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infants
Simple Is Better
Most commercial toys try to cram a lot of “bang for their buck”. Imagine, with just one toy, your child will be able to learn colors, numbers and shapes! She’ll practice sorting and stacking while listening to classical music, and each time she does it right, the toy will light up and shout out “Good job!”This sounds like a great toy, right? Wrong! The best toys are the simplest ones… Click here to find out why and watch a short video!
Environment As Teacher
"The environment itself will teach the child, if every error he makes is manifest to him, without the intervention of a parent or teacher, who should remain a quiet observer of all that happens."
- Dr. Maria Montessori
https://youtu.be/pr--aPdD_Bk
- Dr. Maria Montessori
https://youtu.be/pr--aPdD_Bk
Letter From Your Baby
Dear caregiver,
I know you have the best intentions. When you take me to the park and "walk" me by the arms, sit me on the teeter-totter, or send me down the slide, you're doing it because you want me to have fun.
But here's the thing: I am a baby. I am driven by developmental urges you can't see. The things I want to do may seem slow and boring to you, but they are exciting and challenging to me. When you push me to do what you think is fun, you rob me of the opportunity to do what I know i…
Now You See It...
Welcome to Theory Thursday, where Jeanne-Marie Paynel (from Voila Montessori) and I team up to share our knowledge and love of all things Montessori through text and video!
I recently received this question from a client: “My 8-month old freaks out every time I am out of her sight. I can’t even go to the bathroom by myself! What’s going on and how can I help her understand that I’m coming back?”
This is very normal behavior for babies around the second half of their first year of life. They are di…
I recently received this question from a client: “My 8-month old freaks out every time I am out of her sight. I can’t even go to the bathroom by myself! What’s going on and how can I help her understand that I’m coming back?”This is very normal behavior for babies around the second half of their first year of life. They are di…
Floor Bed Confidential
It seems like there are two major complaints when it comes to using a floor bed: the baby rolls off while sleeping and/or the baby crawls off to explore the room instead of staying put and falling asleep. I've experienced both situations, and I hope that I can provide some encouragement and realistic expectations for parents going through the same scenarios. Because the truth is, when used correctly, the floor bed is an amazing tool for supporting your child's development, both mental and phys…
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…
Floor Bed Round-Up
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="487"]
Zachary on his floor bed at 5 months of age.
Zachary on his floor bed at 5 months of age.I've been getting a few questions about floor beds, so I thought I'd do a quick round-up of what I've written so far and share my experiences... Hope someone finds it helpful!
Floor bed and infant development:
http://www.voilamontessori.com/en/guest-post-the-floor-bed/
With a floor bed, the child calls (some of) the shots:
http://www.voilamontessori.com/en/guest-post-the-floor-bed-part-2/
Quick overview of sl…
MontessoRIE
I absolutely love RIE, an approach to infant care developed by Magda Gerber based on the work of Emmi Pickler. I found in RIE a simple, practical, and effective path for helping my baby navigate the rough waters of his first years of life. One of my favorite aspects of RIE is the belief that a child deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and his feelings need to be acknowledged. Here's a great article that goes into more detail, courtesy of one of my all-time favorite bloggers, Janet …
The Basket of Known Objects
The Basket of Known Objects is one of the most simple and effective Montessori activities for babies. It promotes exploration, language, sensory development and movement... Best of all, it's 100% FREE!!
As its name implies, this activity requires placing 4-6 safe objects that you find around the house into a child-sized basket. It can be introduced around the age of three months, or when you see that your child is beginning to grasp objects. If your baby can sit up against pillows, you can int…
As its name implies, this activity requires placing 4-6 safe objects that you find around the house into a child-sized basket. It can be introduced around the age of three months, or when you see that your child is beginning to grasp objects. If your baby can sit up against pillows, you can int…
He Likes to Move It, Move It...
I had the good fortune of capturing Zach on video while he worked on his gross motor skills. (Please pardon the wonky camera angle; I didn't want him to know I was filming him.) I want to share what I recorded because I feel it illustrates several key principles for supporting the development of movement...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhZOv680Q9k
Motives for movement: The development of movement is two-pronged. There is an evolutionary drive to move that comes from within the child, but it mu…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhZOv680Q9k
Motives for movement: The development of movement is two-pronged. There is an evolutionary drive to move that comes from within the child, but it mu…
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