What If I Heard About Montessori When My Child Was "Too Old"?

What if your child was already past toddlerhood when you learned about Montessori?

Is it too late for you to start?

I have heard this question many times, and wanted to answer it here on the blog because I feel so strongly about the answer.

No, absolutely not. It is never too late to start implementing Montessori in the home. In fact, I think you may be surprised by the way you may have already been incorporating Montessori principles in your home.

First of all, I don't believe you've completely failed your child by not practicing Montessori with them from birth. So if that thought has ever crept in, I encourage you to crumple it up and throw it right back out.

An adult can assist in shaping the environment, but it is the child who perfects his own being. [ Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood ]

Maria Montessori believed that the child is ultimately their own creator.

Which basically means that you can be assured that your child will have followed their inner guide, finding ways to fulfill their needs to the best of their abilities, whether you were aware and prepared to help these efforts or not.

Following your child and preparing the environment from a young age helps the child more easily find ways to satisfy the needs of their sensitive periods, but every child is a master at finding what they need to develop.

The greatest reason I believe children can never be too old for Montessori

Now for the greatest reason I believe it is never too late to start incorporating Montessori principles in your home (and why your children are never too old for Montessori).

One of the most important philosophies in the Montessori method is the idea that children are worthy of respect, that they deserve to be treated as fully capable human beings.

Your child is never too old for this.

• Never too old for you to start, or continue, respecting all reasonable forms of activity: not interrupting or interfering with children when they are concentrating, hard at work, problem-solving

• Never too old to be given age-appropriate tasks and practical life chores in the home 

• Never too old to be treated as a person capable of succeeding, contributing, and adding to the home in a meaningful way

• Never too old for you to follow them, responding to their needs and interests with enthusiasm, a willingness to listen and engage with them about what they want to share with you, and an effort to provide what they need in order to pursue their interests and fulfill developmental needs

• Never too old for the benefit of a prepared environment; a plant of their own to take care of to add a little nature and beauty to their room, tastefully chosen artwork they love hung at a level they can enjoy

How and Where to start?

So, even if your child is already seven, or ten, or twelve:

1. Read the Secret of Childhood by Maria Montessori and The Essential Montessori by Elizabeth Hainstock.
2. Learn about preparing the environment, following and observing the child, the importance of concentration, and the need for choice. Your research will likely explode from there.
3. Think about supporting independence in age-appropriate ways. Beyond toddlerhood, where this often looks like a stool in the bathroom or an accessible water source, how can you encourage your older child to have independence? Perhaps you can set up a cupboard for them to independently prepare their lunch, walk them through the steps to complete a load of laundry, or let them make that call to the hairdresser on their own (with guidance and assistance all around, of course.)
4. Look at your home and prepare it in ways that will support your individual child's interests, needs, and abilities. Does your eight-year-old love baking? Allow them some freedom, and space, to do so. Does your child love to paint? Sit down and do a Bob Ross paint night with them, ask them what materials they need, ask them to tell you about their latest project.
5. Do the inner work required of all parents and Montessori guides, to become more peaceful, more understanding, more respectful. 

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. I would also love to hear any suggestions for posts you would like me to write about. And if you are interested in following along in our daily adventures, follow us on Instagram where I post daily.



God bless,
Olivia Fischer