Simplifying Your Space

I recently read an article in Montessori Parent about the importance of a simple environment.  Is your house anything like mine?  When I walk in the door, I'm bombarded with scattered shoes, jackets half-dangling from hooks, and papers everywhere.  The paper!  How do we accumulate so many pieces of paper?  I try and pick up on the weekend, but it feels like the clutter just comes back ten-fold the second the week starts again. 

And it feels stressful, doesn't it?  Sure, there is a rational part of my brain, hiding way in the back, drowned out by several other more pressing matters, that says "if you clean up, you will feel better."  But it's easy to ignore.  And it's especially easy to remain selfish about this stress.  Have you ever really thought about how it might also be causing the same feeling in your children when their areas are messy?

We as adults are taught to seek out calm spaces to help us rest and recharge.  When you think of a calm space, you might picture a spa, or a wide beach, or your bathroom, where you are miraculously alone with the door shut.  Our surroundings have a large influence on our emotions and well-being.

Children benefit tremendously from a well thought out environment as well.  Montessorians take this to heart especially, and believe that when an environment is set up appropriately, it can help a child in a myriad of ways.  The right environment fosters independence, coordination, and concentration. In the Montessori classroom, there is an intuitive sense of order that makes it easy for children to navigate around and clean up after themselves successfully.

"I can't even keep the shoes organized," you say.  "How am I supposed to replicate a Montessori classroom in my house?"  Fear not.  There are a few simple guidelines you can follow to help you on your way to creating a more simplified home environment, especially around your child's things:

Less is more: Try tucking away half of your child's toys into storage.  Maybe this is a closet, under the bed, or just a tote they can't see inside of.  With less options, you may find they become more interested on what's on their shelves.  I liken it to when you're out shopping.  Lots of options are great, but sometimes too many choices sends you home frustrated and empty-handed.  A more pared-down selection can lead to longer periods of concentration, easier cleanup, and less tension about messy spaces.

Let go:  Downsizing the toys may be easier than you think.  Take a regular pass through what you own and throw away anything that's broken.  Donate any items your child has outgrown.  Sometimes this can be a gleeful experience (like some of those baby toys whose electronic songs visit you in your sleep), and sometimes it may take some effort.  Try and do this with some of your own things, so you can model non-attachment to your children.  With regular practice, it may become second nature.

Rotate:  So you've hidden half of the toys.  Now what?  Try rotating every few weeks, moving the toys previously "out" into storage, and taking some from storage back into play.  This creates a burst of new interest in what's available, even if the toy is not new.  Follow your child's cue to know when to rotate -- if they're starting to grow uninterested in what's out, you'll know it's time to switch it up again.  They will also let you know which toys should always be available, like a "do not fly" list preventing them from being sent back into the closet.

If any of these seem feasible, I suggest trying them out!  And let us know if on the way you discovered any other helpful tips and tricks.  I'm going to see if I can apply some of these to my combination dining room/toy room/paper collection room and see if my mornings start to feel a little less crazy.

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