If you have a toddler at home, I’m sure you have experienced this situation too: you finally gather all the necessary strength to fold clothes and put them away and in just one second your toddler takes it all out of the dresser looking for his or her favorite shirt, leaving everything a mess again.
When my son Tadeo turned 3, I decided to incorporate Wiwiurka’s Han Clothing Rack to his room.
Originally I added it for space purposes rather than the benefits that this type of furniture could have in the development of my son, and this was my experience:
After almost 2 years of using it, it has been amazing. I organize a small capsule wardrobe with seasonal clothes that my son uses the most, and I put away the clothing that he uses less frequently, such as jackets and sweaters during summer. This way I make sure that he always has what he needs.
I also leave space for one or two costumes and accessories like masks or capes, for which the little racks on the front have been very useful.
At first, I had my doubts as to whether the clothes would get dusty with the open rack, but as he uses every item in the rack frequently, the day hasn’t come yet when the dust covers the clothes. The same happens with his shoes, we always have his sneakers, boots, slippers and shoes at hand and visible.
And I have noticed that, as everything he owns is on display, I am more aware of what he has and I don’t buy as much as I used to when everything was in a messy mountain in a closed closet.
Benefits of a Montessori Clothing Rack:
Now, I want to tell you a little bit about my research on the benefits that this type of furniture has on children’s developement, taking into account that a Montessori clothing rack should facilitate children’s daily independence to dress and undress. Its design should allow children easy access and let them see their clothes so they can choose what they want to wear. Therefore, the main feature should be to be the same height as the child in order to achieve its purpose of developing autonomy and independence when getting dressed and choosing their outfits.
Final tips:
Ideally, clothes should be organized by type, for example: sweatshirts and sweaters, shirts and pants, this way if the child is looking for pants, he/she will know where to look and won’t have to take down everything in his/her search.
Are you worried about dust? You can vacuum the clothes and the shoe shelf once every week, this way you make sure it’s always clean and if you notice a piece of clothing or pair of shoes that haven’t been worn frequently, remember the golden rule: less is more. It helps you to consider if you should find a new home for those items.
- A special occasion? Are you worried about what they would wear? In these cases there’s nothing more to do than get ahead of the situation and prepare 2 or 3 appropriate outfits, let them choose from these options to avoid things getting out of control!
Last but not least...
Finally, I can tell you that both, my son and I, have loved the Han Clothing Rack. He has become more independent, and little by little, he is understanding the importance of order in our everyday life. I have been able to find a balance at the moment of buying clothes, as I know what he really uses and needs.
...The best part? I no longer have drawers full of freshly folded clothes turned into a mess!
