My kids’ preschool teacher keeps the lights off all day - I don't get it

When the mum asked the teacher, she seemed "offended" by the question. Is this normal for a Montessori school?

Children come home with all sorts of stories after a day at preschool or daycare. But one mum was recently left confused and a little annoyed after her four-year-old shared something rather unusual with her about their day.

The mother took to Reddit to share that she recently discovered that her son's preschool doesn't turn on the lights for the children to play during the day. 

"My child is four and goes to a Montessori that keeps the lights off. Out of six classrooms, their class is the only class to do this," she began her post. 

"Where we live is pretty grey and dreary. They have no lamps in the room and don’t get much natural light, it’s as bright as a basement."

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A mother has asked if it's normal for a Montessori centre to leave their lights off during the day. Image: iStock

They have no alternative lighting 

The mum reveals that she has been monitoring the situation by asking her son if the lights were turned off each day he attends and there seems to be a common theme. 

"I asked him and yesterday he said they kept the lights off all day," she adds. 

"Overall I’ve been in at 8,9, 10:30am as well as between 2-4pm and the lights are always off."

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While she's a little confused about why this is done, the mother shares that she is most concerned about the fact that the room has no natural lighting - or any other alternative lighting - so the kids can clearly see when they play. 

"The classroom has a few windows, but they are smaller sized, and the room is overall pretty dim, and they have no alternative lighting when the lights are off," she explains. 

"I asked the teacher today if the lights were off all day, she seemed overall a bit offended, and insisted the lights are off in the morning, after school and at lunch to save energy."

But her dismissive answer didn't marry up to her son's version of events. 

"I get it, but the lights are off from morning till 11am when the kids go outside, then they are off at 12 for lunch, then from what I’ve seen, they’re off from 2pm-4pm, so basically all day," she writes. 

"I find that working in a dim room leaves me feeling sleepy and depressed, it’s also hard on the eyes. It bothers me that my son is in a dark room for most of the day. How would you go about handling this? Has anyone else experienced this in the classroom?"

Is this normal for a Montessori centre?

When the mother posted her concern online, over 300 comments hit her subreddit thread.

Some people shared their own experiences attending a similar school. 

"The Montessori my toddler used to go to never had lights on except for some reading lamp type lights," one wrote. "It had good natural light, but, on overcast days, it was pretty dark in there. I get migraines, and I thought it was great. Plus, with 15 toddlers running around, I think it helped a lot to keep the kids slightly calmer."

Another parent chimed in: "My kid's Waldorf school rarely had lights on, they like it dim and peaceful. Did it seem grey and depressing to me, yes. But I'm not a 4 year old, nor am I a preschool teacher (and god help me, I never want to be). Good preschool/ daycare is hard to find, I'd keep those thoughts inside if I were you."

Meanwhile, others who attended regular centres offered their advice and the common theme was that bright lights are irritating for the children AND the teachers. 

"Research shows dim rooms provide peace and calm. And overhead lights cause many people headaches. I rarely had the lights on in my classrooms when I taught. I think if your son is actually bothered by this you should ask him to be moved classrooms, but I see no issue with this teacher's preference," one person commented. 

"If it's not so dim they can't see, it's probably because she finds the lower light level to be more calming and relaxing. Generally classrooms can be overwhelmingly stimulating from all the noise, lights, and people in the area. Turning the light off, if they can still see comfortably, can really help with the overstimulation issues," another person agreed. 

Originally published as My kids’ preschool teacher keeps the lights off all day - I don't get it