How I Accidentally Set Up A Montessori Bedroom
When Ebi-kun was born, I was just starting my Montessori journey and didn’t learn about the Montessori bedroom until he was a toddler – we didn’t have the information available back then that there is these days!
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So when he was a baby, I didn’t know there was such a thing as a Montessori bedroom (or more correctly a Montessori Inspired bedroom) but it turned out he pretty much got one anyway!
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So when he was a baby, I didn’t know there was such a thing as a Montessori bedroom (or more correctly a Montessori Inspired bedroom) but it turned out he pretty much got one anyway!
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We were living in a tiny apartment in Japan and really had one room for us all to sleep in and another as the living/kitchen area.
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It wasn’t how I expected to raise a baby but the great thing about using Japanese futons is that they could be folded away during the day, which opened up the room for play.
We were living in a tiny apartment in Japan and really had one room for us all to sleep in and another as the living/kitchen area.
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It wasn’t how I expected to raise a baby but the great thing about using Japanese futons is that they could be folded away during the day, which opened up the room for play.
No special equipment needed!
We used Japanese futons rather than a floor bed but it amounts to the same thing at the end of the day – allowing the child freedom.
You don’t need to spend a fortune to set up a Montessori room for your kids, in fact, often the opposite is true, these are the main things to keep in mind:
- Low shelves
- Child-sized furniture
- Floor bed or futon that a child can get on and off unassisted
- All furniture is secured, the child can’t pull anything over
- A totally safe environment where the child is free to explore. Get down on your hands and knees, at your child’s height, where could they stick their fingers or get stuck?
- Artwork at the child’s height – we often hang pictures at the right height for an adult!
- For babies, a mobile above the bed
- A mirror attached the wall or next to the bed
- A baby gate so that the door can be left open but the baby remains safe
- Natural materials where possible
There is a lot of debate about the safety issue of a floor bed, I really think it’s down to each family to decide. It very much depends on your home, what kind of building you live in and how comfortable you, as parents feel using a floor bed.
There are a whole host of great ideas, I have a nice collection going on this Pinterest board, just click to be taken through to Pinterest
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