AUTONOMOUS IN MY SPACE

Back to school is fast approaching with everything it entails. The return to class, the slowly returning routine, the summer rhythm that gives way to the schedule (a little!) more busy autumn. Yes, yes! It feels like we're going back to a new school year.   However, it is possible to put small things in place to make the transition more enjoyable. You don't have to start the year already out of breath and stressed.   As a parent, you have a lot to think about and don't forget! At some point, don't be afraid to delegate a little! In this article, I offer you small ideas to inspire a softer autumn by allowing your minis to gain more autonomy and independence.     A home for children! My house, I love it very much. I arrange it to be to my liking and to find it pretty. This house, we share all 6 and it is important for me that it is suitable for everyone. I'm not talking about putting a fence at the top of stairs or child locks on some cupboard doors! I want to put things in place so that my children are independent in their space. So that they can own it too.   I really like the ideas of Montessori pedagogy which proposes to trust the child and let him learn to do it on his own. In this way, he develops his autonomy and this allows me to entrust him with certain tasks.   For the rest, let's keep in mind Maria Montessori's famous phrase: "Teach me to do it alone." Here we go!     The games room, their kingdom The games room is where children spend a lot of time. It is important to understand that this is their place, their kingdom! It is annoying if every time they want a toy, they have to ask for help because it is not within their reach or it is stored in a place that is not accessible to them. It makes them dependent on the adult and it is the opposite of the objective. So in the playroom, it's best to leave the toys up to the children's standards.   To make them more independent, opt for different small bins rather than a large tray containing all the toys. This way, the toys are better ranked and it will be easier for children to find what they are looking for. The Labels not Les Belles Combines for toy bins are interesting because they are illustrated. So a mini who can't read can still easily identify the contents of the bin.   At daycare, my children know that they can only go out one bin at a time, but at home they play simultaneously with dinosaurs, animals, dragons, small cars and Lego. Yes, yes! All at the same time! It's joy when it's time to pick up! There's stock everywhere! If your children do the same thing, I have the pleasure of telling you that with well-labelled bins, even a two-year-old coconut can easily identify in which bin its toys go. Why not give them responsibility for this piece? Not when you're two! But at 3, 4 or 5 years old, they are able to store properly. They can even be rewarded by giving them a cube for the General Store. Why not a 2^Ecube if everything is stored without whining and in collaboration?   For storage of bins, do it with your children. Their favourite toys will be placed in the places they choose. It gives them a beautiful sense of control and pride. If you have a lot of diverse toys, don't hesitate to rotate bins. When children play less with a type of toy, put it away for a while and pull it out later. It will be as if they rediscover the toy and interest should come back very quickly! If not, it may be time to get rid of this type of toys.   Also, it is important to mention that toys are left available to children, but depending on their age, there may be games that are dangerous (small pieces, fragile) or that they prefer to use under supervision (some games of Kinetic sand). These can be left higher on the shelves!     Pencils, paint and all the tralala! I love DIY! Coloring, drawing, stencils, playdough. It took a while for my minis to get involved in these kinds of activities. Now they love it and they develop their creativity day by day! The problem is that the hardware, it always ends up being a huge mess. We can't find anything, we lose things... To remedy the situation, we opted for the IKEA service (R-SKOG) to 3 baskets. This allows us to classify coloring books and sheets for drawings. In the top basket, I placed three magazine holders (one for each of my grown-ups) to store their works. That's less leaves all over the place. When they have finished a drawing, if you don't hang it to expose it, you put it in their magazine holder. Also as the trolley has wheels, it is easy to move and can easily go to the games room when the artistic creation period is over. For pencils (felt, wood, wax), scissors, glue sticks, they are always available to children. They are stored in small containers attached to the trolley. Children can take the desired container and bring it to the table to work. When tidying up, children know what container each thing is going to contain.   Tidy library to better navigate! For the library, my minis are not yet readers. Although we have a fine selection of books, the types of books are still little varied. We have a lot of albums, documentaries, storybooks. Usually, we categorize them by themes (dinosaurs, animals, fairy tales, Disney, etc.). This way, my boys are able to quickly find the book they are looking for even if they can't read. We have also installed a small display for the star books. These are the favorite books of the moment or those that are short of reading. It allows them to keep them close without always having to go back to pick up in the furniture.   As my grown-up begins his first year, the little novels will quietly appear. So we can add a special little section. Yes! When he is more comfortable, we can classify novels according to their literary genres! I can't wait!     The kitchen, the space you gain to share!     To allow my children to be more present in the kitchen, I bought a step. The Montessori pedagogy proposes the learning tower which is actually a step with ramps ensuring safety for the young child who climbs there. It's a really interesting and versatile piece of equipment. At home, the ramps were not necessary, my children learned to be very careful not to fall. The walker, for example, allows the child to be at the right height to fill his glass of water alone at the sink; accompany ingem in meal preparation fetch things from the cupboards or pantry. All in all, it really makes him more self-reliant!   Some families store cutlery in drawers or in bottom cupboards. In this way, children have access to it and can set the table alone or serve themselves for lunch independently. This is not yet the case for us. Having a young toddler who starts to move and explore, I prefer to take out the dishes on the counter and let my grown-ups take over. Eventually, I'm thinking of putting it on a tablet that is accessible to them, but not for now.       My little lunch!   Our big challenge this year is to give my big one more room for his lunches. He is starting his first year and is still small. However, I want to slowly begin to give him more freedom and responsibility. Even if I prepare his meal bowl, he could easily choose his snack and dessert. That's why I changed the tablet snacks in the pantry. They are now up to it. I also stuck the Labels Beautiful Combines on my snack bins to make it easier for him to identify what is considered a dessert and as a snack. Not to mention theLabel in his lunch box to make sure he has everything he needs for his meal!   I hope that these little ideas will inspire you a little and that, if you do not already, you will try to put small things in place to further develop the autonomy of your minis!   At home, where are you places to give your children more control?