When children come into our lives, we want to make sure we offer them the very best. Yet our children develop so quickly and their needs change so dramatically! A simple bedroom space plan for our babies’ first year supports optimal development but also helps us adults feel prepared for each stage of development.
It’s never too early to start teaching our children to embrace diversity. Too often, we falsely imagine that young children do not notice what makes them different from each other. They do notice, and instead of waiting for them to ask questions or gather information on their own, we can be proactive about diversity education.
Feel like you're always nagging? With a few slight shifts, focus on what your children are doing right and learn strategies that can improve behavior.
As parents we quickly learn that children have control over three things: eating, sleeping, and toileting. Rather than engage in power struggles, however, we can help children develop the skills they need to manage and gain mastery over these essential aspects of life.
You may already know that Montessori educators value and encourage independence in even their youngest students. Why is it so important? We believe that nurturing this valuable character trait is both empowering and necessary.
Positive discipline aligns well with Montessori philosophy and helps us shift from being reward-based or punitive to being kind and firm at the same time. Children do best when there's encouragement instead of punishment. And yet, oftentimes we get caught in a cycle.
During the holiday season, we can unintentionally become a bit edgy or stressed. Routines change. We might travel or have out-of-town guests. While our children may feel excited about the holidays, they can also feel the changes in family routines or shifts in family dynamics.
All too often the holiday season becomes about “stuff”— presents, decorations, and more presents. How do we begin to shift some of the focus— particularly for our children— away from getting gifts to the spirit of togetherness, generosity, peace, and goodwill?
Montessori classrooms depend upon a web of mutual respect. This culture of respect is established from the very beginning: from how the classroom is arranged and sized for the children, to how we greet each other at the start of the day, to how the adults refrain from interrupting children’s concentration.
Sleep provides the power behind a multitude of important aspects of our lives, especially for our children. Sleep not only enriches the ability to learn, memorize, think logically, and consider choices, but also provides emotional recalibration and allows for inspiration and creativity.
