3.

Merawat Diri (Care of Self)

Kegiatan ini memberikan sarana untuk anak-anak supaya bisa membantu dirinya
sendiri. Mengajak anak melakukan banyak aktivitas merawat diri akan mengajarkan
ia tentang pentingnya kebersihan dan kesehatan tubuh.

Aktivitas practical life dalam area care of self seperti:

 Membuka dan menutup resleting

 Memasang dan melepas kancing berbagai ukuran
 Merekatkan dan melepas Velcro
 Mengikat dan melepas tali sepatu
 Memasang dan melepas gesper
 Menata meja
 Menganyam

Aktivitas merawat diri juga bisa diterapkan melalui pekerjaan sehari-hari di rumah
seperti kegiatan mandi, menyisir rambut, menyikat gigi, mengeluarkan ingus dan
mencuci tangan. Kegiatan ini bisa mulai dikenalkan sejak anak berusia 15 bulan.

3. Care of self

Artinya kebutuhan untuk merawat lingkungan. Jika hal ini sudah tertanam kuat maka
akan menghasilkan anak yang inisiatif dan peduli dengan lingkungannya.

3. Merawat Diri (Care of Self)

Kegiatan dalam area ini memberikan sarana anak supaya bisa mengenal, serta merawat dirinya
sendiri. Disamping itu juga mengajari anak tentang pentingnya kebersihan dan kesehatan tubuh.
Kegiatan practical life dalam area merawat diri seperti:

Menggosok Gigi

Saat mengajarkan cara menggosok gigi, bisa dengan alat peraga atau mencontohkan secara
langsung.

Mencuci Tangan

Selama pandemi, aku selalu membiasakan si kecil cuci tangan. Berawal dari si kecil yang selalu
aku ajak saat aku dan suami cuci tangan, akhirnya jadi kebiasaan.
Merekatkan dan Melepas Velcro

Kegiatan ini bisa dijadikan pondasi utama untuk si kecil bisa membuka atau menutup kancing
bajunya sendiri.

Pilar 2 Mandiri, Disiplin, dan Tanggung Jawab (Independent, Self Disciplined and
Responsible)103 Pilar 2 berisi tips-tips mengajarkan kepada anak tentang konsep mandiri,
disiplin, dan tanggung jawab. Dalam konsep mandiri, anak di ajarkan untuk merefleksi tentang
perilaku bisa mandi sendiri, makan sen diri, pakai baju sendiri, pakai sepatu sendiri, membawa
tas sekolah sendi-ri, menyikat gigi sendiri, menyisir rambut sendiri, tidak menyeberang jalan
sendiri, tidak menyalakan listrik sendiri, tidak menyalakan korek api sendiri, tidak memakai
pisau tanpa pengawasan orang dewasa, kegiat an lain yang dapat dilaksanakan secara mandiri.

Ratna Megawangi mengajarkan karakter mandiri kepada anak de ngan gambar-gambar yang
menjelaskan satu konsep karakter mandiri yang sama. Selama proses bercerita melalui sebuah gambar,
guru harus menggali pendapat anak melalui diskusi terkait dengan paparan konsep yang diajarkan pada
setiap halaman. Gali pengetahuan anak dengan pertanyaan terbuka, misalnya utuk konsep anak yang
mandiri, guru me ngajak anak untuk merespons dengan kalimat: “Siapa saja yang telah

merawat dan mengasuh kalian?, karena sekarang kalian sudah semakin besar, hal apa yang mulai dapat
kalian lakukan sendiri?”, “Mengapa kamu harus melakukan beberapa hal secara mandiri?”, dan
“Bagaimana perasaanmu setelah dapat melakukan sesuatu secara mandiri?”. Pastikan diskusi
berlangsung selama 10-15 menit, karena konsentrasi anak usia prasekolah yang relatif pendek. Dalam
jangka waktu terebut dapat disam paikan 2-3 halaman dari 1 konsep yang sama. Di akhir penyampain
kon-sep perlu dievaluasi sejauh mana pemahaman anak tentang “kata kunci” dari konsep yang sedang
diajarkan. Pemahaman anak dapat diperkuat dengan afirmasi (yel-yel, tepuk, atau nyanyian terkait
dengan konsep).104 Dalam proses merefleksikan karakter mandiri ini, anak diarahkan untuk memilih
gambar manakah yang mencerminkan karakter anak yang bisa mandi sendiri dengan memberi tanda (√)
pada gambar yang tersedia. Pendidik menggali pengetahuan anak dengan pertanyaan ter-buka dengan
mengajak anak untuk merespons dengan kalimat: “Menga-pa kamu harus mandi setiap hari?”,
“Bagaimana perasaanmu saat bisa makan secara mandiri?”, “Apa yang kamu lakukan jika mengalami
kesu-litan memakai baju sendiri?”, “Bagaimana perasaanmu saat kamu mam-pu memakai sepatumu
sendiri?”, “Mengapa kamu harus membawa tas sekolahmu sendiri?”, “Bagaimana perasaanmu saat bisa
membawa tasmu sendiri?”, dan sebagainya. Ratna Megawangi memberikan petunjuk dalam
menyampaikan ma-teri karakter mandiri, disiplin, dan tanggung jawab sebagai berikut: perta ma, guru
bercerita melalui gambar. Kedua, guru menggali pendapat anak melalui diskusi terkait dengan paparan
konsep yang diajarkan. Ketiga, guru menggali pengetahuan anak dengan pertanyaan terbuka. Keempat,
pastikan diskusi berlangsung antara 10-15 menit. Di akhir penyampaian konsep perlu dievaluasi sejauh
mana pemahaman anak tentang “kata kunci” dari konsep yang diajarkan. Menurut Ratna, untuk
mengajarkan konsep mandiri, guru mengga-li pengetahuan anak dengan pola pertanyaan yang diawali
dengan kata “Apa”, “Mengapa”, dan “Bagaimana”. Misalnya, “Mengapa kamu harus mandi setiap
hari?”, “Bagaimana perasaanmu saat bisa makan sendiri?”, “Apa yang kamu lakukan jika mengalami
kesulitan memakai baju sendi-ri?”, dan sebagainya. Dalam mengajarkan konsep kemandirian dengan
bantuan orang dewasa, guru meminta anak untuk memberi tanda contreng pada gambar yang
menunjukkan anak yang berjalan dengan benar. Kemudian guru mengajukan pertanyaan, “Mengapa
kamu memerlukan bantuan orang dewasa saat menyeberang jalan?”. Lalu pembelajaran dilanjutkan
dengan menunjukkan perbuatan yang benar dalam menyalakan listrik, kemudian guru bertanya,
“Mengapa kamu tidak boleh menyalakan listrik sendiri?”, yang pertanyaan lainnya yang sesuai dengan
gambar pada buku, “Meng apa kamu tidak boleh menyalakan korek api sendiri?”, “Mengapa kamu
memerlukan bantuan orang dewasa saat menggunakan pisau?”.105 Untuk mengajarkan konsep disiplin,
guru meminta anak menceri-takan gambar yang ada pada buku, kemudian guru bertanya, “Mengapa
kamu harus disiplin?”. Setelah itu guru meminta anak memberi tanda contreng pada gambar anak yang
menunjukkan sikap disiplin tidur tepat waktu. Lalu diteruskan dengan pertanyaan, “Apa akibatnya jika
kamu ku-rang tidur?”. Selajutnya anak diminta memberikan tanda contreng pada gambar yang
menunjukkan anak bangun tepat waktu, lalu diberikan per-tanyaan, “Apa yang terjadi jika kamu
terlambat bangun di pagi hari?”. Untuk pertemuan berikutnya guru meminta anak untuk mencerita-kan
gambar anak-anak sedang berolahraga didampingi guru. Kemudian guru memberikan pertanyaan,
“Mengapa kamu harus mengikuti semua kegiatan sekolah?”, “Bagaimana sikap anak yang disiplin saat di
seko-lah?”. Dalam mengajarkan disiplin (makan tepat waktu) guru memberi-kan pertanyaan, “Apa yang
terjadi jika kamu makan tidak tepat waktu?”, “Mengapa akan lebih baik kamu makan secukupnya?”.
Untuk mengajarkan konsep tanggung jawab, guru meminta anak menceritakan gambar anak yang
bertanggung jawab setelah usai makan. Guru mengajukan pertanyaan, “Apa yang kamu lakukan sebagai
anak yang bertanggung jawab setelah selesai makan?”, lalu dilanjutkan de ngan gambargambar lain
yang tersedia dalam buku, dan dilajutkan de ngan pertanyaan yang sesuai dengan gambar. Misalnya:
“Bagaimana pe rasaanmu setelah menyelesaikan gambarmu?”, “Apa yang kamu lakukan setelah
menyelesaikan tugas menggambarmu?”, “Mengapa kamu harus merapikan kamar tidurmu setiap hari?”,
dan sebagainya. Dalam pandangan Ratna Megawangi, dalam menanamkan pilar ka rakter mandiri anak
dibiasakan melakukan hal kemandirian dan menja dikan anak mandiri saat di sekolah. Guru memberikan
semangat agar mau mandiri, memberikan pujian jika anak sudah mandiri dan orangtua memberikan
kepercayaan kepada guru untuk mendidik anak di sekolah, tanpa harus ditemani.106 Dalam menjadikan
anak bertanggung jawab, gu ru memberikan motivasi dan contoh yang konsisten jika anak belum mau
melakukan. Dalam menjadikan anak memiliki karakter menjaga lingkung an, guru memberikan contoh
perbuatan bertanggung jawab secara kon-sisten di mana pun kita berada.

“Any child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects
in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a
sense of independence.”
(Maria Montessori, The Child in the Family)

One type of practical life exercise is the set of activities known as care of self. Care of self can be thought
of as any activity that aids the child in becoming independent in their abilities to take care of their
bodies.
The dressing frames are key materials in the care of self for children because they allow them to practice
skills such as buttoning, using snaps, buckling, tying bows, and lacing. These are all essential skills for
dressing themselves, but in addition to these, lessons are given on skills such as nose-blowing and putting
on winter overclothes. Hair and teeth brushing, face and body washing, and other grooming activities
are important self-care activities children can learn at home. Children feel particularly accomplished
when they care take care of these things for themselves, independently.

Feeding oneself is another example of Care of Self. Food also brings people together, and food
preparation is a great opportunity for children to use the skills they’ve learned to make and share food.
A child might use tongs to select a piece of fruit, a knife to slice it, and then toothpicks to move each
piece onto a plate. Then they use their grace and courtesy skills to ask children politely if they would like
some food. In this way, Food Preparation is both care of self and care of community. The other children
get practice in grace and courtesy by responding respectfully as to whether they would like some food.
Then when the child is finished, they practice care of environment skills by cleaning every part of their
food preparation task. All of this is possible because practical life activities build upon one another.

What is Self Care in Montessori?

Written by Stacy Jones in Montessori Lifestyle ,Montessori Schools

When you hear the word “self-care” you probably picture a face mask and a bubble
bath. However, self-care includes a lot more than that, especially in Montessori settings.

In Montessori methods, self-care is any activity that will help a child become independent
in taking care of their bodies. Montessori methods teach self-care through learning
stations where kids brush their hair, button their clothes or wash their own hands.

So what exactly are the Montessori methods? How can everyone use them to teach their
children self-care and independence? Here is everything you need to know about Montessori
and how it pertains to self-care.

The Montessori Method

The Montessori Method, developed by Maria Montessori, is a learning method that
established independence and hands-on learning for children. In Montessori
preschools, children can interact with their environment independently, without a lot of
direct teacher involvement.

Montessori schools and methods also focus on teaching children valuable skillsets that
can be used in the real world and outside of the school setting. These children are often
taught practical life activities, such as how to clean, cook and help themselves. They
play independently on their own mats and are expected to clean up after themselves.
Montessori also believes in toys that help children learn. Wooden toys and toys that are
made out of natural materials are emphasized in the Montessori teachings. All furniture
is child-sized and toys are low to the ground, making everything easily accessible and
“on-limits” for children.

“The hand is the instrument of intelligence. The child needs to manipulate objects and to gain
experience by touching and handling. “

Self-Care
Independence means knowing how to take care of ourselves. This includes knowing
how to brush our teeth, wash our hands, and put on our clothes. The Montessori
method believes that children need to learn how to do these things for themselves,
instead of having a teacher or parent do it for them.

Self-care and independence help children develop a sense of accomplishment and feel
competent in their skillset.

Dressing Frames:

A classroom tool/toy utilized in Montessori is a dressing frame. A dressing frame is a

wooden frame equipped with clothing items such as buttons, shoelaces, buckles, and
ribbons. Dressing frames, like these on Etsy, allow children to develop their fine motor
skills while learning how to use clothing items.

Food and snacks:

In Montessori classrooms, there is not a designated snack time for children. Instead,
snacks are available and within reach of children, so they can access them and eat
whenever they are hungry. This is a form of self-care that teaches children to eat when
they are hungry, and it teaches them how to independently get their own food.

Lessons:

Montessori teachers are not directly involved in a lot of instruction in the classroom.
However, they provide lessons on skills, such as nose-blowing, putting on winter
clothes, and hair brushing.

The majority of the lessons taught in a Montessori setting are not taught through direct
instruction, but rather are discovered by the children on their own. These lessons are
the lessons on independence and valuable skillsets that are discovered through direct
exploration.

“Any child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects
in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a
sense of independence.”
Maria Montessori

Montessori Self Care Station

A method to help children develop self-care on their own is to build a Montessori-style
self-care station. These stations, found throughout Montessori classrooms, can be
constructed and utilized in the home as well. There are a few different kinds of self-care
stations.

Self Care Dressing Station:

A dressing station in the Montessori style would contain low-hanging clothing that allows
children to pick out their outfits. It would also provide baskets of other clothing items
such as socks, shoes, and underwear. The clothing station should also have a hamper
for the children to place their dirty clothes in.

Self-care bathroom station:

A self-care station in the bathroom is where children can access and perform bathroom
tasks on their own. These self-care stations will likely have water and soap for children
to wash their hands. Tissues, for children to blow their noses. Hair and toothbrushes for
children to brush their hair and teeth. Towels for them to dry their hands, and a potty
training toilet for the child to use independently.

Delta Children even makes a small, functional toddler sink (see it here on Amazon) that
can fit even in small bathrooms.

Another possible self-care station is a food station. This station can range anywhere
from having a drink and a few snacks, to having components that need to be
assembled. With a food station, children can regulate how much they want to eat and
when they want to eat. We have a full article on creating a Montessori kitchen with
complete information.

Although self-care stations look vastly different, they should all have these components:

 Accessibility:
In the Montessori classroom, everything is accessible to the children. They can access
toys, snacks, and classroom tools. This accessibility extends to self-care items. When
putting together a self-care item in the home, you should make sure that everything is
within reach for your child to access without help.

If there is something that you cannot move or lower to accommodate the children’s
height, you should provide a stool for the child to stand on.
 Flexibility
Self-care stations may start with only a few items, but as your child grows and expands
their skillset, their self-care station should expand to accompany that. The care stations
should always reflect the skill set of the child. If the station matches the skill set, it will
help establish growth and independence.

These stations should also cater to the child’s interests. If the child shows more interest
in dressing themselves than using the sink in the bathroom, it will be more valuable to
create a self-care station centered around dressing and clothing.

 Safety
The tools and toys available in the self-care stations need to be non-toxic and safe for
children to use. In the Montessori method, most toys and tools are made out of wood
and natural material. True to the Montessori method, self-care stations should contain
similar materials.