Montessori beds: the child's autonomy even in the bedroom
The Montessori method focuses on the child's autonomy in all moments of his day, including that of falling asleep and sleeping. Montessori beds are designed to give greater security and independence to the little one even in his bedroom.
But how to choose a Montessori bed? Continue reading the article!
What are Montessori beds?
The Montessori approach does not only concern play, but also all the environments of the house to make the little one increasingly autonomous and independent.
Certainly, one of the environments that lends itself most to the Montessori method is the child's bedroom as it can be transformed into a place tailor-made for his or her needs.
So, if the principles of the Montessori method also apply to sleep, the first step is to choose the bed. Montessori beds are designed to be lower, allowing children to get in and out independently without the need for sides or the help of an adult .
But from what age should we propose them to children? I'll answer you right away!
When to suggest children sleep on Montessori beds?
As with motor , language and cognitive development, every child is different and has his or her own pace . This concept also applies to sleep.
In fact, there is no single answer to the questions “when will he sleep through the night?” or “when will he fall asleep on his own?” as you will discover in the other articles on my Blog about sleep and written in collaboration with a sleep consultant .
Therefore, there is no right age to propose to children to sleep on Montessori beds , but it will be necessary to understand the needs of the little one and support them.
There are children who at 12 months accept to fall asleep in their crib and stay there until midnight; while others after 30 minutes already call the parent because they cannot sleep without his closeness.
However, it is possible to start getting the child familiar with the Montessori bed starting from 12 months.
How to get them used to sleeping in their own bed?
The transition from the bed with the parents or from the cot next to the Montessori bed should be gradual . This is to avoid that the little one begins to hate his bed or no longer wants to go to sleep at night.
So, the advice is to familiarize him with the Montessori bed by having him take his afternoon naps on it. Later, it will be possible to put him to sleep in the evening with your presence, explaining to him that when he wakes up you are close by and he will only have to call you.
A help could be given by the personalization of the Montessori beds in the shape of a house by hanging lights and flags. In fact, by involving the child in the choice of accessories, he will recognize the bedroom even more as his space and will begin to love it.