(adapted from a post to our private Instagram group from May, 2023. Session families can join to read them all, and I occasionally share a favorite here.)
This morning, a child walked into the entryway, sat down in the shoe chair, took off her own shoes, set them on the bench, and excitedly walked to the gate. After a quick reminder, she carefully placed them under a hook and then (on her own!) remembered to hang up her pink straw hat before heading into the classroom.
This independence doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the sum of a thousand small moments of consistent modeling, invitations to practice, and scaffolding. Though it may seem like a little thing, the confidence and sense of order built by these kinds of self- and environment-care tasks carry over into every kind of task, big and small. These are the basis of Montessori, and of life.
A challenge: for the next week, commit to letting your child take care of taking off her own shoes, as she is able.
For a crawler, this might mean showing how the velcro or elastic moves, and inviting her to explore it.
For a young toddler, it could look like getting the back of the shoe over his heel, and then inviting him to finish taking it off.
For an older toddler, the challenge might be remembering to put the shoes into a pair in their designated spot once they’re off.
Then, try to extend that to gymnastics, Grandma’s house, and anywhere else. Even if it takes a little bit longer or a little more involvement from you. I know it’s easier to take them off yourself (I did for my own kids, and wish I had had someone to give and explain this advice!), but the time you spend on supporting this transition will pay off for your child and for you, I promise. One responsibility grows into another. It’s a little like magic.
(It doesn’t have to be shoes. Choose one thing that your child is ready to do independently on a consistent basis, and just start.)