Parenting Archives

Traits of great teachers & parents

In my ongoing series of conversations with my Montessori friend, Jesse McCarthy, we talk about what characteristics we find important in a Montessori teacher. What 3 or 4 characteristics would you pick? The things that came up for me were: curiosityenjoying to be with childrenbeing able to set kind and…

8 ways you can use Montessori not just with your children …. and change the world

Are you done with feeling like there is nothing you can do when all we hear are negative stories in the news, politics and media? Here are 8 ways you can use Montessori not just with your children …. and change the world. As you maybe already know, I’m a…

Can we apply the Montessori approach at home if our child does not go to Montessori school?

Isn’t it funny how there seems to be one question everyone is asking at the same time. The last two weeks this is what I keep hearing… “We can’t afford a Montessori school"/"We don’t have a Montessori school in our area"/or similar – and do you think it’s ok to…

Ingredients for loving your child unconditionally

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.…

Is my child differently-wired?

Today’s post is from a special guest, my dear friend Debbie Reber, author of Differently Wired and podcast host of the Tilt Parenting podcast. I met Debbie in Amsterdam a few years ago at a friend’s farewell picnic. Her son Asher, then about 10 years old, bounded up to our…

Why are we still putting our children into time out?

In my parent workshops, I ask parents if they remember a time when they were punished as a kid, maybe given a detention or not allowed to go out with friends. Then I ask if this made them feel more or less connected to the person who gave them the…

Toddlers are brilliant – The Montessori Notebook

WHY I LOVE TODDLERS Most Montessori teachers have a favourite age to work with. For me it is working with my toddler friends. People are often confused by this preference. Toddlers can be hard work, they are emotional, and they do not always listen to us. I want to paint…

Looking after toddlers is hard – and what we can do about it

Looking after toddlers is indeed hard. They are impulsive. They run the other direction when we want them to get dressed. They throw things. They don’t listen. They ignore us and others while they are busy mastering so many skills for themselves. They need to move. They need to test…

A letter from Simone about slowing down, wabi sabi and leaving happier than you came

Hello everyone! I hope it’s not too late to wish you a happy new year this being my first letter of the year. How is your new year going already? This year has started slow for me and it was exactly the calm, cosy holiday of my dreams. We made…

6 ways to reduce family stress during the holiday season Montessori-style

Imagine if our dreams of a calm and cosy festive season could possibly be true. We’ve started some family rituals we love, we are starting to work out what we enjoy and what is important to us…. And then along come the extended family with their gifts of plastic toys…

A Montessori approach to letting go and separation anxiety

Letting go and separation anxiety are sometimes harder for the parents than the children. I have a confession. You can ask my parents. When my son was born, I didn’t want him to cry, I was super protective, I didn’t want to leave him with anyone else, and I thought…

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…