These days, I’m feeling especially thankful for my three perfectly created, healthy, smart children. While I wish they could be surrounded every moment by loving family members, I do believe sending them off – out the door – to school everyday makes me love them even more.
There is not a single day I take for granted what a wonderful school they attend and I often remind them how lucky they are as well.
My favorite part of Thanksgiving this year was the excitement my girls had in inviting us to their classrooms for the annual parent dessert (with my elementary girls) and the parent breakfast (with my pre-k girl).
In a Montessori classroom the teachers work to create a community where the space is totally owned by the children. It took a few years for me to fully “get” this concept and not feel left out when other moms talked about volunteering in the class and being room moms. But now I get it. And I truly understand why there is little place for parents inside a Montessori classroom. Because there really isn’t a need. These kids can do it all themselves.
They are so proud of the space and their jobs within it. And they were so proud to invite us into their very own space, and share their work with us.
Both classes sent home invitations to the events, the week before. They were personalized by the children and individually hand delivered to me, at pick up time with much excitement. My two youngest are in new classrooms this year and were the most excited. My oldest girl is an old pro at this by now.
The elementary children get assigned to committees the week before. Some bake, some clean, some decorate and some greet the guests. I had a decorator and a greeter. The children served their parents, offering coffee, drinks, and sharing child size treats.
This was the work of the decorations committee.
It was raining on Tuesday with temperatures teetering at 32 degrees, or she would have been standing outside welcoming in the guests. On this day, we were all backdoor guests coming in from the cold. But this girl was took her job SO seriously. She stayed at her post until the room was filled with parents and a teacher told her to go enjoy some treats. She was filled with joy. And her work was important to her.
There was a boy who shared the job with her. He dressed for the occasion, wearing a bow tie and black vest over a purple button down shirt. He was quite dapper. It was obvious this job was important to him as well. I don’t know his family well enough to post his photo here. So you’ll have to just believe me. It was very sweet.
After we shared dessert together, the students performed an a cappella song they learned in music class.
For the breakfast in my youngest girl’s classroom, parents and children prepared the child size finger foods which were shared as a group snack time together. And the students performed a darling song about making pumpkin stew.
However, the true focus was on them sharing their lessons, and the pure specialness of inviting parents in their learning environment. My girl was beaming with excitement and has asked several times “if we can have parent breakfast everyday?”
I thought this was a great way to do a weaving lesson at this age. We’ll be doing this one at home! After they are done weaving, they roll up the ribbons and place them back in the votive holders. 
This girl loves to cut! I’m sure she made several of these leaves that adorned the classroom windows.
And do you remember this Thankful banner I posted about last year…. It was hanging in the classroom again for this year’s breakfast. A sweet tradition indeed. 
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Whether you celebrate traditionally or creatively different, I hope it is full of peace and thanks.
