How and why declutter your home?
Monti Family Corp
|
Have you ever wanted to declutter your home?
Adapting the environment is one of the pillars of Montessori education, along with the absorbing mind, sensitive periods and the development of autonomy. Did you know that the layout of our home plays an essential role in the development of our child's skills? Spaces that are clear, organized and orderly allow for more discoveries in the best possible conditions..
Maria Montessori stressed the importance of a prepared environment for the child. Outer order reflects inner order. For the child, it's even more important than that, since the external order will help build his inner order!
Decluttering to organize: let's try to make sense of it all!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declutter your home for greater clarity
The sensitive period of order begins in the first months of life. And it lasts right up to your child's 6th birthday! No, children are not naturally messy - on the contrary! Have you ever seen a 2-year-old put a bar of soap back on his soap dish, even though it had been placed next to it? Or put back two messy slippers side by side... Watch your children carefully, and you'll notice a lot of order-related behavior in a day!
Responding to this need for order starts with de-cluttering your home! In our modern society, children often have an impressive number of toys from an early age. They play with them, then quickly lose interest in them. There are toys all over the house, in their bedroom, in the living room, in the study... it becomes unmanageable for the parents, and unusable for the child! That's when it's time to DESENCOMBRATE!
Here are some best practices for purifying your child's space.
Young children have a characteristic love of order (...) Small children cannot live in disorder; it upsets them and makes them suffer.
-Maria Montessori-'s child
Check that toys are in good working order
When you decide to declutter your home, take a look at the toys. Some may be broken, damaged or incomplete (torn book, puzzle with missing pieces, etc.). It's time to sort out ! The same goes for toys that no longer meet your child's needs.
Is my child still interested in this toy?
If a toy is unused, give it a second life! Suggest that your child donate to a charity or sell any toys that no longer interest him or are no longer suitable for his age group.
Keep 1 or 2 games for each theme
Have you ever thought of giving your child just 2 puzzles, 2 construction sets, 2 imitation games, etc.? In addition to de-cluttering the homethis will prevent them from getting confused about what to choose!
Few choices encourage free choice!
Avoid over-simulation With too many toys at his disposal, your child will feel lost and won't even know which one to turn to. If over-stimulated, children risk becoming scattered and not fully engaged in an activity.
In this case, select the games and toys available and put the others away for a set period of time.
Rotate games and books
To keep your home clutter-free, you can plan to rotating games and books. Once again, not taking them all out at the same time will allow the child to focus on the ones that are available.
Making games accessible
In Montessori pedagogy, all activities are visible and accessible, without any adult help. What a joy for toddlers seeking autonomy! They can access their toys independently. The Montessori shelf is perfectly suited to this purpose.
De-cluttering your home requires organization, but will bring you and your child great visual comfort.
It will be necessary to eliminate all waste garbage cansand reorganize storage. You can still keep small baskets, if possible without lids, and with a single theme each time: animal figurines, toy cars, modeling clay... and so on.
In feng shui, too, it's important to do away with bric-a-brac. Feng shui is an ancestral art that involves the design of our living spaces to help us feel better every day.
Decluttering and the "prepared environment" so dear to Maria Montessori
The design of your home is a real development tool for your child! A well-prepared environment nurtures your child's needs according to his or her stage of development. In this way, you encourage your child's mobility, language development, sensory education and access to independence.... all without unnecessary adult intervention!
One of the most important and mysterious sensitive periods is that which makes the young child sensitive to order.
This occurs in the first year of life and continues into the second.
-Maria Montessori-'s child
Declutter your home to promote independence
This applies to every room in your home: with uncluttered storage organized by room and type of activity, you set your child's bearings. He understands that every object has its place. This is very reassuring for him, and extremely favorable to his explorations, independently and in complete safety!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A decluttered home for a serene family
There you have it: de-cluttering your home has many advantages. Now it's a question of staying the course and not letting the clutter get the better of you again.
An organized environment is the basis for your child's serene development. His environment is no longer a hindrance to his explorations, and even gives him a sense of security. He can devote all his energy to his chosen activity, without being distracted from it.
And for us adults, minimalism is supposedly liberating!
Now you've got the key to de-cluttering your home, for greater peace of mind and easier day-to-day living. There are so many benefits, for young and old alike!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you passionate about Montessori education?
Join our parenting support program now!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To love is to share
Previous article