My Blog
Montessori: It's happening
All right, fellow mom, put down that glue gun. Step away from that laminator. I have some news for you:
Montessori happens.
You can spend all your time making adorable "Montessori-inspired" activities that you found on Pinterest. But do you know what's going to give your child the concentration, self-discipline, and self-esteem that you ardently desire for them?
Here's a hint: it's not pom-poms.
It's the focus your two-year old excerts during those ten minutes he takes to buckle his own shoes. …
Montessori happens.
You can spend all your time making adorable "Montessori-inspired" activities that you found on Pinterest. But do you know what's going to give your child the concentration, self-discipline, and self-esteem that you ardently desire for them?
Here's a hint: it's not pom-poms.
It's the focus your two-year old excerts during those ten minutes he takes to buckle his own shoes. …
Teach By Teaching
My friend Alice has a 4-year old son, and she often wonders how to encourage her child to do at home what he quite willingly does at Montessori school.
She asked him to set the table for brunch, and with somenagging encouragement, he agreed. However, as she pointed out to me, he folded the napkins a little differently than she would've, with an extra fold that made them into thick squares instead of flat rectangles.
Alice was very prudent and didn't correct him, but she asked me a very important…
She asked him to set the table for brunch, and with some
Alice was very prudent and didn't correct him, but she asked me a very important…
Slowing Down at 500 MPH
My father-in-law has a rule: "No flying with children under 5". He was a pilot, so he should know. But, he doesn't like to fly now, so the only way for Zachary to spend time with his grandparents is for us to make the three-hour flight to Washington every summer.
If you've never flown alone with a toddler, just imagine trying to keep a child with the energy of a labrador puppy confined to a 2ft. by 2ft. seat for three hours. Now, pretend that this "puppy" can chuck crayons 12 feet in front of …
If you've never flown alone with a toddler, just imagine trying to keep a child with the energy of a labrador puppy confined to a 2ft. by 2ft. seat for three hours. Now, pretend that this "puppy" can chuck crayons 12 feet in front of …
My Work
As the daughter of a Buddhist and a healer, I grew up surrounded by messages of "being in the Now". But then, somehow, I became entangled in the slimy tentacles of modern life, which seemed determined to drag me away from the present moment.
There was always something I should be doing but wasn't, because I was busy doing something else that was just as "important". If I was loading the dishwasher I was fretting about the next day's lunches. If I was working with my students I was thinking abo…
There was always something I should be doing but wasn't, because I was busy doing something else that was just as "important". If I was loading the dishwasher I was fretting about the next day's lunches. If I was working with my students I was thinking abo…
The One Thing I'll NEVER Do as a Parent
When I was pregnant, people who knew I was a Montessori guide would say: "Wow, you're going to be such an amazing mom!"
My standard, humble reply was: "I'll be a mom, like any other mom."
But deep down inside, I had my list of things I was sure I would NEVER do, buy or use as a parent. That list was long and it was judgemental.
My mom and her best friend took me shopping for baby items. "You'll need bottles," they said. Of course not, I'll breastfeed on demand.
Sippy cups? Waste of money, my…
10 Quick Tips for Baking with Your Toddler
Note: You'll find our fabulous, healthy, and toddler-approved recipe at the end of this post! Try it out and let us know if you like it!
I love to cook, and I'd love to include Zach every time I'm in the kitchen. But as a working mom, I rarely get more than 15 minutes to cobble together a semi-healthy meal during the week. Instead of pressuring myself to involve my toddler in weeknight dinner preparation, Zach and I bake muffins on the weekends, and we've been making the same recipe for the pas…
I love to cook, and I'd love to include Zach every time I'm in the kitchen. But as a working mom, I rarely get more than 15 minutes to cobble together a semi-healthy meal during the week. Instead of pressuring myself to involve my toddler in weeknight dinner preparation, Zach and I bake muffins on the weekends, and we've been making the same recipe for the pas…
The Truth About Elimination Communication
Warning: This post uses the word "poop". A lot. It's a post about toddlers and Montessori and early toileting awareness. You've been warned.
There's been some press lately about elimination communication (aka, early toileting awareness): the practice of identifying your baby's signals for pooping and peeing and taking them to the potty to eliminate. The moms that are interviewed for these pieces (or at least the way the articles and videos are edited) make it sound like it's a walk in the par…
There's been some press lately about elimination communication (aka, early toileting awareness): the practice of identifying your baby's signals for pooping and peeing and taking them to the potty to eliminate. The moms that are interviewed for these pieces (or at least the way the articles and videos are edited) make it sound like it's a walk in the par…
Tips From the Toddler Whisperer
In the past few months, Zach's picked up a few bad habits due to a lack of awareness and consistency on my part. His amazing Montessori guide - a veritable toddler whisperer - gave me some suggestions to minimize our struggles and support Zachary's development. I thought I'd share them with you, in case you find yourself in the same boat...
1. Make it fun
As some of you already know, bedtime is the toughest part of the day for us. Zach is tired and I'm beyond exhausted. I want to get him ready…
Nothing To Fear... But Fear Itself
Almost invariably, if I tell a parent that my son has been in underpants since he turned one, they look horrified and ask: "But... What if he has an ACCIDENT???"
Uh, I change him and wipe the floor?
I get the same horrified look when I say that he's been drinking from a real glass and using porcelain plates and glass bowls since he was six months old: "But... What if he BREAKS ONE???"
Uh, I sweep up the pieces and throw them away?
And don't even get me started on using forks with sharp tines or pota…
Uh, I change him and wipe the floor?
I get the same horrified look when I say that he's been drinking from a real glass and using porcelain plates and glass bowls since he was six months old: "But... What if he BREAKS ONE???"
Uh, I sweep up the pieces and throw them away?
And don't even get me started on using forks with sharp tines or pota…
All in Good Time
Dr. Montessori realized early on that young children were concrete thinkers. This means that their brains have a hard time interpreting concepts that cannot be isolated and experienced through the five senses. Color is one such concept. Hues are almost always connected to an object: "red" apple, "blue" sky, "yellow" duck. The very young child struggles to separate the name of the color from the object it belongs to, and this can bring about imprecise impressions that take time and effort to …
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