Why Montessori Classrooms Use Real Glass Dish Ware
You’re giving THAT to your child?
This is a phrase you may hear repeatedly if you follow a Montessori approach at home.
The basis of Montessori is to trust and respect the child…
...and often that means giving them the freedom to do certain things that most people would consider crazy!
One of these ‘strange’ liberties is real glass dish ware.
In a Montessori classroom, they provide children as young as 18 months with real glass cups and dish ware.
Why?
There’s a couple reasons for doing this.
- It teaches consequences and care. When a plastic cup or plate is dropped repeatedly and never breaks, children don’t understand the care that needs to be taken with dish ware. It barely makes a sound when it hits the floor! This is a very practical way to teach children to care for their possessions and others.
- It also shows our children that we trust them and their capabilities. This helps build their confidence and independence.
How to Introduce Glass Dish Ware
Like anything in Montessori, we begin with a demonstration - show your child how to hold the glass dishes with two hands and carry them to the table carefully.
We have to accept that there might be broken dishes but this will only help them learn.
We have a great glass dish set for toddlers, which is also used in classrooms. The plates and cups are thicker so they can withstand a little more banging around> https://themontessoriroom.com/products/montessori-dish-set
If you want to get your child started with glass but want to protect your own dishes for a little while longer, this is a great option :)
And if you have questions at all about introducing it, feel free to email me - laura@themontessoriroom.com
