In the Montessori approach to education, parents are increasingly interested in establishing a Montessori environment. So what is a Montessori bed? In this article, we will walk you through what a Montessori bed is and why it is important to place a bed in your child’s bedroom.
What is a Montessori bed?
In a Montessori nursery, the child sleeps on the floor bed. The idea behind the idea of sleeping on the floor is in line with the general principle of the Montessori method: a child should have freedom of movement and should be able to move independently around his room. Dr. Maria Montessori, the inventor of the method, believed that children would thrive if they were able to move freely and learn independently. So, generally speaking, Montessori beds are, without restrictive rails around them, close enough to the floor that children can get in and out on their own, so for now the floor bed is the most ideal choice for many parents seeking a Montessori bed.
Beds vs. regular beds
Think about it, in the context of placing a crib where the child can move around in the crib, this toddler bed is the extent to which the toddler is free to move around, they will be confined inside their own sleeping space, which makes the toddler’s thinking and perception, playing and moving around must depend on us adults. From this perspective, the floor bed is indeed preferable to the crib, which limits movement and restricts the toddler’s independence as well as the ability to explore the curious outside world. Parents familiar with the Montessori method of education usually place their infants in a bassinet or the newborn stage, and as early as about 2 months, they transition to the floor.
When the toddler wakes up from a nap he or she can climb out of bed by themselves without having to cry for mommy. Sleepy can crawl into bed by themselves without crying for mommy to carry them back to bed. Of course, each family can find what works best for them according to their actual situation.
Safety
When some elders see children sleeping on the floor, they feel sorry for them, they don’t even have a decent bed and they think about whether it’s safe. The answer is found in our customer case studies that take into account “childproofing the entire bedroom”. Please lay your body down like a baby on the floor bed and carefully determine if there is anything around the floor bed that you feel would be unsafe for your baby. If there is, then please remove the dangerous things, or change the place to put the mattress. Examples include jacks in the walls, unsecured electrical cords in the room, and sharp edges of some furniture. With a safe space around the child, then the toddler will immediately benefit from using a floor bed. Without the restriction of a fence, young children will have a broader view and explore a safe area where they belong.
As for the other question: What if my child rolls out of bed? Many parents worry that this will happen, but because the floor bed is so close to the ground, the likelihood of your child being injured is lower than you might think. If you are concerned about this, we recommend that you start by using a method that is very low to the ground. It is important to note that this is a different learning experience for your child. They will realize what will happen if they get close to the bed and are less likely to repeat it. But they will also begin to learn how to safely get down from a high place.