Montessori Moms in the Wild

After a months-long podcast disappearance (travel, life chaos, and Laura’s dad passing in November), the three Montessori-trained moms pop back in with updates (midlife crises, Hilary Duff is BACK, Megan's loving beans & losing teeth); then they dive into Montessori peace education- what does it really mean? What does it look like in the classroom, and what can we do at home to support thi...

The Moms are BACK! Rachel, Megan and Laura sit down to their dusty microphones for a much needed catch up session. Sit back and relax while your favorite Montessori messes share about life lately, with a few extra confessions baked in ;)

In this episode, Rachel and Laura discuss balancing the elements of fantasy and reality in parenting from a Montessori perspective. They talk about how they handle popular culture, such as Disney characters and holiday figures like Santa Claus, while maintaining a realistic understanding for their children. They also touch on the influence of consumerism on children's characters and how this d...

Laura and Megan do a surprisingly good job of holding a relatively focused, unscripted conversation to share their top tips for maintaining educational momentum over the summer for preschool and elementary-aged children. As always, the aim is to empower parents with realistic, low-maintenance ideas for staving off pesky summer retention issues (aka the summer "slide") while keeping it fu...

Finally circling back for the back half of our previous discussion! As caregivers and/or educators, we all deal with young children who have big feelings and lots of emotions! It is a topic discussed a lot on social media, we see it everywhere today, and it can be overwhelming navigating the new science and guidance on this topic- especially if you are in the thick of it and experiencing some big...

In this episode of Coffee Talk with Montessori Moms in the Wild, host Rachel welcomes seasoned educator and Montessori coach, Lynda, to discuss various aspects of Montessori homeschooling. With a background in infant and toddler education, Rachel shares her own homeschooling experiences and reveals how Lynda’s program has significantly contributed to her success. Lynda elaborates on the recent cha...

Our very own Rachel Martin sits down with Rachel Merle-Smith of All Things Montessori to tell her story and discuss, you guessed it, all things Montessori! Check out the All Things Montessori Show here! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-montessori/id1479488862

In this Coffee Talk episode, Laura, a trained Montessori educator and mother of two, shares her approach to managing children's curiosity about other people's bodies. Laura discusses the importance of exposure to diverse representations, open and honest conversations, and educational resources to de-stigmatize differences. She emphasizes the need to focus on function and respect over appearance, a...

In this short but sweet Coffee Talk, Rachel covers the widespread image of Montessori floor beds. She discusses what their purpose is, as well as what her personal approach has been as a trained infant/toddler guide and mom of three. This one is a great reminder that you don't have to do it ALL to be a successful Montessori home! Check out our link tree here to find deals on floor beds!: https...

As caregivers and/or educators, we all deal with young children who have big feelings and lots of emotions! It is a topic discussed a lot on social media, we see it everywhere today, and it can be overwhelming navigating the new science and guidance on this topic- especially if you are in the thick of it and experiencing some big emotions of your own! Luckily, the Montessori philosophy supports th...

In this week's Coffee Talk, Megan sits down (with a surprise guest) to chat about her journey to normalization in her brand new Children's House classroom. Megan shares in what ways she has had to evaluate herself, her approach, her priorities, and how building community through a heavy focus on practical life (and grace & courtesy, but more about that another time!). This episode is a...

Tis the season to circle back and re-evaluate our game plans on tackling the topic of Santa Claus as Montessorians! Laura and Rachel sit down in this episode to discuss their approaches to rectifying the magic and fantasy of the holiday season's most famous character against the focus on truth and reality we strive for the entire rest of the year! This one covers how the moms are navigating Santa...

You've asked, and we are finally delivering! Laura delves into the topic of early phonics and letter sounds, particularly for children aged three to six, aligning with Montessori principles. Laura explains a bit about how early literacy and phonics is approached in the Montessori setting, as well as discusses the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction, highlighting its multisensory, evid...

After a seemingly simple reel goes viral, Laura, Megan, and Rachel sit down to discuss the unexpected increase in followers and social media engagement. The trio explain the philosophy and intent behind their post with nearly 4 million views, address a few of the comments that stood out, and confess how they really feel about being so insanely famous! ;)

In this episode of Coffee Talk with Montessori Moms in the Wild, Rachel, a Montessori-trained mom of three, discusses the challenges and solutions for managing the hectic hours between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. She offers practical tips such as prepping dinner in advance, setting non-negotiable activities for kids, and incorporating engaging evening activities like dance parties and walks to shake it up a...

In this episode of Coffee Talk with Montessori Moms in the Wild, Megan reflects on her recent thoughts about appropriate consequences for children's behavior, providing insight into connection and collaboration in both the classroom and at home. Megan emphasizes the importance of understanding children's perspectives, offering practical examples from her experiences with connecting with ch...

In this episode of Montessori Moms in the Wild, Rachel and Laura, trained Montessori guides and moms, offer comforting and practical advice for parents navigating the back-to-school season. They share personal experiences and tips on creating effective morning routines, managing emotional drop-offs and pick-ups, and facilitating productive family conversations. The Moms emphasize the importance of...

In this episode of 'Coffee Talk with Montessori Moms in the Wild', Laura, a Montessori-trained mother of 2, shares insights from an excerpt of the book 'Getting Over Your Parents' by The School of Life. Laura discusses the profound influence of childhood experiences on adult life and the importance of parents recognizing and addressing their own traumas in order to avoid paying the...

If you've been listening for a while you already know Rachel's husband works super long hours, leaving Rachel solo from wake up to bed time! Now that she has added a third baby to the mix, Rachel has gotten a lot of questions about how to makes it all work. How does she structure her days? What steps did she need to take to keep everyone safe while meeting the different developmental needs...

This week we thoroughly enjoyed a chance to catch up as our beloved Rachel returns from maternity leave as a mom of three! Not a lot of philosophy covered in this one, but join us anyway for a much needed excuse to chat about life lately, parenting wins & milestones, and a fun game highlighting the differences in vernaculars between a southern belle, a yankee, and a California girlie.

In this episode of 'Coffee Talk with Montessori Moms in the Wild,' Laura explores the importance of apologizing to children. She discusses a scenario where a new teacher lost her patience and the guidance provided on handling such situations. Emphasizing that apologizing is a crucial part of grace and courtesy, she explains why adults should model this behavior, how to make an effective ap...

Join Megan and Laura as they give us a quick and demystified run down of the heart and soul of the academic curriculum of the Montessori elementary classroom: Cosmic Education! What is a cosmic curriculum, why is it so important, what are the 5 major “Great Lessons” at its core? The second plane of development is a wild and exciting time, often misunderstood by many, so this episode aims to explai...

In this very special Coffee Talk with Montessori Moms in the Wild, Rachel recounts the day she welcomed her third child. Nothing specifically about the Montessori philosophy in this one, just a sweet, emotional moment to share and process Rachel's third birth! This one had us all in our feels, but you have our permission to skip it if this kind of thing just isn't your jam!

Rachel is on maternity leave, which means, you guessed it, Laura and Megan are a couple of hot messes without her! In this episode we go completely rogue, deciding to talk about anything other than Montessori philosophy! We opened up a question box in our Instagram stories asking what you all want to know about us that is not Montessori specific, and in this episode we deliver the answers! This on...

In this episode of Coffee Talk with Montessori Moms in the Wild, Megan shares her personal reflections on mistakes she made early in her Montessori career. She shares insights on the importance of properly presenting materials, asking for help, understanding the purpose behind activities, and the implementation of grace and courtesy in the classroom. She emphasizes that mistakes are part of the le...