Incorporating Montessori principles...

It is important to me that as we home school our children their education is applicable to life situations. I want  their education to be as hands on as possible. There are times when we have to do quiet sit down work, but, I want this to take as little time as possible.

Here are some ways we are trying to make our home more kid friendly.

 There are a couple ways are making our kitchen kid friendly. One way is to bring the kid's dishes down to their level. That way they can reach their dishes to set the table, reach a cup to get water, reach a fork to scramble eggs. Another way we are making our kitchen kid friendly is by having the kiddo's help out in the kitchen. Added to Madeline's chores in the morning has been to get the scrambled eggs ready for the frying pan. Mark or I turn the burner on under the frying pan and then we stand beside her at the stove while she cooks the eggs. She loves being apart of creating our meals. We are going to start teaching the kid's to wash, peel, and cut fruit and veggie's. I'm also hoping that making my kiddos part of the food prep will help them be even better eater's.

We bought a kid size broom, mop, and dust pan. My kid's love sweeping!  I have also retired old socks and my kid's put them on their hands and use those to dust around the house.

I have my kid's take the sheets off of their beds.  Maddie takes the sheets off and the twins bring them to the basement door so I can throw them down the steps. The twins then go down the stairs and take the sheets to the washing machine. Maddie gets clean sheets and places them on each bed and her and I make the beds together.

Mark and I are looking for small rakes and shovels for the kid's to help with yard work. The more I can teach my kiddo's to do, the more I  know they will be equipped when it is time for them to go out in the world. The more they can do, the easier my day becomes.