Make Mothers’ Day a joyful learning experience for all by using Montessori!
Do your children enjoy making things for you or do they enjoy doing things for you? It can all lead to a wonderful Montessori lifestyle experience. Here are some ideas and how-to tips on making it happen:
- Guide children in the kitchen for making breakfast. Demonstrate to the children, step-by-step, how to butter toast, how to slice strawberries, or how to boil an egg (depending on age.)
- Guide children in purchasing and planting flowers in a pot or flower bed. Before Mothers’ Day, take the children to a garden shop and let them select their own flower to give to Mom. Educate them on what a flower needs to live and grow. Be sure to also allow the children to select a pot to plant their flower in; or, if planting in a flower bed, demonstrate how to dig the hole, the proper depth and width for the root ball, how to carefully tamp the dirt in around the sides of the root ball, and how to gently water with a small watering can. Allow the children to plant their own flowers with your support.
- Guide children in making a special gift for Mom that will give her the day off on one chore: a ticket for one day off from say, dusting. Demonstrate to the children, step-by-step, how to dust a shelf or a table. Then let them select a shelf or table to dust- just for Mom!
- For older children and teens, use these same guided steps but allow them to come up with their own projects. Discuss the steps they will have to go through to successfully complete their project. Support their efforts, encourage when they feel negative, demonstrate skills when necessary, and let it be their work. Some ideas here: wash the car, give a shoulder massage, polish silver for a fancy Mothers’ Day dinner, bake cookies and brew tea for a fancy Mothers’ Day tea time. Your imagination makes the possibilities infinite!
However you choose to honor your loved one, giving them your undivided attention speaks volumes to just how much you love them. Spend time on this day to let your mother (or mother-figure) know how much you love, hold special, and appreciate them by just being with them- and add a special gift like the ones discussed above. Happy Mothers’ Day to all who have the mothering spirit!
Until next time-
Lorraine
