There are few aspects of Maria Montessori’s philosophy of education that I appreciate as much as I do her approach to practical life. Those familiar with a Montessori classroom, will know that much of the activities, especially those of the youngest students, are centered around real tasks, actual work that needs to be done. Children’s House students can be seen sweeping and tidying shelves, folding the classroom laundry, practicing polishing and scrubbing skills. Elementary classrooms often have pets and gardens that need to be cared for, as well as dishes that need to be washed and laundry that needs to be done.
It’s not easy to implement all of Montessori’s approach to education at home- my house will never be as neat and tidy as a Montessori classroom, and it’s nearly impossible to perfectly cultivate a prepared environment with students who live in the school. But practical life- well that one is quite simple to accomplish. It just takes a simple shift in thinking.
Everyone Helps As Much As They Are Able
Our family motto is that everyone helps as much as they are able. This helps us to avoid a lot of the “its not fair!” “he doesn’t have to do that” arguments. The kids are pretty aware of their own capabilities and the limitations of the others, and are happy to be deemed “capable” of completing a task. They are also learning to take joy in serving the people in the family who aren’t as capable, which is important to us.
In Montessori fashion, I often invite them into tasks that I am doing because children really do want to do real work. So if I’m working in the kitchen or folding dish towels or about to tackle a project, I always call them over. I’ve had to let go of some of my standards and my desire to get a job done “efficiently” but it’s been oh so worth it.
As a general rule- if the living room or toy area gets messy, we all work together to clean it up, but they only get my help as long as they are actively working. We often do it “dance party” style and play some nice upbeat music.
As far as what they’re able to do individually, here’s a general break down of chores by kid.
Gianna, age 4
As the eldest, G does the most of the chores. I can pretty much count on her to pitch in whenever I need something done, and most of the time she has a great attitude about that. Not gonna lie, I think that our book choices have helped a great deal in this department. Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Campbell, Anne Shirley, and Polly Pepper are great role models as far as chores and attitudes go.
Thursday is G’s laundry day. She is responsible for bringing down the bin that contains both her and Charlotte’s laundry, loading it in the washer, and running it. Her arms aren’t long enough to pull it out of the washer, so I help with that, but she loads it into the dryer, and then takes it back upstairs to put it away. We use cube shelves, with a basket for each type of clothes, which makes that job easier. On MWF, I run loads of diapers. G brings down the dirty load, and often helps me hang the clean diapers up on the line.
G hates cleaning her room, but if she’s convinced that it’s a task someone else will appreciate (like if I suggest that she surprise her dad with a clean room when he comes home), she is happy to do it and does a fabulous job. We have a simple picture chart up on the wall that gives her clear tasks to accomplish.
The kitchen might be where she is most helpful. G loads and unloads the dishwasher of all the items she can reach (so not the things that go in the high cabinets). She clears the table from meals can wipe down tables and counters. G also helps with meal prep- she can cut vegetables, do a good amount of baking, and carry plates to the table. She’s able to make sandwiches on her own and can get all of the supplies. She takes extra special pride in being old enough to make Gram’s breakfast and carry her coffee to her in the morning.
William, age 3
William’s laundry day is Tuesday. He brings his clothes down and then goes and fetches Gram’s dirty laundry (because together they make about one load). The key to this has been getting them small baskets that he can carry solo. He loads everything to start it, gets help switching it into the dryer, but then sorts it himself once it’s dry. He returns Gram’s to her room, and takes his own upstairs to put away.
William actually does a pretty good job tidying his room. We use the same little chart, and the clear cut directions help him. He needs supervision, otherwise the task is too big for him. We practice doing one part at a time- so we pick up all the books, then all the toys, etc.
He is great at running things back to where they belong. He happily collects all the shoes from wherever they have ended up and puts them back in the shoe baskets. He will also gladly help pick up the floor if it means he gets to help vacuum it afterwards. We have a tiny duster vacuum that he has long claimed as his.
He helps clear the table with his sister after meals, and will sometimes help wipe it down as well. He can pour his own cereal and get his own bowls, cups, and plates.
Charlotte, age 18 months
As the littlest, Charlotte does the least. Most of her practical life activities are still centered on herself- learning how to get dressed, reliably drink from a glass, and the like. But she still has regular tasks around the house. When I change her diaper, she either puts it in the trash can (if its a disposable) or in the diaper pail (if its cloth). Any wrappers or trash left over from her meals or snacks, she likewise puts in the trashcan.
She’s a pretty reliable courier, and will happily take small items to Gram for me or to her brother or sister. We let her carry plates or bowls to the table, and sometimes she helps to set it.
I’ve started teaching her to put away her laundry, so we sit together and sort it, putting each piece of clothing away one by one. It’s time consuming, but now that William and G are both on the other side of it, I’ve realized how incredibly worth it it is to have kids who are laundry independent.
It takes a lot of work on the front end to involve young kids in chores around the house, but boy, does it pay big dividends when you do! G is now, at almost 5, able to do many of her own chores without my constant help/supervision/attention, which feels really, really good.