THE GATES HAVE COME OFF: THE MONTESSORI FLOOR BED

Well, it has finally happened. The girls have begun to get around a lot more, pulling themselves up using furniture the last few day. So it was only a matter of time until they started to climb over their beds. Following one of their naps, V did just that and climbed into E’s bed. It was time to take the mini gates off their beds, freeing them to roam about their room as they wish. (Read why we didn’t make this change sooner here.)

When we laid them down for their first nap with full freedom, we didn’t know what to expect. Would they go to sleep or would they get out and play? We were pleasantly surprised to see that they slept, then crawled out of their beds and played upon waking. The same happened during bedtime. They woke around 8:30 in the morning, chatted with each other and played with their lovies in their beds for a bit (as they always have), then left their beds to explore the materials. Around 9:20 they knocked at the door to get our attention for breakfast. It has been a wonderful experience; one that I’m glad we started while they were infants, rather than later.

The second and third night they decided to sleep on the floor, for naps and bedtime. Once we lay them down, they crawled out and played with the materials in their room. We don’t keep anything that is over-stimulating; their Indestructibles book, a natural rubber texture ball, a soft teether, their egg and cup, the two smaller arches of their rainbow, and a grasping giraffe they received from their grandparents.

                         

The fourth day, upon laying down for a nap, they immediately crawled out of their beds, grabbed the giraffe, lay next to each other on the floor and slept. At bedtime V must not have been very tired. She stayed up and explored her room for a bit until she put herself to sleep. This is what makes the floor bed perfect for our family, while it may not for all families. I love how it gives them more control, all while allowing us keep with our routine.

Is a floor bed right for your family?

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4 thoughts on “THE GATES HAVE COME OFF: THE MONTESSORI FLOOR BED

  1. Where did you find these floor beds? We have been looking, but the ones we see are just so large and take up a lot of space.

  2. Hi! Just stumbled across your page as I have been searching for montessori tips for MoMs. I have 14mo girl twins and considering using floor beds but we keep their room pitch black to help with sleep. How does that work with the purpose of the floor beds? If it is meant for them to have freedom to get up and roam around do I need to provide light in their room?

    1. Yes, it may be difficult if you wish to leave the room pitch black, although their eyes may adjust. We have always used this light as it allows us to enter for dream-feedings or teething, providing just the right amount for both us and them. The white noise has been such a blessing, too. You could always try the floor-bed, for a night or two, keeping it dark and seeing how it goes for your family. You may find your girls just sleep through the night and only roam about when there is natural light. Please let me know what you decide and how it goes.

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