5 Montessori roadblocks and how to overcome them
Jun 8, 2018 - Montessori Philosophy - By Carine Robin
When it comes to implementing the Montessori principles at home, many parents express that they are stuck because of 5 major roadblocks.
It might seem impossible at first but all those roadblocks can be overcome.
1. Budget:
It is true that authentic Montessori materials are expensive. However, that material was designed for a school use. Wooden toys are also expensive.
However, it’s not necessary to have everything made of natural material neither to have the whole range of Montessori material.
Maria Montessori discovered how the children learn best and what they needed to reveal their own potential.
If you follow those principles without being to rigid (It’s ok to keep your plastic stacking rings!), you can start today with zero budget.
Your child can help in the kitchen. You can sort his toys in small containers that you have already. Reuse shoe boxes, Tupperware ore even the plastic containers from your store-bought vegetables.
Have a look in your local charity shops to find toys that you can repurpose, every day objects for a treasure basket and so on.
2. Time:
Being a parent is a full-time job, 24h 7/7 job. It might seem that understanding and applying the Montessori method at home is an extra thing to do on your already overflowing to do list. However, if you embrace the principles, that should simplify your everyday life.
Yes, at first, teaching your child to put on his coat will slow you down. But step by step, you will help your child to be more and more independent, which in turn will give you more free time.
Parents also complain that they don’t have time to read about Montessori. They want to learn about the method, the principles but they don’t have the time to delve in. Not to mention, that our brain is a bit mushy when we have young children. Consider joining a course for parents to learn step by step how to incorporate the Montessori principles in your home.
Watch this video about 5 tips to start Montessori at home!
3. Space:
What we see about Montessori on the Internet is often far from your reality. It seems that every Montessori bloggers out there lives in a bright and spacious house. For me who lives in the UK, it was quite depressing as our standard houses are quite small.
However, there is a way to make any residence of any size, Montessori. I love the blog 3 minutes Montessori for that reason. They lived in a small flat in London and they are now back in Singapore where their flat is equally small.
The space doesn’t matter. It’s always possible to add a hook, to free a drawer, to be clever with storage solutions and so on.
4. Being overwhelmed:
When I started my Montessori journey, the information about the method on the Internet were practically non-existent. I used my training and I took inspiration from 2 books.
I didn’t feel I was in competition with anyone else on the Internet because they were so few blogs anyway. I made my own little activities without being lost on Pinterest.
For my second, 4 years later, the online world had changed drastically, and I started to feel overwhelmed very quickly and even, not good enough as I wasn’t doing as much as I saw other doing online.
For my own family’s sanity, I streamlined my online presence and search to focus on the Montessori principles, once more.
If you don’t know where to start, reading a book is always a good start or again trust a Montessori guide and take on an online course.
5. Clutter:
One of the major roadblocks I come across, while working with families in their own home, is the parents’s clutter.
To be honest, it was a big issue in my own life too until 4 years ago when I started a long decluttering process. If you feel that it’s your issue, I would start with decluttering your own belongings before attempting to make changes for your children.
You are your children’s role model and as soon as you start to put your own house in order, they will follow and develop their own sense of order. The KonMari process helped me a lot but I had my own way of decluttering my children’s belonging .
Do you want to learn more about Montessori as a parent? You can start my e-course anytime!
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About the Author: Carine Robin is a qualified and experienced Montessori teacher and founder of The Montessori Family. With over 15 years of experience, Carine offers a blend of professional insight and personal understanding as a mother of two and qualified child psychologist. Inspired by the success of her Montessori subscription box, she created The Montessori Family to provide a comprehensive resource for parents and teachers globally. This platform aims to support child growth and well-being through curated educational activities. Additionally, Carine maintains the UK's most popular Montessori blog and administers the largest Montessori UK Facebook group, making her a central figure in the Montessori community.
