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 our child. So today let’s look at being truthful and answering our child’s tricky questions from sex to death to race and gender; talking about cultural events like Sinterklaas and Santa Claus; and being kind and clear at … [Read more...] about Answering our child’s tricky questions
gentle parenting
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 punishment. When you are having a difficult moment, would you rather someone offer kindness or punish you? Most people say that they resented the person who gave them the punishment and it didn’t make them want to do right by them. Effectively … [Read more...] about Why are we still putting our children into time out?
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 Staying Calm. These are all the things I’ve learned from my Montessori training, from working in a Montessori classroom for over 10 years, as well as from being in the trenches raising my own two children (both now … [Read more...] about How to stay calm – the ultimate guide for parents
How to help your shy kid get confident
Confidence is defined as “Trust or faith in a person or thing; A feeling of reassurance, especially of self-assurance." A parent recently asked me how they could gently give their child more confidence. The Montessori approach engenders confident children as these children are shown every day that we believe they are capable individuals, able to look after their own needs, and as they grow a little older, to the needs of others and their environment. Download this simple chart to print … [Read more...] about How to help your shy kid get confident