NO TOYS IN A MONTESSORI TODDLER BEDROOM

Do you ever wonder why you shouldn’t keep toys in a Montessori toddler bedroom?

During this session of Montessori Mondays with Holly, we talked about why there should be no toys in a Montessori toddler bedroom. Watch the show above and click here to join the Facebook group.

 

 

One question that I get a lot when I do Montessori home assessments is WHY can’t you put your child’s toys in their room? And to be fair it’s a great question. I would assume a large portion of us parents grew up with toys in our bedrooms. We were raised in the “be seen and not heard” parenting phase. 

The phrase “a child should be seen and not heard” is no longer widely accepted and it’s my belief (and Maria Montessori’s) that toys in the bedroom during these younger years should be a thing of the past as well. 

Let’s talk about why!

 

Reason One There Should Be No Toys In A Montessori Toddler Bedroom

Montessori splits the home up into 4 sections:

• area of work or movement
• the area for sleep
• area for feeding
• the area for physical care

Notice that the area for work or movement is separate from an area for sleep.

This is because work or movement is a distraction from sleep

Toys and play are often referred to as “work” in a Montessori setting. This is because children need to use brainpower to use the Montessori materials as opposed to an active toy that requires no brain stimulation to operate like a button that gets pushed and lights and music go off. 

When you have these Montessori materials in your child’s room they will want to work with them to play with them. Even at the young age of 2 months old a child can easily be distracted by their Montessori materials. At that age, it would be the mobiles that would keep them working but at a later stage, there will be much more that can distract your child. 

Help your child understand that their bedroom is a place for sleep by leaving the toys out and skip the struggle with nap time!

If this is something you do need help with then you are in luck! Right now the 4 Days To a Montessori Home Challenge is open for registration and this is exactly the sort of stuff we help parents do during our 4 days together. I won’t get into that just yet though.

 

The Second Reason Why You Shouldn’t Have Toys In The Bedroom. 

Montessori gives freedom within limits to create independence.

As I just mentioned Montessori gives young children a lot of freedoms that a traditional parenting style would not, like a floor bed as an infant. If you have a Montessori-style floor bed or a toddler bed your child will have the freedom to roam the room which would make the materials or toys a huge distraction from sleep.

The entire idea behind this is so that the child is not restricted and they are free to roam the room. As your child gets older they will be able to move about independently in their room. If there are toys or distractions in their room it will hinder their sleep.

So now that you’ve heard my case for Not having toys in the bedroom where should you put them? Well, that’s exactly what we will be talking about during our 4 days to a Montessori home challenge. If you haven’t already joined us then be sure to go to thistoddlerlife.com/montessori-challenge and get signed up. 

 

4 Days To A Montessori Home Challenge 

We will be starting on Jan 18th and this challenge is always amazing! You won’t want to be late to the party. 

During this challenge, we will walk you through small changes that create HUGE benefits like knowing exactly which toys your child will play with for longer periods of time!

Imagine what you could do with 30 extra minutes of free time! 

We will take your main living space from overwhelmed free grammar check, cluttered, and unorganized to a beautifully prepared area for your child to flourish in. 

Don’t worry – you don’t need #allthethings, OR expensive materials, OR a million Pinterest ideas! 

All you need to do is show up ready to transform your home! Join the challenge here! 

 

 

Do you currently keep toys in your Montessori toddler bedroom? Will you be joining us for the challenge? Let us know in the comments!