A child's bedroom is an essential room in the house. It is the place where he sleeps but also where he plays and learns about the world, especially during the first years of his life. Do you want to arrange it according to the basic principles of the Montessori method? Follow the guide.
Developing the autonomy of your children is one of the priorities of your education. Why not adapt your environment, and in particular your bedroom, accordingly? The goal of the Montessori method, devised by Maria Montessori in 1907, is to develop a child's natural curiosity from the first months of life. No question of over-stimulating it, quite the contrary. The idea is to let him discover his environment independently. You will understand that the layout of your room is therefore essential. Toys and other activities her age should be within reach and height. " The child must be able to do everything on his own ", Explains Sylvie D’Esclaibes, pioneer of Montessori education in France and author of the book Give your child confidence thanks to the Montessori method to Leduc.s editions, before adding: " It develops his self-confidence ".
His parents can support him in his development by adapting his environment according to his needs. Small, the child is eager for discovery. He marvels at everything around him. " When he starts talking he loves to look at picture books ", Explains Sylvie D’Esclaibes. " As he grows up, he will focus more on details ". According to Montessori pedagogy, the child's room will therefore evolve at each stage of its development. So what must be done to make your child feel safe? How to best arrange your room? Here are some ideas from specialists.
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Tip n ° 1: delimit the spaces
Children need a frame. This contributes to their development and promotes their autonomy. " When they have benchmarks, children are able to move around serenely in their environment "Says Anouche Hovnanian, president of the Association Montessori de France. The idea is therefore to create a space dedicated to each activity: an early learning corner, a book corner, a sleeping corner, a dressing corner …
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Tip # 2: order, order and more order
" From the outer order comes the inner order », Said Maria Montessori. To find their way around, children need everything to be in their place. Put the toys in boxes by categorizing them. " You can stick a picture of the games in question on the boxes so that children can find them more easily ", Says Sylvie D’Esclaibes.
Tip 3: set up a secure sleeping area
" Children must be able to understand their physiological and spontaneous needs », Considers Anouche Hovnanian. To help them, you can reserve a space dedicated to the nap in a corner of their room. A simple mattress placed on the floor is sufficient. The goal? Let the child go to bed and get up without the help of an adult when he is tired. " The child knows his time. He can go to bed on his own. The advantage of a mattress placed on the floor is that he does not have to climb the bars of his bed ". But then, can we calmly let our baby sleep on a mattress placed on the floor? " When we adopt Montessori pedagogy, we find that children acquire the notion of emptiness more easily than others. When one of their leg protrudes from the mattress, they tend to cluster in its center ". Be careful, however, that the space is sufficiently secure and that you do not leave items lying around on the ground.
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Tip 4: adapt the space to the child's motor skills
When the child begins to crawl, he will quickly try to get up. " It is important that he can lean on low furniture », Indicates Hanouche Hovnanian. " Be careful, however, that it is heavy enough so that the child cannot knock it over ". As you grow up, learning happens through play and discovery. " Consider installing a shelving unit so that he has independent access to the activities that interest him ".
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Tip # 5: create a waking corner for babies
" From the first months of life, you can put your baby on the floor on a play mat and place a low mobile. This allows you to develop your concentration and autonomy ", Says Sylvie D’Esclaibes. " As you grow up, you can set up low shelves nearby and put a bunch of things like a rattle that he can easily grab. ". For infants, there is a topponcino (available on Nature and Discoveries), a small fitted mattress designed by Maria Montessori that you can place on the floor or on a mat. A cocoon in which baby feels safe when not in his mother's arms and which leaves him free to move. " The problem with deckchairs is that children cannot move ", Insists Sylvie D’Esclaibes. " The other benefit of this mattress is that it retains odors. It is therefore recommended that parents carry their child regularly in this mattress, so that he feels safe when they put him on the floor "
Tip 6: set up a book or music corner for older children
Depending on the sensitivity of the children, you can create a book space or a music corner, which will serve as a refuge. " Avoid putting books in a toy box ", Recommends Sylvie D’Esclaibes. The risk ? They are difficult to access and not tidy. " The child must be able to access them alone and be able to see the covers of the books ". Another piece of advice, do not hesitate to change the books regularly according to the seasons " so that your little one does not get tired ".
Tip # 7: dedicate a space for artistic activities
Is your child a fan of plasticine? Does he love to paint? Stick stickers on a sheet? Do not hesitate to stimulate his creativity by preparing a small space just for him. The ideal is to provide small trays with neatly arranged supplies that he might want to explore and experience. " You can, for example, place a paint palette, a water cup, a brush, a sheet of paper and a small sponge on a tray. ", Advocates Sylvie d´Esclaibe. Also remember to have a table in his size on which he can draw or write his first name.
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Tip # 8: leave a dressing room within reach
From an early age, children love to choose their clothes. " Leave them some clothes within their reach ", Recommends Sylvie D’Esclaibes. Be careful, once again, to limit the choice so that the space remains tidy. " We are not going to make their entire wardrobe available. It would risk destabilizing them », Insists Anouche Hoznanian. It is then possible to change the business according to the seasons and the weather.
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Tip 9: give them the opportunity to have an activity table
Some children prefer to play on the floor, others on an activity table or on a desk when they are older. " We must give them the choice ", Says Sylvie D’Esclaibes. " There are activity tables suitable for children from 18 months to two years old ", Specifies Hanouche Hovnanian before adding:" The important thing is that the child has his feet firmly planted in the ground when he is seated "
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Tip 10: avoid saturating the environment
Be careful not to over-stimulate your child. In every space, everything must be in its place. " You have to teach him to play a game and put it back when he's finished. At first, this may create some frustration. But very quickly, the child will be able to go out and put away the games on his own. From the age of two, the child is able to be independent on this point. This is rewarding and reassuring ". It is also recommended to limit the number of activities per shelf and to perform a rotation. " Top shelves can be used for storage », Advises the specialist. This prevents it from being too visually appealing. " The hardest part is having a toddler and a much bigger one. They are not going to be interested in the same activities. It is then necessary to be careful that the little one does not injure himself with a fragile object, which can help to develop the fine motor skills of the big one. Children must therefore be taught to pay attention to things ".
Tip n ° 11: bet on a refined decor
The ambiance of the Montessori room is paramount. Consider creating an environment based on natural materials such as wood, wool or cotton. The child should feel there as in a cocoon. The ideal is to let in natural light. On the decorative side, avoid colors that attack the eye. " It is recommended to avoid over-stimulating the visual sense of children ", Considers Hanouche Hovnanian before adding:" Bet on a sober decor, which emphasizes the objects the child loves rather than an over-stimulating environment ". " You can also hang pretty pictures of nature or art paintings at the child's eye level Sylvie d´Esclaibe advises.