Montessori Moms in the Wild

In this second half of our chat about Montessori's Sensitive Periods we cover the windows for (and importance of) Refinement of the Senses, Grace & Courtesy, Fine Motor Skills, Manners, Writing, Reading, Mathematics, AND the infamous Sense of Order! Tune in and find out why your toddler threw a fit over dinner being served on "the wrong plate!"  

In this two-part episode we discuss the importance of understanding what are known in the Montessori world as the "sensitive periods" in a child's development. What is a sensitive period, why are they important, what are they exactly, and how can I recognize them? This revolutionary application of a universal biological concept in terms of human development can drastically impact your child's expe...

In today's episode, Megan and Rachel discuss the differences between the traditional "Potty Training" method and the lesser-known "Toilet Learning" method. Rachel gives some helpful advice to Megan, who is in the thick of it as we speak! 

Why is independence SO important to development? Why can it be soooo hard?! Join us as we unpack our feelings on independence at the end of a long day of having our toddlers constantly proclaiming, "I DO IT!" 

Today we are thrilled to introduce our guest, Nicole, from Montessori for Moms. Nicole is a fellow Montessori mom in the wild as she is a mother of two with her training in primary, ages 3-6. She also runs a Montessori Inspired Farm School Learning Pod for ages four through seven. Through her blog Montessori for Moms, she aims to be a resource and provide creative content and ideas for parents, te...

We finally dig into one of our favorite pillars of the Montessori philosophy and curriculum- Grace & Courtesy. We will discuss what it means, why it's important, and how a toddler who shakes his teacher's hand at the door will grow into a socially confident adult (and maybe even an advocate for change). 

Today we will chat with our first ever guest, Melissa Neubek! Melissa was raised in the Montessori philosophy (both at home and at school), and later earned her own certification as a Primary guide, ages 3 through 6. Melissa shares how Montessori shaped her childhood, impacted her career choices as an entrepreneur, and continues to guide her through her everyday life choices and interactions, deca...

In our eighth episode we discuss the myriad reasons children cry, and how we apply the Montessori philosophy to handling these BIG emotions. 

We’ve talked A LOT about Maria Montessori and the Montessori Method. But we haven’t talked about the queen herself. Who was Maria Montessori and why do we, 70 years after her death, try so hard to keep the heart of her work strong and relevant today? Today we are going to do an overview and timeline of Maria Montessori’s life and her work. There is a lot about her life that we won’t be able to cov...

You asked and we answered! We dove into some of your questions and have some answers to share with you. Ready, set, LISTEN!!

In this episode we aim to demystify the idea that there is no praise or punishment within the Montessori philosophy. What does it mean to trade punitive punishments for natural consequences? Why shouldn't you say, "Good job!" and what can you stay instead? We do our best to explain the logic here, and provide alternative language/approaches to these topics in your home.  

Maria Montessori defined Practical Life as… purposeful activities that develop motor control and coordination, and develop independence, concentration, and a sense of responsibility. The exercises in practical life cover two main areas of development: care of self, and care of the environment. Why did Maria Montessori believe that practical life work was a necessity in childhood? Maria Montessori...

We will continue where we left off last week. If you missed out, feel free to go back and listen to last week’s episode where Laura gave us a great overview of the six components of the prepared environment. Last week we spent a good chunk of time discussing freedom of choice, structure and order, and the intellectual environment. Dr. Montessori coined 6 components of the prepared environment, and...

Traditionally the “prepared environment” Maria Montessori spoke of, is the classroom environment the child is a part of. But as moms/parents, this prepared environment we are speaking of and focusing on is extending into the home, basically meaning a way to provide a learning environment, an environment that fosters your child exploring freely and independently. 

In this episode, we introduce the Montessori philosophy and preparing yourself as a parent. This is to be done BEFORE we bring the Montessori Method into our homes. Maria Montessori explained this preparation must be threefold: physical, intellectual, and spiritual. She emphasized that before we attempt to buy those wooden toys we see on Pinterest, before we head to Ikea to buy tiny kitchen object...