Good Morning, Maria Montessori

Since Angelina’s birth, my husband has been getting up with Bella and Bean in the morning while I stay in bed with Angelina (we only co-sleep in the morning, OK?) for a few precious extra minutes of sleep. He gets ready while watching the older kids, then wakes me up when he’s leaving for work so that I can get their day started.

Don’t tell him, but lately I’ve been nodding at him, waving him on his way, then going back to sleep. We have a small two bedroom apartment, so I could hear if anything went really wrong, and my husband child-proof locks the door on his way out.

Lo and behold, most mornings during the last two weeks, I’ve come out around 8am to find Bella and Bean serving themselves breakfast. They work together to get a couple cereal boxes out of the cabinet and kids’ bowls and spoons out of the drawer. They set the table. Bean climbs up into his highchair, Bella into her booster seat, and Bella opens the cereal boxes and interior bags and pours them both a bowlful. She’s gotten the milk jug from the refrigerator and attempted to add milk a time or two, but I discourage that. She can usually even find a water cup lying around and fill their smaller water glasses. Full-fledged breakfast is underway by the time Angelina and I emerge.

Maternal negligence or Montessori-style practical life activity work? You decide.