What tips and tricks do you have to share for helping your child become self-sufficient? I would love to hear from you in the comment section below! Oh, and if you loved your visit... please PIN this post! Thanks! 🙂
Before I go, I have an amazing ebook to share called, "Every Parent Can Teach Their Toddler." This ebook was written by 20 bloggers (including myself) with varying perspectives for how to teach a tot from 10-36 months. It contains simple and effective activities to educate your toddler at home including over 20 pages of beautiful printables. You don't want to miss this amazing ebook! Check it out HERE.
Learning these life skills is so important! (Plus I love having someone to help clean.)
I agree! 🙂
I have never considered a faucet extender! (I would have gone for the bigger stool, lol, living dangerously!) We also had lightswitch extenders in our old house but they are not installed yet in our new place… I might have to before the end of the challenge!
Thanks so much for joining in!
I can’t wait to see what tomorrows challenge will bring! 🙂
I really appreciate this post. Gives me some great ideas for little thing DS can start doing himself. I know he will love it!
Thank you! I am glad that this post gave you some ideas! 🙂
Love the little cleaning kit! My 10 month old already loves following me around to do chores. I could definitely see her getting into this when she’s older!
I love having everything at tot level and easily accessible to them to foster independence but my question is how do you keep things organized? I just see my 15 month old thinking they are all toys and just destroying a snack area or if he could get to cleaning stuff he would just play with it all. Not use them for the intended task
Thanks for your comment Jess! 🙂 I think there are two ways of looking at this. One is to put these items up high away from the child and take them out as is appropriate for the objects use, showing the child how they are properly used, then helping the child put the objects away in the correct spot. Or you can leave them accessible to the child as I have done. I showed Little Bee how to use the cleaning kit, his toothbrush station, and more. It is true that he will sometimes get them out and play with these items, especially when they are first presented to him and brand new. But after consistent guidance on showing Little Bee what the items are appropriately used for and at appropriate times, he really doesn’t just get the items out just for play. He knows there is a routine involved and children love routine. He knows there is a certain time that he brushes his teeth and a certain time that he gets the broom out to sweep up the floor. Little Bee is also a little older than 15 months. He is 19 months old now. So maybe you will need to keep the objects out of reach until your child is little bit older. The key is consistency, grace, and kindness.
Great ideas. I adore the placemat. I think it will be my next craft project.
Thank you. 🙂