Why is Order Important For a Child?
“…but the small child cannot live in disorder. Order is for him a need of life; and if this order is upset, it disturbs him to the point of illness. His protests, which seem like mere caprices, are really vital acts of defense.” – Montessori Maria
Maria Montessori said that order is essential to the development of a child (as young as an infant). This need for order peaks in the first 3 years of life & internalises by around 5-6 years of age. The child's external environment (with materials appropriate for her natural development) must be attractive with everything in a consistent place. This predictability (of knowing where to find things) allows the child to feel secure and to trust herself & the world she lives in. It also helps the child to organise the information around her.
The need for order is a natural human tendency. It enables one to recognise a pattern, a cause & effect, & a sequence. It provides security & allows children to make predictions & assumptions based on experience & strengthens their development of reasoning. Children in the 6-12 age group are not as sensitive to external order unlike the 0-6-year-old child but rather, to intellectual order.
Order doesn't confine itself to the child's physical environment. It is also when she is provided with consistent routines and freedom to refine her movements & express herself. Have you observed that when your young child can't find a toy she sleeps with every night or goes to a new place (without duly preparing her for it), chaos ensues? This is because a child feels safe knowing what she can expect from her environment. A disorderly environment & lack of consistent routines increases cortisol levels (a stress hormone) that can be detrimental to her learning & development.
With structure & order, children are able to freely choose the work they want to do that follows their interests & natural abilities. This helps to build their self-confidence and the love of learning.
What can we do as adults to create a calm environment that supports our young child’s developmental need for order? Here are 5 ways to get started:
Tidy up our own spaces in the home first. When we role model how we take care of our belongings & the joy we get when we live in a calm space, our children will effortlessly absorb this from their environment, making it a part of their being.
Assign a place for everything (so everything is in its place) so that the child can feel safe & secure.
Provide child-sized furniture & tools so that the child can learn to become more self-reliant & build her confidence to explore the environment with freedom.
Keep it simple & beautiful: keep the colours of the space neutral, the walls with minimal artwork (at the child’s height), and bring nature indoors so that the environment is attractive to the child. Children learn to appreciate beauty & how to express themselves creatively.
Make tidying a part of their daily routine: Predictability in a child’s home environment reflects their sense of structure & order in the world. Involving children in caring for their environment also teaches them how to respect & care for not only their things but also the people in their homes and communities. Involve them in simple home tasks (e.g., teach them how to fold clothes & put them away) and make it a part of their daily rhythm.
In a clutter-free & organised home where belongings have a clear sense of purpose & beautiful, a child can function effectively & create her unique self. She will thus thrive in a home that is designed for her to be independent & a contributing family member.