Missing the Mess

This isn’t something unique to Montessori social media accounts. Influencers and us regular humans are keenly aware of it. Sometimes there’s even a post to try to counteract it which feels all too contrived. The mess— where is the messiness of being human on social media?

I can’t find it in those little square photos or video snippets. But I see it daily as a mom— on countertops, floors, clothes and faces alike. It’s all over the place out here in reality. Even more so for a mom using the Montessori method.

“A big part of using the Montessori method is giving your child the time and space to do it themselves. I don’t know about you but I still sometimes spill so the fact my 19 month old does isn’t unique or all that surprising. ”

However, if I was posting about him drinking his water from an open glass cup, there’s a good chance it’d be a photo or reel of him successfully taking a sip of water. You wouldn’t see all the many, many times before the water was spilled on himself, the table, or the floor by chance or as an experiment.

You’d have missed how pieces of food were added inside the cup. You wouldn’t hear how I said, “I see your water spilled. Let’s get the towel to clean it up.” over and over—and over.

Giving your child the freedom to do it themselves takes a lot of patience and work. In most cases, it’d be faster and cleaner to do it yourself. Yet the only way for your child to learn is to do it and it won’t be done successfully for quite some time. It should be expected that there’s going to be mess involved. Speaking of mess— gotta go— he’s experimenting with gravity aka throwing his raisins on the floor.

5 Ways to Clearly Communicate With Your Child

5 Ways Older Children Can Support New Baby in the Home