Day 7: Rest & Reflect
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We’re at the end of the first week of the #30daystoMontessori challenge, so today I want to invite you to relax and reflect on the changes you have or have not made this week.
Appreciate what’s working and troubleshoot what’s not. Not every solution is going to work for every family or classroom, but I truly believe that Montessori is for Everyone.
Today, I wanted to take the opportunity to address the biggest concern that readers have voiced this week.
The Previous Montessori Challenges
Just as a recap, so far we’ve:
- Started the Challenge
- Created a Self-Serve Montessori Set-up
- Enjoyed a Montessori Snack Time
- Considered Using Real Materials (& Tools)
- Set Up a Practical Life Invitation
- (Started)Establishing Order in Your Child’s Environment
I love hearing what people’s reservations are with certain challenges, as it helps me to go back and make the posts more inclusive and clear. A few readers have voiced concerns with their children messing up a Montessori-style self-serve area.
If your child truly cannot handle a self-serve area, there are plenty of alternatives that still achieve the same purpose. For example, Vanessa from Mama’s Happy Hive is participating in the challenge and she has a great set-up with a basket in a kitchen closet! So, an option is to have a basket for you to bring out (or your child to gather) when it comes time to set the table.
I have children aged 1-6 years old in my kitchen every weekday and I will admit, the cups get grabbed, the utensils are sometimes thrown onto the floor — but I think of it as part of the learning process. Whenever a child makes a mess or throws anything, I ask them to pick it up, and if they can’t (or refuse to) do it themselves, I put my hand over their hand and help them, while also saying “we don’t throw cups, cups stay on the table,” etc. Eventually, they figure it out and you realize that it’s been a week since you’ve had to tidy up the area.
Kids don’t magically stop testing limits. A child just doesn’t hit a specific age where they stop wanting to throw things; they have to throw, and they have to have some consequence or correction many times before the behaviour will stop. This is normal and healthy… and frustrating at times.
I really want to encourage you to trust and believe in your children throughout this challenge.
There will be times when your child just completely rejects an activity, but there will also be times when they relish others, and they are all learning opportunities for us as well, in learning what our child’s interests, learning styles, and little quirks are.
So, what have you been excelling with or struggling with this week? Please leave a comment or connect with me on social media. I’d love to hear from you.
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There are a lot of other options that still accomplish what you want to do, even if your youngster isn’t mature enough to manage a self-service area.
I absolutely agree.
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It’s a great reminder that setbacks are part of learning, for both children and parents.
It’s a great reminder that setbacks are part of learning, for both children and parents.
I couldn’t agree more.
There’s a very down-to-earth honesty here — cups get thrown, utensils hit the floor, and it can be frustrating.
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In the first week of the #30daystoMontessori challenge, I tried to apply a few small changes in the way I organized my child’s study corner and saw clear results. It’s like playing Drift Boss — not every steering wheel is perfect, but each small adjustment helps me go further. The important thing is to persevere and be willing to adjust when it’s not suitable.
There’s a very down-to-earth honesty here — cups get thrown, utensils hit the floor, and it can be frustrating.
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Thanks for the gentle reminder to pause and reflect! I loved how you emphasized that Montessori works for every family differently—appreciating small wins and adjusting what doesn’t fit makes this approach so adaptable. Keep inspiring us! 😊
Love the gentle pause to appreciate small wins—during my own Day 7-style reset, a few mindful minutes with my journal helps me decompress before re-engaging with our Montessori routines.
What a great reset idea! Thanks for sharing and stopping by!
Thanks for the gentle reminder to pause and reflect—celebrating small wins helps me return calmer, and a brief break with between activities actually helps me reset.
Glad this helped you out! Thanks for stopping by!
Reflection is key. I’m finding simplifying our toy rotation impactful, but the morning rush remains tricky. Perhaps a visual schedule?
Visual schedules are such an amazing way to include kids and empower them in how their mornings are structured. I’m a big fan and use them every day!
This Day 7 reflection is so needed! It’s crucial to appreciate what’s working. I totally agree Montessori is for everyone, but every family is unique. Sometimes I wonder if taking a personality test could help parents better understand their child’s unique needs for establishing order!!
It definitely couldn’t hurt – great idea! Thanks for stopping by!
Okay, so ‘Day 7: Rest & Reflect’ reminded me that even Montessori can be messy sometimes! I’m just picturing my kiddo with those cups. Maybe this Sugar, Spice & Glitter site can help me refine my forgecalculator approach to snack time. Thoughts while waiting for my coffee, ya know?
Okay, so week 7 of the #30daystoMontessori challenge. Good to know we’re all surviving (and hopefully thriving!) in the world of carefully curated learning experiences. Reflecting is key, right?
Okay, so week 1 of #30daystoMontessori is done. Feeling like a slightly bewildered but hopeful parent/educator – definitely appreciating the reflection and troubleshooting advice! It’s nice to know the Montessori philosophy *can* be for everyone, even when it feels like a whole new language at first. 😊
Day 7, reflection time! It’s great to hear Montessori is for *everyone* – sometimes I think it’s just for kids who *really* appreciate the quiet and order. 😉
This week I tried organizing the self-service area according to the suggestions, and the children learned to get things themselves, although it was a bit messy at times. What I found most interesting was how the children started cleaning up after themselves after playing. Thank you for the inspiration!
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