A place for everything and everything in its place. Like everything else, this can look a lot of different ways.

What this generally means is limiting the amount of activities or materials you have in your environment so that every activity has its own home. It provides structure, reliability, and promotes independence when the child knows where they can find an activity and where it can be returned when finished.

Everyone's rhythms and routines are going to look a little different, as they should.

Routines are not a tight schedule to adhere to, but rather repeated patterns that are predictable and reliable, and work together to form a greater rhythm.

When it comes to preparing the environment, the aim is to create a beautiful, minimal space so the focus is on the child and the materials. This can look a lot of different ways, as it should, and it will vary according to the needs of your child and your family, the realities of home life, and how you use your space.

I'm a big advocate for this one.

While we do want to provide opportunities for children to be busy and engaged, they also need the option to do nothing. Kids need a little quiet space where there is no expectation for a particular activity.

Spills happen, and spills are good! Hear me out.

If you've seen pictures of Montessori classrooms or home environments, you may have noticed that Montessorians are quite fond of trays and baskets. These organize and define activities for the child, which makes them more appealing, and ultimately, easier to put away.