Using sensory activies to get what you want. Maybe.

I'm not sure how traditionally Montessori this is, but the other day we did a bean scooping activity. My current goal as a new Montessori mom and a long-time Green mom is to phase out all the plastic plates, cups and bowls in our house. There are a lot of health reasons to ditch the plastic but I would also like to have the mindfulness that breakable dishes entail. Watching my daughter throw her bowls and cups around at eight months old made sense, at two years it is time to be careful and respectful of the things she has. It's all too easy to let plastic sippy cups fall off the table but you wouldn't dream of letting a glass break in the same way!

In spite of this, I have not made the switch. Why? Because I have given Ryann glasses and ceramic plates and bowls and it did not end well... She is just not careful and she isn't old enough to care about breaking things. In fact, I think she rather liked it. I'm also having a hard time getting her to eat and drink mindfully, without spilling everything down the front of her.

Which brings me to bean scooping (I was getting there!). The exercise was to scoop dried beans into the cups of a muffin tin. This will help her gain control of the muscles she uses to eat and also train her to be careful with her utensils.

Right?

I'm not convinced it's working yet. Although it started out great. She almost let me show her how without interrupting and then went to work.





See our high-class plastic cookie tray used as a bowl? I told you we need to ditch the plastics.. sigh.



By this point, beans were flying everywhere. She tried, she really did. Until...




It  seemed far more fun to dig in them with her hands and drop them all over the floor.

Oh well.

Maybe tomorrow.