Montessori Practical Life - Doing the Washing
Today I'm sharing a few pictures of Otis helping with the washing. Both of my children know how to use the washing machine and Otis loves to help in the laundry. My message to other parents is to get out the way, allow your children to help where they can and encourage their participation!
By helping around the home children learn life skills, they develop and strengthen their coordination and fine motor skills, they learn that they are valued, that they can make a real contribution!
If Otis wants to help with the washing I take the time to put a few small items in his laundry trolley. He knows he can hang these out. He can then wait until they are dry and put them away. I don't overload him, but I make him responsible for a few small pieces of clothing, usually socks and underwear or a few shirts. Sometimes it's the napkins or washcloths.
Our child sized Clothes Line and Laundry Trolley are c/o Child.com.au. The Clothes Line and Laundry Trolley are also available separately. These sets sell out quickly, so if you are wanting them for Christmas I recommend ordering as soon as possible. The Clothes Line comes with pegs (not pictured) and takes around ten minutes to set up. The Laundry Trolley has a removable basket which can be used separately. The Clothes Line and Laundry Trolley would stand up to use in a Montessori toddler environment or children's house.
I hope you enjoyed this little peek into what Otis gets up to! Remember while the child is engaged and interested, it's never too late (or too early) to introduce real, practical life activities into the home!
(If you are in the US, Montessori Services has some good child sized laundry materials here.)