Montessori Moms in the Wild

We tend to do things so fast, like a diaper change, our children are absorbing every single thing - like the warmth of your hand, the touch, the cold wipe, everything. Within today's episode, we will be discussing the Absorbent Mind, and how they have two very different sub-planes depending on age, each with different qualities and characteristics to observe. "The absorbent mind, the abso...

We are thrilled to have Lenay Ludwig, licensed speech-language pathologist and founder of Splashes of Speech, join us today. From our family's personal experience with her wonderful services for our son, we know that Lenay takes an approach to language that is compatible with Montessori learning styles. Acknowledging the difficulty in navigating a situation where one may feel their child needs...

In this episode, we'll be discussing toilet learning and the steps you can take if things don't go according to plan. We understand that it doesn't always go as expected and there may be moments of struggle, regression, or negative experiences. So we wanted to create an episode to help navigate through situations like these.

In this episode, we'll be wrapping up the final math lesson before moving on to other academic topics. We understand that not everyone may be interested in this subject, and it can be difficult to wait for weeks on end for it to pass. That's why we're including a Q&A segment where we'll share our top tips and tricks for creating a learning environment that accommodates multiple children, especiall...

In this second part of our conversation about the Montessori approach to teaching mathematics, Megan breaks down the major goals for the Primary level (AKA Children's House, ages 3-6), and the formula for how we as guides aim to achieve them. We will not discuss every single lesson or material (believe us, you don't have time for that!), but our hopes are that you can walk away from this episode w...

We have had a multitude of requests to do a deeper dive into the Montessori curriculum. Our amazing listeners have been wanting us to lay out the scope and sequence for how major academic concepts/subjects evolve over the planes of development, as the Montessori method can often feel SO foreign to those of us raised in a traditional academic setting. We begin here with mathematics, beginning with...

Today we want to talk about a topic that has come up a lot , both in personal conversations with friends, and in our direct messages with many of you listeners out there; how to choose a legitimate Montessori school/program for your children. Admittedly, this is much trickier than it should be, due largely to the fact that the name Montessori is not trademarked, and therefore can be slapped on jus...

Admittedly, the concept of children having so much more freedom in a Montessori setting is one that is often misunderstood and even gives the philosophy a bit of a bad rap.  When we talk about "freedom" in the Montessori context, we are not talking about doing whatever you want without thought, we are talking about the inner freedom to be able to choose what is right and good even in a diffic...

Somehow it is already December again, and that means many of us are officially in the thick of the holiday season! After sharing a quick infographic on Instagram highlighting the gifts we believe are the most valuable to your children this year, we decided it was worth unpacking this topic a little bit more in an episode. What makes a holiday season Montessori-inspired? Spoiler alert, it's NOT the...

In this episode we are thrilled to introduce our guest, Bianca Solorzano. Bianca is an infant development & Montessori consultant, blogger for Baby Tour Guide Inc., and podcast host of the Montessori Babies Podcast. She has a Master's Degree in Montessori Education, a Bachelor's in Child Development, and her Montessori training in Assistants to Infancy from the Montessori Institute of San Dieg...

Welcome back to the third part of a three part discussion on Human Tendencies. Maria Montessori designed her philosophy and curriculum in a way that would promote the development of what she called universal human tendencies. Human tendencies are defined as, “Creative possibilities which urge the person and society towards survival, progress, and sense of fulfillment.” They are broad, and  th...

Welcome back to the second part of a three part discussion on Human Tendencies. Maria Montessori designed her philosophy and curriculum in a way that would promote the development of what she called universal human tendencies. Human tendencies are defined as, “Creative possibilities which urge the person and society towards survival, progress, and sense of fulfillment.” They are broad, and  t...

Maria Montessori designed her philosophy and curriculum in a way that would promote the development of what she called universal human tendencies. Human tendencies are defined as, “Creative possibilities which urge the person and society towards survival, progress, and sense of fulfillment.” They are broad, and  they touch every part of the human- meeting our most basic needs physically, ment...

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Tatenda Muchiriri. Tatenda was born in Zimbabwe and discovered his love of Montessori when he moved to China. Tatenda is the Founder of Montessori on Wheels where he has taken to the streets, literally, on a mission to evangelize Montessori and bring this incredible philosophy into the community and out of the confines of the classroom. His work...

Today we are thrilled to introduce our guest, Becky, who runs a beautifully brilliant Instagram page called Our Montessori Garden. In a short time, she imparts a massive amount of information about how and why to extend the philosophy outdoors; whether that be your back yard, a tiny balcony, or the nearest public park! This episode is packed with practical and cost-effective tips for taking Montes...

As a parent, one of our top priorities is keeping our children safe. The world we live in can feel very scary; and some days being a parent feels like we’re fighting an uphill battle to keep them safe for as long as we can. This week we are going to discuss something that may challenge you as a parent- letting your child take risks and get dirty! Why are these two things so important, and what can...

Today we meet with Gabrielle Kotkov of Multilingual Montessori and discuss how a multilingual/multicultural approach to raising children can go so well with the Montessori philosophy. Gabrielle takes the time to fill us in on the importance of exposing your children to these concepts starting at a young age, as well as dispels some of the top myths and concerns parents bring to her about raising m...

As promised, we are circling back to the topic of fantasy and imagination as it relates to the Montessori philosophy. We have been excited to discuss this, as we feel it really can be a sensitive one. There are a lot of opinions surrounding this, and some seriously deep core memories and emotions tied to fantasy characters and stories for a lot of us. So, just know before you even tune in that we...

This week we are excited to dig deeper into lying. We discuss why our children may lie to us, and why we strive to be honest with our children. We hope that through this episode you are able to learn more about what is developmentally appropriate about lying and hear our own personal experiences as teachers and moms. Tune in to learn more about lying through the lenses of three Montessorians.

This week we are excited to dig deeper into observation and what it means in the Montessori philosophy. We discuss how observation is more than just looking. There is truly an art to observing your children. We hope that through this episode you are able to learn more about why we observe and how to use the observations to meet your child's needs so that you can truly follow them and support them....

This week we are thrilled to introduce our guest, Shehzadi, Montessori Professional, founder of My MonteHome. Shehzadi is certified in Montessori education from birth-6 years old from the Montessori Institute of San Diego (AMI) and she has a Masters Degree in Montessori Education from Loyola University in Maryland. Through her experience as a teacher and working with parents, she found a need for...

The people asked, and we have delivered! This episode is a deviation from the normal routine, as Megan sits down with her husband, Jacob, and gets the partner perspective on implementing the Montessori method at home. Megan and Jacob honestly discuss the challenges and successes along the way, and impart a little bit of advice for partners out there who may or may not be on the same page about thi...

We are BACK!!! And this week we are very excited to talk to mother and entrepreneur, Kelly from Namaste with Kelly. She has a background in Special Education and is a certified yoga teacher and a certified kids yoga and mindfulness teacher. She began sharing yoga and mindfulness with children in the community several years ago and currently owns a community learning space called The Connection Cor...

In our final episode of our first season, Rachel takes the night off to prepare for the newest member of our community (store), while Laura and Megan unpack some of the hardest and most amazing characteristics of Montessori's second plane of development (ages 6-12). What is with the incessant questions, why are they actually really important, and how do you keep from losing your mind?! Tune in and...

In this episode we deviate from the regularly scheduled program to have a real and honest conversation about what we are struggling with the most right now in our current stages of parenthood. Parenting is just as challenging as it is rewarding, and sometimes adhering to a unique and somewhat radical philosophy can make it feel even harder! Tune in to find out know you're NOT alone, and how insane...