Time: 15 mins
Location: Our own washroom
So it all started with this little mirror.
It fell out of it's original frame, just a small 5x7 piece, on it's way to the dumpster. Watching Z one morning, I I saw him tip-toe-ing on his stepping stool in the bathroom, trying to see himself in our vanity mirror.
Yes! I found it a new home!
In the gap between the faucet and the bottom of our vanity mirror frame,
Zozie's very own vanity station.
I actually wanted to set something up like this for a while but never saw how I could since our bathroom is so small. We already switched out the faucet handles to be levers vs. knobs so tiny hands can operate the fixture easier. Also brought in a ducky soap dispenser to replace the messy soap bar. One of the suggestions of a Montessori environment is to provide a vanity area for the child to self groom. Sounds cute, could be practical, but where?
The Station
The answer has always been there, right on the counter. I cleared a mini floating shelf that I used directly on the sink counter. Placed 3 glass candle cups above, and filled them with various sundries for Zo: Brushes, combs, lotion, floss, band-aides & Boo-boo cream. Below it housed 4 small wash clothes for post-wash hand drying. Everything is within reach for self service.
The Teeth CupRight in front of the Station is the Teeth Cup. A double handles rinse cup with tooth brush and tooth paste inside. I started to get travel sized toothpaste for Zozie so he could open/close his own tube and dispense freely.
If you haven't already, this is a must in every toddler's bathroom. A little boost goes a LONG way in self confidence and independence.
We added a Dino night light for night time potty-tunities. Nothing worst than being woken up to take a toddler potty because they can't see where they are going!
So, in the end, we got a mini makeover in our mini bathroom after all. Sometimes it just takes a small spark (or a small broken mirror) to get things going. It's nothing glamorous, and far from fancy, but it works. Zozie is very happy with his new vanity mirror and station, and mama is ecstatic that she doesn't have to help wipe the toothpaste bubbles from Zo's mouth anymore! He can see his own messy face now (and fix it)!
i wanted to tell you i am a religious follower of hapa lab, but i hardly ever comment. i love this idea. if you can believe it, our bathroom is even smaller!) and the little poem on the stool is perfect!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I am always tweaking the bathroom area for the kids, ages 2 and 9. Should the toothbrushes all go in one cup or should there be one cup for all toothbrushes? Should the kids use bar soap with a cure nailbrush or should I teach the toddler how to pump soap? These are the silly things that I ponder as dozing off to sleep. Crazy me!
ReplyDeleteI am always interested in other mamas' set ups. Thank you for sharing! Now to just get my toddler from squeezing all the toothpaste out at once! Ha ha.
@ Kelly: NO! Smaller? Wow, with 3 kids cycling through, that's a challenge! But then you've always managed to have a well sorted and beautiful home...thanks for following:)
ReplyDelete@ Mindy: I only have Zo so it's one brush in one cup for us. But with 2, it just if you want them to sort like-items or if you want them to maintain their own belongings. Either is fine, although ur 2 year old might prefer to have his own in a cup. As for soap, Zo loves to pump, always have. We travel alot and pumps are in public loos everywhere. But a "true" Montessori washing station suggests bar with nailbrush. I do the bar & brush at bathtime, so he can work his nails then. But at the sink, I just let him practice what he'll encounter more of in public so he's self reliant when we are out. Oh, and the toothpaste - I tell Zo it's a caterpillar on grass, so he has to get just the right length or the caterpillar will fall off! *Sigh, the things we loose sleep over eh?
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