Sarah Shares: I can do it!

“I can do it!” 

Have you ever picked your child up from school and noticed their shoes are switched? Or that their jacket is upside down? This morning at dismissal, the hood of one young friend’s jacket was dangling down the back of his legs like some sort of special “butt warmer,” as he bounded out the door to meet his grown-up. 

This is not a sign of Wacky Wednesday—it is a sign of independence! Learning to take off and put on one’s shoes and dress oneself are important skills of self care that take time, practice, and repetition to learn how to do. 

As Dr. Montessori realized, a drive to learn is innate in child development, and helping children “do it myself” is the best preparation for life. Every part of the Montessori approach is designed to support children’s agency in learning and independence. Progress in each part of a process is important, perhaps even more so than the product in itself. Quickly correcting, doing it for them, or calling it “wrong” can take away the pride a child has for what they have accomplished, and also doesn’t ultimately help children to learn. 

Instead, think about what more you can help your child to do for themselves at home. They can take their plate to the sink, or clean up a spill. They can put their clothes in the laundry basket at the end of the day. They can choose their clothes for school and take part in getting dressed. They can take pride in the ways that they improve in these skills over time. And we can too!