Not sure what to tell relatives when they ask you for your child’s holiday wish list? Are you trying to avoid meaningless toys that become clutter and dust collectors after Christmas? Ages 0-6: The First Plane of Development Even though children ages zero to three are not clearly conscious of their learning, they are discovering who they are. As they reach […]
“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison. Play is the most valuable way that children learn. Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through play that children at a […]
When my daughter was just 14 months old, we started Montessori potty training (learn more about Montessori here) every night before her bath. It took her a full month before she actually went pee in the toilet and we celebrated like crazy! We then took it up a notch and started putting her on the […]
There are many unexpected moments in the way Montessori presents various concepts of skills to children, including the surprise of introducing children to handwriting first through cursive. The Sandpaper Letters are iconic, pink or blue oversized cursive letters in rough sandpaper for a child to take to a table and practice tracing and pairing with a known […]
by Angela Chang One of the perks to being a Montessori mom is that I’m not constantly cleaning up after my children. But this isn’t just a Montessori thing. All children go through a sensitive period for order from birth to age five. This means that they are naturally inclined to work towards and crave […]
by Nicole Johnson The Montessori Method has a large focus on education, and many of the principles can be applied to any setting where your child spends time, including the nursery or their bedroom. With a Montessori nursery, you support the principle of encouraging your child’s independence by putting everything within their reach and at […]
Borrowed with permission from Kidsplaysmarter.com by Amy Smith Learning how to cut is a big milestone for your child and cutting skills are expected to be mastered by elementary school. Yet learning how to properly hold and manipulate scissors can be a challenging time for many kids. Give your child a fine motor boost by teaching your child these Scissor […]
by Maren Schmidt Injury occurs one of two ways: accidentally or intentionally. We need to help our children be prepared to deal with the inevitable in their lives. Accidents do happen, and we need to show them the way to make amends when things have gone wrong. We need to teach these skills, though, beforehand, versus […]
by Beth Wood I frequently get asked about what living a minimalist life looks like with two kids. So I thought I would share some of my ideas. Before I start, I wanted to state that living as a minimalist looks different to everyone. Our way of doing it may not be right for another family, […]
By Sam Weinman The first thing you should know about helping your kids to learn to lose is that it’s still going to be difficult for them. They wouldn’t be human otherwise. If we’re talking about loss, or setbacks, or whatever the word is you want to use, the universal ingredient is disappointment, and […]
