Our Story

Children are a great source of inspiration in our daily lives; however, they could also challenge parents and caregivers as they strive for independence early on.

As working parents with young children, our mornings were a nightmare. With one child in nursery and another in primary school, we were always pressed for time and confronted with endless challenges. Getting everyone dressed, clean, and ready for the day was a struggle, even before remembering a 10 a.m. meeting that required a suit. If you're a parent, you know the frustration.

I was inspired by my type A personality to be organised and retrieve my clothing for the following day and the reality that children cannot reach a standard height wardrobe and most definitely would not choose the "right outfit" even if they could. So I started laying out the children's clothing for the following day in their rooms on any surface I could find, the floor, ottoman, desk, stool, radiator etc. As I read bedtime stories, my mind would scan the room, looking for a designated place where these items would "belong". Hence, night after night, my mind crafted a fun, and interactive dressing zone which evolved with the aid of a character valet chair with a 3-tier hanging system and the scale and dimension of children's hangers, adding in features for hanging trousers, skirts, shorts, dresses and undergarments all encompassed in beautifully sustainable bamboo.

I was unaware that our principle of 'preparing the environment' was founded on expert advice and is a core component of the renowned Montessori Method. This knowledge allowed us to develop 'The Monte Method' in alignment with these principles, with the addition of our character valet chair, which we affectionately named ManiMe. Every child is encouraged to personalize their chair with a name of their choosing, as part of the program.

In our household, we introduced prototypes of ManiMe when our children were four years old. We made it into a game that we played on nights when there was no time pressure. Not only did the children enjoy the game, but I also noticed that when their ManiMe was prepared the night before, they were more motivated and able to get dressed independently. They wanted to do it for themselves. One day, they even started preparing ManiMe themselves, and they continue to do so to this day. As a bonus, they also use ManiMe to undress. After school, my son places the items he will wear the next day, such as a blazer, tie, and shoes, on ManiMe (and I have reminded him that they don't belong on the kitchen floor). While we promise more significant interaction, we don't promise miracles!

Children strive and thrive on daily routines. Our 28-day program offers step-by-step support with enough freedom and choice so that the child can feel in control, from choosing an outfit, engaging with the character valet chair and having FUN whilst learning essential organisational and independence skills. The program is also flexible enough to be tailored to the needs of each child.

BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY TODAY.

Discover our Program