Practical Life in the Home

As the holidays and colder weather are upon us offering more time spent in our homes, let’s take a moment to talk about Practical Life in the home. 

The exercises of Practical Life, or daily living exercises, are works that “involve simple and precise tasks, which the young child has already observed adults perform in his home environment,” and wishes to do for himself (Montessori- A Modern Approach, Paula Polk Lillard).  The exercises emphasize the child’s whole development – physical, mental and moral.  Practical Life is the child’s bridge to higher learning and when incorporated into their daily learning, performance and mastery of these activities prepares the child to learn and develop many skills, but most importantly teaches them how to live.

Practical Life is interconnected with our human tendencies and needs – our need to explore, to have order (be able to find things!), to communicate with others, the need for repetition in performing activities, our interest in a spiritual life and a sense of belonging.  By encouraging, supporting and enabling participation in all areas of home life, our children are fulfilling these needs and simply living.  

When we look at the world around us, the need to care for it comes naturally, as does the need to care for ourselves. Making our world a more beautiful place takes on many different focuses. During our Winter break, consider the many things you can do to support your child in the area of practical living…

Grace and Courtesy

Interactions with family and friends offer your child an opportunity to practice these lessons that focus on how to behave or act in any given situation – greeting people, excusing oneself and interrupting.  By practicing this interaction, we “give them the means to be master of their own actions, and of the situation when and as it occurs.” (The Discovery of the Child, Montessori)

Care of Self

Support your child’s practice of caring for themselves.  Encourage attendance to their own belongings – putting personal items away (hanging up coats and putting shoes away).  Be open and accepting of their own sense of style, especially for our older children in a sensitive period of becoming their own individual selves.  For younger children, encourage and support the practice of dressing themselves (zipping coats, buttoning shirts, etc), washing hands and brushing hair.  These activities require a degree of fine motor skills that become easier and more refined with practice and age.  With each effort the child becomes more likely to achieve this milestone on their own.

Care of Environment

Encourage your child to perform tasks that are purposeful and that contribute to your home life – sweeping and cleaning up after meals and washing dishes, putting their own toys away, or cleaning up supplies after an art activity.

During the holidays, involving children in decorating, baking and cooking for a special event or dinner can be immensely gratifying for them. Not only is it a real, practical, and purposeful activity that will keep your child invested and engaged, but being included in the preparation will make the time more meaningful, increase their sense of connectedness to their people and instill their sense of importance to your family.