The Reason Parents Should Get Ready in The Morning

While I am sure there are all kinds of reasons to get ready in the morning, the one that finally got me was, of course, rooted in Montessori.

I've been talking a lot about how children learn from what we model, and because of this, I have realized there are two Montessori-inspired reasons I should take special care with my appearance at the start of our day together.

My first clue that I did not 'make myself presentable' for the day often enough was one day, when I had dressed and applied makeup for a trip to town, that Jerome came up to me, and in a reverent tone, said, "mommy, can I touch you?"

Like he hardly recognized me.

Not that I think women need to wear makeup every day, but you should see my hair most days.

Anyway . . . moving on.


First of all: Children are attracted by their environment.

This is why Montessori environments lay the works out on shelves in beautiful baskets and trays. Why art work is hung low enough for children to admire. Why natural wood and textiles and breakable items are encouraged.

And in the home, I am one of the most important components for attracting the children to the environment, to meaningful work.

If - above all - the teacher were slovenly, ill-mannered and harsh to the children, then the basic essentials would be lacking for the goal at which she aims. Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

I prepare our environment and try to keep our spaces tidy and attractive, all to entice the boys to learn, to concentrate, to engage in their environment.

But if I am always in my pajamas, my hair a mess, with no morning routine to begin our day, we have fallen behind, and into unproductive habits, before we have even started.

Second of all: Taking proper care of myself and making myself presentable for the day is a habit I will instill in my children only if I model it for them.

When I brush my teeth in the morning, when I am choosing my clothing, when I am making my bed, I always have two eager spectators.

Teaching them to take care of themselves, to respect their bodies and to have productive habits will be most effective if I model them myself.

As I mentioned in my last post on the importance of modeling the type of behavior I would like to see my children imitate, my children will learn much more readily from my actions than from my words.

I want them to respect themselves, to take care of their bodies, to be well-mannered and capable adults. All of these habits start with simple building blocks today.




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God bless,
Olivia Fischer