When my daughters were toddlers, they went to a Montessori Preschool run by nuns from surrounding Catholic Churches. Our daughters were enrolled from age 3 to age 5, when they would enter a regular kindergarten program.
For anyone not familiar with the Montessori Method of teaching, everything in the classroom is geared to encourage self-learning and self-care life skills.
This includes choosing something to do from special bins and shelves; how to do it, use it, or play with it. When they’re finished, they put it neatly away, exactly where they got it.
The Montessori method intentionally requires everything in the classroom to be preschool-sized to accommodate children as they learn new life skills —even the restrooms.
I remember one Halloween, when my middle daughter, Bethany, was 4-1/2, her Montessori class held a costume party. The children wore costumes and families and friends were all invited to attend.
It was the perfect time to bring along my youngest daughter, Heather, since she would be three and enrolled for the next year.
The program was first with singing and a costume parade. Refreshments, all prepared by the children, would be served after the program. Cookies, crackers & cheese, a fresh fruit tray, and lemonade were all neatly arranged on a table along one side of the room.
The children had prepared the refreshments, and they would serve us, as well. Afterwards, as is the Montessori way, the children would clean up and put everything back in its proper place.
Half way through serving, my youngest politely excused herself and went to the restroom. After nearly ten minutes, I was just beginning to wonder where she was, when we ALL heard …
“Mom-ee! When these potties grow up, you can use them, too!”
Everyone had a good laugh …