Any Mother knows the reality, the constant, of change. It seems that once a rhythm has been established and you’ve gotten the hang of certain stages and phases…things change. Whether from outside influences or simply childhood development these changes strongly effect the rhythm of our days. As I have come to accept the reality of this constant change I have incorporated regular evaluations of our home and days. Sometimes formal, and sometimes “in the moment”, these evaluations have really helped us stay on top of and best provide for the new phases we are consistently entering into.
Our daily rhythm, and even the setup of our home, is centered on Montessori and Waldorf philosophies. As such, our regular evaluations include Maria Montessori’s, and Rudolf Steiner’s principles regarding childhood. We have found an excellent Montessori Evaluation somewhere…! (I can’t find it’s origin in the moments I have now…but I will when I have a few more moments and I’ll share)
We have made several changes recently based on this evaluation. In an effort to further independence and self confidence for our daughter we made seemingly subtle changes that have actually made a huge difference. Although she can dress herself well…her outfit choice is sometimes…unique…and not always activity appropriate. I adore her funk and flare in regard to color choice and layering (yikes!) but needed to reign in the best dresses worn for sandbox time, and painting clothes for going to visit family, etc. We worked together to put her clothes together into outfits. By including her we were able to keep her flare for fashion and satisfy my goals of order. With drawers divided between playing outfits and going out outfits, and the closet separated between church dresses and play dresses we were both quite happy. It’s organized and easy for her to find the perfect thing to wear each day…independently!
Our other simple change was providing a small pitcher and cup in the door of the fridge so that she may safely and easily get herself a drink whenever she likes. So simple. So easy. So loving it!!! I will say she drank an incredible amount of water the first few days we had it! (The pitcher finally was found after much searching in so many places…at IKEA. I have to admit I do like that store!)
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