Homeschool Help
You Can Make a Nearly Perfect Learning Tool For Pennies
Playdough is great. It feels so good to kids because it stretches and strengthens their wrists, their hands, their fingers. But you know what's better? Real dough...
Get Rid of (Most of) Your Kids Toys
Every three months or so I go crazy decluttering my house and removing nearly all of the children's toys. I'm not an organized person by nature, so while my minimalist goals may never be reached, I find...
Get Out Of Your Child’s Way (So That The Magic Can Happen!)
Children are magical beings! The development that occurs naturally within the child is completely unseen and uncontrolled by us. But first, you have to get out of their way.
The Heart of Montessori is Actually Pretty Easily Found in Homeschooling
What do you think of when you hear the word “Montessori”? Is it a private school? A classroom full of shelves and children choosing activities independently? You would be on the right track, but this isn’t the end of the story. Montessori homeschoolers get right to the heart of the method.
This Is the Way We Wash a Wall: The Montessori Way!
An hand-crank eggbeater utensil, a bowl, and a drop of concentrated soap is an activity any toddler or preschooler will enjoy….and after the fun inside the bowl, why not have a cleaning frenzy?
Don't Feed Your Kids. Organize the Fridge!
Did the kids eat this morning? I didn't see it with my own two eyes, but what have we here? A hodgepodge of mugs filled with varying amounts of milk or water or.... something... on the dining...
Five Ways to Respect Newborns
It's not just you. Science confirms it - babies smell delicious. They also look like angels when sleeping. And nothing is as soft as a baby's bum....
The Art of Baking Bread With Children
Yeast and gluten are magical. When working with a piece of dough, it feels alive. You knead….
Why Is My Child So Grabby?
A lack of self-control is actually very common in early childhood. And most of the problem lies with the extremely-slow-to-develop prefrontal cortex.
The Journey to Adulthood: Birth to Age 6
In Montessori, we recognize that there are four stages, or planes, of development for all humans which require extraordinary efforts and inevitable regressions before we are virtually reborn into the next...
Your Parenting Journey
Boisterous or clingy, shrieky or shy, our toddlers give us the wildest ride of our lives and win our hearts forever. Your parenting journey, just like your toddler’s personality, is unique. In this excerpt from the Introduction of Toddler Discipline for Every Age and Stage, you can get a glimpse of my own pathway toward compassionate, gentle discipline.
ADHD? Montessori Is For You!
The Montessori classroom is the absolute perfect prepared environment for someone like me. Why? As a child, I was allowed the freedom to move at will, read to my heart's content, and daydream.
Every Child is a Star
Every child deserves to know that they are made of stars. From the tiniest babe to the gangly teen, we should be whispering it in their ears. “You are part of something absolutely amazing,” we say. “Your body was part of the very beginning, and it will be part of the very end.” Of what? Of everything.
Do Children Work or Play?
Never has a term so confused a traditional teacher or a parent just learning about Montessori. The common phrase "choose your work" used in the Montessori classroom has caused a massive myth...
Don’t Let Power Struggles Define Your Parenting
We call this the "power struggle". It's not fun. Avoid at all costs. "Don't get into a power struggle," the haughty book authors say, while looking down at you from much higher ground - a ground which is typically stood upon by people who have children already in college. "There are better ways to get children to do what you want." Ok, then.
Watercolored Geometric Solids: The Three Period Lesson
I've wanted to make these for a long time, but like many of the classic Montessori materials, these I simply could not justify the high price tag. But make no mistake - I did want them, and last...
4 Montessori Lessons You Can Easily Replicate Outside!
You don’t have to have a classroom, a playroom, OR Montessori materials from a specialized vendor to share Montessori with your child. You can start it right in your own backyard!
Montessori: It's Not Just for Children!
What if I told you that Montessori has inherent and wonderful value for adults, too? That these changes that you make--to your home, to your lifestyle, to the way you raise your children--could have inherent value for YOU? That’s right! Montessori: it’s not just for children.
Move Over, Unicorn. I’m Making Childhood Magical!
Children, like unicorns, are magical beings, and they deserve a magical childhood. But unlike unicorns, they also have specific developmental needs.