Your child’s bedroom is their environment, and when we customize it so that they can feel comfortable and be independent within their rooms, they learn to be more independent. There are different ways you can make a Montessori friendly bedroom for a young child. The goal is to allow your child to do as much on their own as possible.
Start with the bed
You have several options for the child’s bed itself. You can place the mattress directly on the floor, so the child doesn’t need any help getting in or out of bed. If you have a bed frame or bedroom set you’re using, and the child is a bit small, placing a step stool near the bed allows them to climb in and out on their own.
Make their dresser easy to navigate
If they have a tall dresser vs. a long dresser, move the clothes they need daily to drawers they can reach. If there are any dress code rules for school (i.e., no fantasy characters), separate out any items that aren’t school friendly and move them to another drawer for home/weekend wear only. Separate clothes into drawers as you usually would. Make sure the child knows where their school clothes are – socks & undies, shirts, and tops.
Make their closet accessible
If you have a custom closet system, great, you probably have hanging racks your child can easily reach on their own. However, if you have a more traditional closet with a single hanging rod, then you may need to buy a closet extender that’s designed to provide additional storage space for an adult but is the perfect height for a child. Hang your child’s clothes on the low racks or the closet extender so that they can reach and pick out their clothing.
Add hooks they can reach
Children, like adults, have hanging items in their bedrooms. However, they can’t reach the standard hooks on most bedroom doors. By placing a hook lower on the door, you can let your child hang their towel, their robe, their jacket, whatever they want to hang up in their room.
Have a bookshelf at their level
If you have a tall bookshelf in your child’s room, set the books up on the lower shelves where they’re within reach. If you have a low bookshelf, you’re set.
Limit toys in their room
To foster better sleep, so they’re ready for the new day, limit the toys in their room. Keep the distractions to a minimum. Sure, it’s nice to keep all the toys in their room and out of the rest of the house, but then it’s harder for them to associate the bedroom with sleep, not playtime and it can be harder for them to unwind and relax at bedtime.
Taking these steps to make your child’s room work better for them is one way you can continue to support their Montessori education at home. In your child’s classroom, the environment is designed with them in mind, and everything is within their reach. Watch your child in their room and see where they need an adult’s help and start making changes there. The more you allow your child to do on their own the more independent they will become.
