Parenting Archives

Obstacles to your child’s development

Eye spy with my little eye. A different kind of game today. Have you ever tried to spot the obstacles to your child’s development? Dr Montessori talked about removing obstacles so that the child can reach their full potential. “The first Right of Man, the Fundamental Right, should recognise the…

Grace and courtesy – learning to say please, thank you and sorry

In Montessori you may have come across the kind of old-fashioned term “grace and courtesy.” Grace and courtesy might otherwise be known as manners but most broadly is how we teach our children what is acceptable in our society. How we might say please, thank you, or sorry. How we…

Answering our child’s tricky questions

I think many of us value honesty and find telling the truth very important. Yet children ask tricky questions at times and we aren’t sure what to say and at other times it feels difficult to set a limit around sensitive topics as we are worried about losing connection with…

My child always wants to be first – the competitive child and Montessori

Does your child always want to be first? Do they always want to win? I see this behaviour a little bit in some younger children but more around children from 5 years and up. Let’s have a look what we can do in our homes when we see competitive behaviour.…

Beyond rewards, bribes and punishment – a Montessori approach to building intrinsic motivation

In my last article on a Montessori approach to discipline, I mentioned that we don’t use rewards, bribes or punishment in a Montessori classroom. And there is not a teacher at the front telling everyone what they need to do. Yet if you observe in a Montessori classroom, there is…

A Montessori approach to discipline

There is a common misconception that Montessori children are allowed to do whatever they like. And another that Montessori is very strict. In reality, Montessori falls in the middle of these two extremes. The word discipline doesn’t mean to punish. It is actually based on the root word “disciple" which…

Staying neutral – how to manage siblings fighting

You know the scene. Two children both want the same thing. Or one of them is hurting the other. Or they are complaining and nagging each other. We can’t help ourselves, we come to the rescue. “Why don’t you go first and then the other one can have a turn…

Anti-racist resources for Montessori families

Dr Montessori believed in education for peace. I believe in peace. Right now it breaks my heart that people do not feel safe in their own skin. I’ve curated here the most useful resources I’ve found. Follow the links that feel good for you where you are on your racial…

Being more patient with our children (and ourselves)

If I ask parents what’s the thing they want to work on most right now, it’s most often wanting to be more patient with their kids. I had one father at the end of a workshop tell me that these Montessori ideas for being a more respectful parent are lovely…

Get your free Montessori routine cards

One thing that is helping now more than ever is having a regular rhythm in your day. And at last I have permission from the publisher to share with everyone the beautiful routine cards made by Hiyoko Imai for my book The Montessori Toddler. How to use the cards When…

A peek into Montessori at home with my teenagers (which turns out to have a lot in common with toddlers)

As I’ve parented two children into the teenage years, what has always helped me is hearing about how others have navigated the years ahead long before I was at this stage. So I thought it might be useful to share my experience navigating life with teenagers to remind you that…

10 ways we can show respect to our child

One thing about the Montessori approach is how we show respect to the child. The most powerful way for us to teach our child how to respect others is for us to model it and for them to absorb it every day. 10 ways we can show respect to our…