Self-Care in a Montessori Child

I just wanted to reach out and talk about independence. As we continue during the Winter Season, children start to wear thicker jackets, sweaters, etc. One of the things that we work on as a class is having children learn how to hang their jackets up on a hanger, as well as put it on themselves.

When they learn to put on their jackets, we show them the Montessori Flip. We first have them place their jacket on the floor/table, with the tag by their toes. They then put their hands inside the arm holes and flip the whole jacket over their head. I am attaching a video so you can watch it and follow up on it at home. It creates more Independence for your child, as well as teaches them Self-Care. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoSGaJCWhOw

When they are putting their jackets away, we again lay out the jacket on a table and show them where to place the hanger, and show them the initial step of zipping up the coat. This helps them understand Care of the Environment. When they learn to put things away in their proper places and learn how to take care of themselves, it promotes independence. It allows the child to function without the aid of a parent, and it also allows the parent freedom from these tasks. These are tasks that a child can do but it will take some time for them to master them, so don’t expect any miracles immediately. As you keep having your child work on these tasks, your child understands that you will not give in and help them as much. They understand that they will need to work without a parent telling them what to do, or how to do it. As they start to understand that, they will continue to follow it as they grow older, without asking for as much assistance. 

I hope this helps in working with your child and helping them through tasks in their life.

-Caterpillar Classroom