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The Full Montessori is now on Facebook (see the handy little box on the right margin, just waiting for your FB picture). "Like" us to get Montessori quotes and links to child development articles and blog posts from around the web.  Because your News Feed can always use more Montessori, right?

Picture from themontessoricottage.typepad.com

Want even more Montessori?  I finally put together my Montessori Blogroll (also on the right margin, just scroll down a bit).  Some of these bloggers you might …

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ImprovingBirth.org - A rally for change!!!

Did you know that every year, more than 729,800 unnecessary and elective C-sections are performed in the United States?  Watch the video below to find out what this is doing to our infant and maternal mortality rates (hint: it's not good), and check out the risks of C-sections for mom and baby.  Then, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

Join the National Rally for Change organized by ImprovingBirth.org!!  Visit their website, find your city on their map, and become part of the solution!

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Choosing a Montessori School: Uninterrupted work period

Imagine you arrive at work at 8am, energized and ready to work on a fun but challenging project that will require several hours of your time.  You know that to really get the project on solid footing and make sense of its complexity, you need several hours of uninterrupted focus.  You sit down at your desk, fire up your computer, and start organizing your thoughts.  Suddenly, a reminder pops up on your computer screen:

Mandatory staff meeting @ 8:45am.

Now, answer this question truthfully: Knowi…

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Texture Beanbags

Zach wants to touch EVERYTHING these days.  I have to be careful where I stand when I am holding him, because he'll reach out for anything within arm's length!  I've learned to keep the shopping cart in the middle of the aisle after a few near-catastrophes in the juice aisle.

I wanted to capitalize on his interest for tactile experiences, and I could tell he was getting bored with the objects in his activity area and needed new objects to manipulate.  A quick dash to the fabric store, four small …

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Child-Sized: Spoons

I had a hard time finding small spoons for Zach that were made out of metal.  Apparently, most manufacturers believe that a baby will hurt himself if they don't coat the spoon in soft plastic.  For a while we used the Nuk spoons because at least they were a good size and the handle was metal.  Then, I found these spoons on Amazon.  They are perfect for little mouths and little hands, and yet they are the real thing, made of stainless steel with a nice weight and finish.  Zach didn't even blink w…

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Book Review: Parenting, Inc.

Disclaimer: I wrote this book review several years ago on an old blog.  It's still one of my favorite books and I thought some of my new readers might find the information useful.  Enjoy!

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Parenting, Inc., written by Pamela Paul, goes beyond criticizing the baby product industry for its over-the-top marketing ploys, and analyzes how this exploding industry is impacting parents' child-rearing abilities.  It is an eye-opening read for any couple thinking of having c…

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Suggested Color Gradation for the Gobbi

Hi crafty reader!  If you're planning on making a Gobbi mobile, I have some info that might come in handy (don't hate me if you already started, because I just got this from a helpful friend who's taking the A to I course!  You can always make another one; babies LOVE these mobiles!).  Here are the suggested DMC embroidery floss shades for each of the potential Gobbi colors:

Yellow: 745 - 744 - 743 - 972 - 742

Green: 703 - 702 - 701 - 700 - 699

Teal: 3811 - 3766 - 3810 - 3809 - 3808

Blue: 3752 - 827…

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Zach's Home Birth Story

I knew that home birth was right for me ever since I did my Montessori Children's House training, learned about Dr. Frederick Leboyer, and read "Birth Without Violence" (click the link to download the free pdf).  In the course we discussed the importance of a natural and intervention-free birth, and I knew that in the current obstetrical climate of unnecessary interventions and C-sections my best chance at going natural would be to stay away from hospitals.  I got pregnant for the first time at …

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Gobbi Tutorial, Part I

Disclaimer: I am NOT what you would call "incredibly crafty" and I'm also pretty bad at writing tutorials (How I successfully wrote 12 Montessori albums, I'll never know).  I also haven't taken the Assistants to Infancy training, so if there's a different/better way to do this, please leave your comments below for the benefit of all readers.  

A few months ago I wrote about the Gobbi mobile, which is a favorite among babies starting around 8 weeks of age.  Several readers have asked me for a tuto…

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Messed-Up World

Why is it that doctors warn you about the dangers of having a vaginal birth after a C-section, but never explain the risks of repeat C-sections?

Why is it that you're forced to sign a waiver warning you of the dangers of NOT vaccinating, but are never told about the dangers of vaccinating?

Why is it that parents worry about letting their kids out of their sight, but don't think about the damage they're causing by being helicopter parents?

Why is it that parents and doctors freak out about feeding b…

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