Parenting Archives

Surviving the holidays with siblings

In all this time writing the blog, I somehow have never written a full post about siblings. I did make this infographic here from the book Siblings without Rivalry – my go to source for approaching disputes between siblings, raising siblings without rivalry, and keeping your sanity. So with the…

Can we take Montessori too far?

This is a letter of apology of sorts. For my part in raising standards for parents that might be unattainable. And to address some myths about what Montessori is. I really do believe that we can be kinder guides to our children; that children love to participate in daily life…

Montessori and testing: why do we keep asking “What colour is this?” and other questions to test our child?

So today I’ve been wondering why do we test our child? We keep asking questions like “What colour is this?" and so many others. I’ve done it too. Before I had any exposure to the Montessori approach, I was unknowingly and constantly testing my son. “Can you show grandma how…

There are many family constellations. Ours is not so different.

Families come in all types of constellations. This is totally normal these days. So I wonder why I skirt around the issue. When I was 25 I was living in London and fell in love with a Welsh man. I was moving back to Australia to spend more time with…

How not to stop a tantrum. Yes, you read that right.

Firstly a huge thank you to everyone who responded to the recent tour of our Montessori toddler classroom here. And to everyone who has been receiving their copies of The Montessori Toddler book and sharing them. The excitement has been infectious. So fun to be part of a revolution to…

How to be human – we are more alike than we are different

Are you also questioning what it is to be human with everything going on in the world around us right now? It almost feels as if there is no time in history when change has happened at such a rapid pace. I think we are at a turning point. An…

On what to say to kids about hateful messages, a dose of inspiring Montessori spaces, activities to try at home, and thoughts from a Montessori dad

I hope you had a lovely weekend whether it was a quiet, slow one or a busy one with lots going on. Ours was pretty relaxed with long pyjama mornings and a couple of outings including ice skating with my daughter – a new Saturday morning ritual for us –…

My child won’t listen to me – 10 tips to turn things around

Hello to lots of new subscribers over the summer. It’s Simone Davies here from The Montessori Notebook and Jacaranda Tree Montessori. I’ve been on summer break here in Amsterdam but now I’m back you’ll receive these letters every couple of weeks to help you bring Montessori into your homes. What…

How to stay calm – the ultimate guide for parents

Want to stay calm as a parent? Wondering how to keep calm when your child is losing it? Or if the kids are fighting (again)? I’m pulling back the curtain to show you the tool kit I’ve been building over the years. Presenting you The Ultimate Guide for Parents to…

Yes, you can Montessori on a budget!

Simone Davies here again to inspire you to bring more Montessori into your lives. “Fine if you have money," I hear you say. Well, Montessori can be for everyone. You may just need to be a little more creative. I had a fabulous question from a reader about implementing Montessori…

What you can learn from parenting Montessori-style

Today I’d like to share a story with you. A story I haven’t told in a while. It’s about how I came to Montessori and how it has completely changed the way I parent my kids. And I’m curious if you’ve noticed any of these changes yourself. Or something you…

The 3 pillars to being a Montessori parent – an infographic

People send their kids to Montessori school and get an idea that maybe they can give their child more independence. But Montessori is a whole lot more than that. Here is my latest infographic about being a Montessori parent. I would love for you all to embrace being a Montessori…