Practical Life - Care of Self at the Infant Level

One of the main components of a Montessori classroom or Montessori inspired home is the implementation and utilization of the Practical Life area. Practical life consists of caring for oneself and for ones environment to help build children's independence and to help them become valuable members to the community. At the infant level, most practical life activities and skills are taught by the caregiver gently and slowly caring for the baby. Through repetition of these teachable moments, your child will gain the skills needed to
care for themselves. A child's rhythm is 10 times slower than ours so we need to give ourselves time so there is no rushing. Their development is a constant force towards independence. As your infant child gets older, their body will become more physically and psychologically ready to do these skills independently. The adult is the best model within the environment. 

"The adult is the link between the child and the environment."
-Maria Montessori

Once your child has observed the ways of the home and community in relation to practical life,
they will acquire more confidence and control to complete these care of self tasks. 

Some examples of how an infant can care for themselves include:
❖ Wiping nose: At first, the adult wipes the baby's nose, then eventually, the baby will be
able to do this skill by themselves. You can set up an easily accessible area in the home
environment where the baby can find tissues or cloths at the child's level.
❖ Handwashing at the sink: The adult can introduce the sink in many ways. Specifically,
the sink is used to wash their hands. The adult can have a step stool at the sink or create a
handwashing station within the environment using a bowl, water pitcher, and a towel
rack. This area can be near or in the bathroom.
❖ Dressing and Undressing: The adult will begin dressing and undressing the infants but
this process can be talked through. For example, you can tell the baby, “I am going to
take your shirt off/put it on”.

How to set up a care of self station within the environment:
❖ Start by having a mirror at the child’s height so they can see the process.
❖ Put the table and materials at a height that is accessible to the children.
❖ Provide a basket for dirty clothes or tissues.
❖ Consistency and order is key! Always have things in the same area where the child can
find it.
❖ At the infant age, non verbal communication goes a long way. You can set out two
choices of clothing and the baby can choose.
❖ When dressing and undressing, talk the child through the process. For example, “I am
going to put your arm through the hole of your shirt”.