Montessori educational design is created with certain primary needs in mind such as eating, toileting, and playing. Meals can be an opportunity for children to learn coordination, responsibility, and a sense of contribution.
Why Mealtime Routines Are Important
Mealtime routines in Montessori classrooms provide children with order and a sense of security. Feeding schedules help a child to develop regular patterns of appetite. In general, young children should have three meals and two to three snacks each day to ensure that they are well-nourished throughout the day.
How Mealtimes Can Become Chaotic
Common Problems in the educational design that can occur during mealtime include:
Refusing to eat
Standing while eating
Throwing food
Demanding a device while eating
These can be solved by using the following steps:
Acknowledging Feelings - It is important to be empathetic and convey things with a calm voice to engage the child’s attention.
Stating Expectations- Children need to be told that food is not for throwing and that they must sit down to eat.
Offering Choices - Children need to be given choices, choose one and stick with it.
Enforcing Consequences for Actions- If food has not been eaten when brought, it is taken away using negative consequences to condition the behavior.
The use of a weaning table in Montessori classrooms also establishes comfort and encourages their participation in the process of eating. The Montessori system encourages at least one meal to be eaten as a family meal. When the child is eating with family, using a high chair that pulls right up to the table helps them feel included.