Work & Practical Life / Trabajo y Vida Practica

Work & Practical Life

In the atrium, children are taught skills to help them take care of and bring beauty to their community and the environment. Children love to do work that is purposeful and has value, whether in the atrium, at school, or at home.

Here's some simple chores children of all ages can help with at home:

helping to fold laundry
helping with yard work, gardening, and plant care
feeding and grooming pets
dish washing
setting the dinner table
dusting, window washing, and other light cleaning
planting seeds
Your children may have more ideas, too!

Why "work"?

For many adults, the word work has negative connotations, and we want our children to play and enjoy life before they have to "work." While insisting on the basic human need for meaningful work, including for children, Montessori also says that "play is the work of the child." The terms are not necessarily opposed, but there's a dignity to attributing the meaningful, developmental practices of children as "work." For example, left to themselves, children often "play house," pretend to be doctors for their stuffed animals, and so forth. Their play reflects reality, real work. That's what we want to encourage in the curated environment of the atrium.

For a longer discussion of learning as play and learning as work, check out this blogpost.

Trabajo y Vida Practica

En el atrio, a los niños se les enseñan habilidades para ayudarlos a cuidar y traer belleza a su comunidad y al medio ambiente. A los niños les encanta hacer un trabajo que tenga un propósito y que tenga valor.

Aquí tienen algunas tareas simples para niños de todas las edades en las que pueden ayudar.

- ayudar a doblar la ropa
- ayudar con el trabajo de jardinería y cuidado de plantas
- alimentación y aseo de mascotas
- lavar los platos
- poner la mesa
- desempolvar, lavar ventanas y otra limpieza ligera

¡Sus hijos también poden tener más ideas!

Why "work"?

For many adults, the word work has negative connotations, and we want our children to play and enjoy life before they have to "work." While insisting on the basic human need for meaningful work, including for children, Montessori also says that "play is the work of the child." The terms are not necessarily opposed, but there's a dignity to attributing the meaningful, developmental practices of children as "work." For example, left to themselves, children often "play house," pretend to be doctors for their stuffed animals, and so forth. Their play reflects reality, real work. That's what we want to encourage in the curated environment of the atrium.

For a longer discussion of learning as play and learning as work, check out this blogpost.