Montessori Mondays - The Educational Mess

Montessori materials are designed to have a self corrective element which allows children to teach themselves. A lot of times, especially for toddlers, that self corrective element includes the making of, what adults would call, a mess. If a tray is tilted too far stainless steel cups fall loudly to the floor, if a sponge is not right over the bowl for sponge squeezing some water falls on the table or floor - all simple messes that help a child hone the tiny muscles in their hands or refine hand eye coordination. These messes can also lead to wonderful moments for teaching little ones how to care for their environment by wiping up spills, sweeping the floor, or even washing their hands. These same messes, though, can also test our patience as adults and we begin our hardest to try and prevent them. This can work against both us and our children. The next few Monday posts for this new year will address the "educational mess," including some suggestions of what to do if your child begins making messes on purpose. Thanks for reading!