I’m going out of my comfort zone here. Usually I base these blog posts on what people have been asking me most in class during the last week. This is instead something that I want to share that resonated with people I spoke with while I traveled in the US. And which I’m still practising. So forgive my lack of expertise here. But I think it may resonate for some of you too. As a Montessori educator, I’m of the mindset that children at the core simply want to be seen, understood and … [Read more...] about Ingredients for loving your child unconditionally
Montessori Principles
Montessori, Marie Kondo and Minimalism
Montessori. Marie Kondo. Minimalism. Three ideas which support each other quite well. So much so that soon after Marie Kondo published her book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying" in 2014, I added a bonus lesson in my Montessori spaces e-course about how we could use these ideas to help us get rid of the chaos and bring some calm back into our homes. In Montessori, we refer to “the prepared environment." This means that we take a lot of care to prepare our classroom or our home with the … [Read more...] about Montessori, Marie Kondo and Minimalism
What if my child avoids an area completely or only plays with one thing?
I’ve had many parents think that Montessori sounded great but then they get a little nervous thinking about the idea that a child with all that choice might avoid an area completely, or only play with one thing. It certainly takes a lot of trust to follow the child. To understand that children have a natural desire to learn. To explore. To challenge themselves. Particularly if we grew up with a traditional approach to education where we only learned what we needed to learn to pass the … [Read more...] about What if my child avoids an area completely or only plays with one thing?
Montessori activities vs open-ended play
Today I’m talking about why I’m not giving up on Montessori activities in exchange for open-ended play. My opinion, in short, is that there is room for both. When I observe toddlers, I see the satisfaction they get from mastering activities in our Montessori environment. As their guide, I’m always observing to see what they are working to master and offer them materials which allow them to practice these skills. This mastery is something I experienced myself on our recent holiday to … [Read more...] about Montessori activities vs open-ended play