Montessori Mom

Teaching your child to wash up is one of the most rewarding Practical Life activities you can introduce at home. These simple daily routines — washing hands, brushing teeth, and washing the face — give children a wonderful sense of independence and accomplishment. When a child learns to care for their own body, they develop concentration, coordination, and a deep sense of self-worth. Best of all, these are lessons you can begin as early as toddlerhood, building habits that will serve your child for a lifetime.

Washing Hands

Washing hands is a great way to prevent illness and is often one of the first care-of-self activities a young child can master. I encourage children to sing or chant a little song while they wash their hands — it helps them wash long enough to remove dirt and germs. They can sing the ABC song or count all their fingers three times.

Materials You'll Need

• Soap
• Warm water
• Basin or sink
• Towel
• Nailbrush (for scrubbing under dirty nails)
• A toddler step stool if the sink is too tall for your child

Steps

1. Let the child stand before the basin or sink. Have your child roll up his or her shirtsleeves.
2. Have the child place a stopper in the drain if using a sink. Fill with warm water.
3. Have the child place hands in the water.
4. Rub a good amount of soap on hands, then return the soap to its dish or place.
5. Rub each soapy palm onto the back of the other hand. Rub soap onto wrists as well. Rub each finger from tip to bottom. Scrub nails with a nailbrush if needed.
6. Rinse off soap in the water. Drain water from the sink or basin. You can also run clean water from the tap to rinse off hands.
7. With a towel, dry each finger, the front and back of each hand, and the wrists.
8. Hang the towel on a hook or towel bar.
9. Optionally, have your child rub lotion on his or her hands in circular movements. This helps with hand-eye coordination.

Control of Error: The child's hands are clean if done correctly — a beautifully simple way for the child to self-assess!

Brushing Teeth

You can start introducing tooth brushing with toddlers as young as 18 months old. Your teeth are a lifelong investment, and building good habits early makes all the difference. Parents should start cleaning their babies' teeth as soon as possible — after eating, you can wipe a baby's teeth with a gauze cloth.

Materials You'll Need

• A toothbrush identified with your child's name, a special color, or a sticker
• Toothpaste (or baking soda with flavoring)
• A glass of water
• A sink or basin for spitting
• An egg timer to make sure your child brushes long enough
• A toddler step stool so your child can reach the sink independently

Steps

1. Let the child hold the toothbrush and wet it with water under the tap or from a small pitcher. Show the child how to squeeze the tube of toothpaste gently onto a finger, then transfer the toothpaste onto the brush. If the child doesn't like toothpaste at first, simply wetting the toothbrush with water is perfectly fine. You can demonstrate this step with your own toothbrush.
2. Using your own toothbrush, show the child how to brush in a circular motion. Explain how each tooth needs to be "painted" with toothpaste on every surface. Let your child turn over the egg timer and start brushing. In the beginning, parents can help brush their children's teeth every night to make sure they are brushing properly.
3. Let the child rinse with water and spit into the sink or basin. Pour out any remaining water from the glass. Have your child place the toothbrush into the glass and set it on its shelf.

Washing the Face

Face washing follows naturally after hand washing and is a lovely extension of the early Practical Life curriculum. Make sure the child starts with clean hands before beginning.

Materials You'll Need

• Mild soap or gentle lotion
• Warm water
• Basin or sink
• Towel

Steps

1. Let the child stand before the basin or sink. Have your child roll up his or her shirtsleeves.
2. Have the child place a stopper in the drain if using a sink. Fill with warm water.
3. Have the child place hands in the water.
4. Rub a small amount of lotion or soap on hands, then return the soap to its place or dish.
5. Rub palms together. Gently rub the chin, lips, cheeks, nose, and forehead with damp, soapy hands.
6. Wash with fingers behind the ears, the outer ear, and lastly the front and back of the neck. Make sure children avoid getting soap or lotion in their eyes.
7. Rinse hands in water and wipe the soap from the face with clean hands. Keep eyes closed while rinsing. Drain the water from the sink or basin.
8. With a towel, gently dry the face and neck.
9. Hang the towel on a hook or towel bar.
10. Optionally, have your child rub lotion on his or her hands in circular movements for additional hand-eye coordination practice.

Preparing the Environment

As with all Montessori activities, preparing the environment is key. Set up a dedicated space at your child's level with all the materials arranged in order of use. A small basket or tray with soap, a nailbrush, and a neatly folded towel invites the child to practice independently. If your child cannot comfortably reach the sink, an adjustable toddler step stool is a worthwhile investment that your child will use for years.

Skills Your Child Develops

These washing-up activities may seem simple, but they cultivate a rich set of developmental skills. Your child practices control of movement through careful, deliberate motions. They internalize order and sequencing by following each step from beginning to end. They build hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Most importantly, these exercises nurture independence and care of self — cornerstone values of the Montessori approach. When a child can confidently care for their own body, they carry that self-assurance into every other area of learning. These daily routines are wonderful companions to other Practical Life work such as dressing frames and Montessori potty training.