12 months of Montessori: February - What are Practical Life skills and why are they important?

Welcome back to another blog post. With Isaac now 16 months, we are beginning to see more of his innate drive to participate alongside us, or independently, in practical life tasks. They make up the majority of his day - preferring to come along with what I am doing rather than play with things from his shelves!

During her research, Maria Montessori found that children were far more interested in participating in real, practical life activities than they were in pretend play or experiences. As adults, we see household tasks often as negative things that we HAVE to do. Children on the other hand don't have this feeling towards them. In fact it's the opposite. They seek these opportunities, gain confidence, purpose, a sense of belonging and even joy from practical life tasks. They feel seen, valued... an important member of their household.

Practical Life tasks contribute to the development of so many skills, such as fine motor, concentration and hand-eye coordination. They also help to develop sequential thinking - being able to do things in such an order that success and completion is the outcome.

Isaac (at 16 months) helps with:

- Wiping the table after meals

- Brushing his hair

- Choosing his outfit parts

- Feeding himself

- Sweeping the floor

- Supporting with changing of his nappy

- Wiping up spills

- Pouring into/ filling a cup

- Drinking from an open cup

- Loading/ unloading the washing machine

This doesn't mean he always wants to help, nor is he made to! I might suggest getting a cloth if we have a spill, and sometimes he will go and get one. Other times, he will walk away from his spill without any bother! Montessori is about developing independence and life skills, yes, but it isn't independence at all costs, and some days the drive to be involved is stronger than others. Follow your child, their interests, their path of the day - but offer involvement, let them be part of the household processes... even if it does take longer, look messier or seem boring to you!

We have a Practical Life guide in our shop outlining tonnes of ways you can involve your little one around the house, as well as activities that will help fuel their innate desire for practising real life experiences! SHOP HERE (Free for MEMBERS to download HERE!)