“My Child Makes a Mess All Day. What Am I Supposed to Do?”

Water on the floor. Rice on the table. Clothes everywhere. It is understandable to see the mess first. But Montessori asks us to look underneath it. When pouring water: The child pours. They spill. They stop. They adjust their hand. They try again. The adult sees a wet floor; the child is developing coordination, control, concentration and independence. When preparing food: Washing, carrying, cutting with a child tool, placing on a plate. The child is participating in real life.

If we want children to participate, we need to prepare for participation: a small cloth for spills, a broom small enough to use, a reachable shelf. The prepared environment allows the child to move from “An adult takes care of everything” to “I can take care of some things too.” At Nido, we try to look beyond the visible result and notice the developing capability underneath the activity.