Our classroom is (intentionally, believe it or not) full of spills, so it’s also (intentionally) full of ways to clean them up: mop, brooms, sponges, cloths. We–again, intentionally–make space for the children to be a part of this work, and even the very youngest can and do join in.
Can you picture me back in 2021, pondering which cloths from Target and IKEA would be best? Can you picture me thinking, as time went on, about how I could make them better fit a toddler’s hands? (And buying a serger to do it?)
I happily toss all of that aside for the moment, though, when a child notices a spill and–without an adult’s intervention–gets a kleenex to wipe it up. I can suggest the cloth another day.
Our values as parents have an important place in the structure of our homes and families (or, as teachers, in the structure of the community). I have my reasons for using mostly cloth: sustainability, yes, but also to support the sense that the materials have a lasting place in our shared classroom and to position them as a resource that requires care.
But Montessori is, at its core, about respecting and following the child. If a toddler is resourceful enough to see a need, strategize about how to meet it, and then execute, to me, that’s more than just cute. It’s remarkable, and it’s worth honoring.
Extend this to all the times we might be tempted to assume that our plans are: better, smarter, wiser.
The next time you find yourself in a situation where you could share your perspective a little later in order to allow your child’s whole self to unfold a little bit more right now, you might ask yourself:
When is a kleenex better than a cloth? When it’s just the thing that allows the child’s independence to outshine the adult’s intentions.
I’m Jessica Brown, an AMS certified Montessori teacher, and at Clementine, we offer caregiver-child classes for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers…like mommy-and-me, but more.
We learn and chat about topics like this one both in and out of the classroom.
If you’re local to Libertyville/northern Lake County, IL and are interested in finding more about our community, I’d love to hear from you!