- Ease up on yourself and kids about being perfect. Be realistic, which will help set everyone up for success.
- Be a detective. Observe which things are used/not used. NEVER ask the child, he will say he plays with everything.
- Edit without child, including furniture. Does your three year old really need a desk?
- Create an order your child can maintain. Use bins with photos of toys (trucks, dolls, blocks). Do not spend a lot of money (or any) on organizers. Brightly colored contact paper turns a cardboard box into a Barbie storage bin.
- Time clean up, be consistent. Kids love a timer, 15 minutes is reasonable for clean up. Clean up should happen every day.
- Model behavior for your kids. If they need organization, show them how you clean up.
In January 1997 Ann Getty, San Francisco philanthropist, created a Montessori-based home playgroup for her granddaughter and several friends. San Francisco mom and Montessori trained teacher, Lonna Corder became the founding teacher/director. Soon, what began as a small group of two and three year olds learning about math, science and culture, grew into ten years as a galvanizing educational experience recognized by every major elementary school in San Francisco and Marin County. Corder received her BA in Psychology and Montessori graduate credential from Saint Mary's college.
You can find more tips and advice from Lonna on the following websites:
>> www.lilsugar.com
>> www.lonnacorder.com
