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Dealing with Unwanted Gifts in a Montessori Home
What to do with non-Montessori gifts, alternatives to sugges and what to say when they just won’t listen!
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Montessori with Young Children Close In Age
7 tips from Montessori Moms for doing Montessori at home with two or more children
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Helping Siblings Share
Five Montessori inspired ways to encourage sharing between young siblings
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Montessori and Santa
Is Santa a part of Montessori?
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Potty Training with Montessori
Potty training was one of the parenting challenges I was dreading. I’d heard horror story after horror story and had built it up to be an impossible task…and a messy one and a stressful one and a long one and a potentially psychologically damaging one. No wonder I was dreading it! However I’d also heard from several Montessori parents that when a child was ready they would potty train themselves. That sounded idea! Where would I find one of these Montessori kids?! As it tired out that’s exactly what happened. Starting Potty Training with Montessori Two weeks ago following his afternoon rest I asked Alfie if he wanted pants or…
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Recommended Reads – Our Bookshelves in Autumn
Well hi there Autumn! Where did you come from? Here’s a little look at some of the books we’ve been enjoying over the last few weeks. Recently a follower messaged me to ask if I could recommend books with less writing as her toddler didn’t listen for long enough to finish the story. We read lots of long books, usually I abridge them until Alfie is familiar with the story and illustrations and we eventually build up to the whole story. Friends This is a treasure of a book! Alfie is obsessed with farming, in fact obsessed might be an understatement so the setting of this story is perfect. This…
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Montessori At Home – Cooking with A Toddler
In the last few weeks Alfie has started using his Kitchen to make real meals. Needless to say I’ve been cooking up a storm as I try to make the most of this interest – for the very first time in my life I’m baking! Blackberry Picking I was delighted to stumble across a blackberry bush thriving in the hedgerow along our lane. I still can’t believe I live somewhere that has not only a lane but also a hedgerow. For me blackberries are always a bittersweet sight. Their glossy black arrival spells the end of lazy hazy summer days and the scratch of briars was quickly echoed by scratching…
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Montessori At Home: Our Work Shelves at 2 Years
Why have we introduced Montessori trays? How did we decide what to include? Most importantly - what does our toddler think of them?
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Montessori at Home: A Toddler’s Kitchen
The kitchen is full of things which pose a danger to a toddler. There are sharp implements, hot surfaces, glasses to break and liquids to spill. Yet the kitchen is also full of opportunity for a toddler who more than anything else seeks the chance to be independent and to make a valuable contribution to their family. Our Kitchen Space We are lucky enough to have space for a dedicated unit just for Alfie. Of course this is not possible in every home but if you can then it’s best to give a child their own dedicated space, even if it’s just on shelf in a cupboard or a low…
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Montessori at Home: Preparing a Toddler for a Newborn
Before Indi’s arrival one of my main concerns was Alfie’s reaction. Would he be jealous? Would he feel left out? Would he experience resentment? Would he become anxious? I think this is a worry that many parents share when introducing a toddler to a new baby. I’ve made a list of all the ways we prepared him to be a big brother and I’ve tried to list them in order of their helpfulness. When I thought about what a toddler would find stressful about a new baby’s arrival I started to understand the amount of changes a child would have to adapt to in a short space of time. My…