"The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence."

DR. MARIA MONTESSORI

"What can we be doing at home?" "Do we need to purchase these materials for our home?"

These questions are frequently asked when parents first join our Montessori community. The greatest approach parents can do to help their Montessori child be even more successful is to mirror the environment in terms of set up and expectation. This does not mean it is expected for each child to have their own set of complete Montessori materials. It means providing opportunities of being independent, such as, cleaning up after themselves or taking responsibility for their own belongings. The youngest children love being able to do the everyday tasks we adults do. They take pride in their work and accomplishments and thrive from "doing it themselves".

We can help them achieve this independence at home, too, by preparing the environment for them. Look at each room in your home:

• Is there a space for your child to do their work? Perhaps a small table? Is there a shelf of activities to choose from?
• Do they have access to pour their own water, help prepare food and reach and choose their own clothing?
• Can they look in the mirror without having a boost to brush their own hair or teeth?
• Are the eating and kitchen utensils they are using real?

Setting up your home environment for the child to be successful is work for the adult in the beginning, however once prepared, the ease of letting the child take on the tasks and responsibility will flourish. Besides, who doesn't want to "do it themselves?"