tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30930608548861331972024-03-27T01:37:52.676-05:00The Kavanaugh ReportUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1769125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-60381788024238636082024-03-26T07:38:00.002-05:002024-03-26T07:40:27.764-05:00Montessori in the Kitchen - We love Nylon Knives I feel like in Montessori circles there is a lot of love for kids using knives. Child safe knives open up a world of independence for toddlers and preschoolers. And, we introduce knives around here around my babies' first birthdays. But, I think a lot of love falls to the wavy chopper knife, which is honestly a great choice for young toddlers. But, wavy choppers are far more limited than my Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-68261547864514656682024-03-22T06:32:00.002-05:002024-03-22T06:32:29.186-05:00Montessori Toddler Skills at 23 and 24-MonthsI just love new 2-year-olds. They are so full of energy, and sweetness. They are becoming themselves, and their interests, preferences, and dislikes become easier to spot. And they are just so cute and funny. Our Montessori days at 2-years-old are slow and steady. We try our best for long periods of time where we are just hanging out in our prepared environment. But, I wanted to share some more Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-38731391525068398512024-03-13T08:07:00.004-05:002024-03-14T07:00:45.349-05:003 Things I Teach my Children from Birth as a Montessori MomSometimes there's a misconception on the internet that Montessori is all about teaching children - that our main focus is math, reading, or writing. And I think this comes from the unique approach that Montessori takes toward academic work. The materials are extremely unique, the timing and the pace can also be very different from mainstream school approaches. But, the reality is that as a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-80635628533471961572024-03-11T06:17:00.002-05:002024-03-11T06:26:50.885-05:00Montessori Friendly Easter Baskets 2024I love putting together a simple, sweet Easter basket for my kids each spring. While Easter is mainly a religious holiday in our Montessori home, we do celebrate with some simple gifts and treats each year. There is so much pressure now to create these giant baskets filled with so many things. Instead I try to pick a few quality choices that my kids will each love and something practical for the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-27851547688065488992024-03-08T06:15:00.004-06:002024-03-08T06:32:42.398-06:00What Activities are IN today in our Montessori Home?I live for all the different ways my children show up in this world. They are just so cool and doing so many interesting and amazing things. And, I bet your kids are too! I think that's one of my favorite shifts that I've made as a Montessori parent - seeing children as whole humans right from the start. These are not empty shells for us to fill, but flowers we get to watch open. And no Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-45776172617260978412024-03-04T08:13:00.008-06:002024-03-04T08:20:39.648-06:00Montessori Elementary Play: Science Kits and ToolsThere are so many cool ways to explore our world as an kid. Free play and exploration are so important, and so is giving our children time to make discoveries on their own. But, as kids move into the elementary years, I've found it's really fun to make space and time for some more directed exploration. And, we are so fortunate to live in a time where science kits are common and handy. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-127851512931067562024-03-01T07:13:00.004-06:002024-03-01T07:16:40.564-06:00Using a Waldorf Playstand in our Montessori HomeIt's no secret that I love play silks in my Montessori home. I mean we really love them. They are used nearly every day around here for some sort of pretend play by all of my kids. Capes and forts, dress up and small world play - you name it, they have probably done it with a play silk. Even in our home, firmly rooted in Montessori, we have found that the Waldorf magic just creeps in and brings Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-55438296373240735302024-02-26T08:29:00.008-06:002024-02-26T08:37:16.573-06:00Make an Easter Basket for Your Montessori BabyCelebrating holidays with your baby can be so fun and exciting. I've really enjoyed creating traditions around holidays and seeing the festivities through the eyes of my new babies. As a Montessori family, we want to include even our littlest members in the celebrations with some simple gifts when appropriate. For Easter, this includes a small basket of gifts, just like my older kids get. ItUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-49339303937533498492024-02-22T08:30:00.001-06:002024-02-26T05:57:15.838-06:00Montessori Parenting in the Second Plane: Responding to QuestionsThe mind opens up in the most incredible ways during the elementary years. Suddenly our small little people have all these big questions, thoughts, and abilities. Maria Montessori tells us that this period is so unique for the capacity that elementary children have for learning. They need new stimulation and crave abstract information. But in an age where every bit of information is at our Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-7292519186986131032024-02-12T06:59:00.003-06:002024-02-12T07:01:34.658-06:00Our Montessori Days at 2-years-oldIt's hard for me to believe that my youngest little Montessori baby is already 2-years-old. The years fly by faster with each child and by the 5th, the years are barely a blink. But, even if I can't believe it, my Montessori baby is solidly a Montessori toddler now. Entering the 2-year-old year is just such an exciting time. Our days are predictable, her language is exploding, and we have a lot Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-5997270168310210292024-02-01T07:28:00.003-06:002024-02-02T05:56:01.516-06:00Montessori Activity: Valentine's Stencil PaintingValentines Day is right around the corner and that means I'm adding a couple of things to our Montessori art shelves to celebrate. While adding seasonal work to your Montessori home can be super fun, it doesn't have to be super complicated. Since giving cards at Valentine's Day is super popular, I wanted to add something for Ted to be able to make some cards for friends or family. So I decided onUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-33919020321255161602024-01-31T06:24:00.006-06:002024-01-31T06:28:31.903-06:00Montessori Kids: Rule Making in the Elementary YearsThe elementary years, or the second plane of development as we call them in Montessori, are marked with many unique characteristics. One of the major characteristics of the second plane of development is the immense interest in social relationships. These kids are so social. Their brains are wired to move around in little packs learning how to be in community with others. Their friendships becomeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-87984360283638499082024-01-22T07:02:00.001-06:002024-01-22T07:42:00.066-06:00Montessori at Home: Pretend Play in the Preschool YearsPretend play can be such an interesting and complicated topic within Montessori. While Maria Montessori found that children prefer real work in favor of pretend toys, children in Montessori environments still engage in pretend play. In fact, pretend play has an important role to play in the social emotional development of all children. Where Montessori often differs when it comes to pretend Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-76925862227128432222024-01-17T08:08:00.004-06:002024-01-22T07:51:37.974-06:00Montessori At Home: Pretend Play with ToddlersWe've been experiencing an explosion of pretend play in our home lately. With my two youngest (nearly 2 and 4) both in really unique stages they have both been drawn to pretend play in a way that I find so fascinating. Sometimes in Montessori environments, there is a pervasive myth that small children prefer only real work to pretend play. And while Montessori activities should certainly be basedUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-58075646352323192032024-01-16T07:39:00.006-06:002024-01-16T07:44:37.178-06:00Shelf Help S4 Ep 8 - Finding Center After a Break This week on our Montessori parenting podcast: The new year is here and for a lot of us that means a time of reset after a break from our regular routines. In this this week's episode, Nicole explores a couple of ways that she likes to reset her home and get back to Montessori roots following a time of disruption. Show Notes...Reading Area Reel5 Minute Observation Ideas
 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-54374509015283562722024-01-10T06:24:00.006-06:002024-01-10T06:31:46.702-06:00Montessori at Home: Purging Toys and Clutter with Elementary KidsFor many of us the first few weeks of the year mark a time where we are staring at just far too much stuff. Especially children's stuff. With the holidays newly over, and winter here I feel like my house is bursting with all sorts of toys, games, activities that need to be organized and need a place to go. With my younger kids, a solid toy rotation usually solves the issue. The older things go Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-21738541042584623892023-12-19T06:59:00.002-06:002023-12-19T07:07:42.877-06:00The Kavanaugh Report 2023 in ReviewI'm struggling to comprehend how this year has already come to a close. It really has felt fleeting. My littles are becoming bigs. Everyone moved up to a new Montessori level. And so much growth has happened. For me, as a mother it's been incredible. It's been a year of really watching my kids flourish in new and exciting ways. As a Montessori parent educator in this space and on social Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-8238863538575962772023-12-15T06:51:00.000-06:002023-12-15T06:51:25.354-06:00Some Montessori Goodness at 22-MonthsI just love one-year-olds, and I can't believe that in just a couple short months Penelope is going to be 2. Two-year-olds are fantastic too, but they really rapidly lose the "baby" part of them and step into their own little personhood. It's hard on my mama-heart. So, I'm soaking in all this time with her before this next phase of toddler-hood really sets in. This stage is one of real Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-40061168190597103932023-12-14T07:43:00.001-06:002023-12-14T07:43:44.911-06:00Collaborating in the Second PlaneSome of the Kavanaugh children want a pet rabbit something fierce. Gus is lucky enough to have a couple of rabbits as his classroom pets right now, and he and Nora have fallen in love with them. It has started a months long campaign here to get a rabbit or two of their very own. And, I'm sure they are wonderful companions that do great in lots of families. But, I'm not convinced. This rabbitUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-77629465550730018082023-12-07T07:47:00.001-06:002023-12-07T07:47:54.424-06:00Montessori Stocking Stuffer Ideas For Your Little (By Theme!)It can be so overwhelming to find meaningful and useful stocking stuffers. It's easy to fill a stocking with trinkets and junk that will be forgotten about or thrown away in a couple days. But, it's harder to think of things that will last awhile and are going to be well loved. I wanted to put together a few ideas based on common themes enjoyed by many Montessori kids. You could stick to oneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-82541930482511561992023-12-05T09:04:00.003-06:002023-12-05T09:04:38.619-06:00Natural Gross Motor Development - Walking You know that I love natural gross motor development principles. I love watching infants unfold at the time and place that they are ready. Instead of moving babies for ourselves, we allow them to discover their bodies and in turn get to see all these amazing phases of development that are sometimes overlooked. Transitional positions, unique climbing challenges, different ways of discovering Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-40693392510937841612023-12-04T06:05:00.001-06:002023-12-04T06:05:46.613-06:00Shelf Help S4 Ep 7 - Fighting the Urge to Say No In this week's Montessori parenting podcast...<!--x-tinymce/html-->Have you ever felt a gut urge to just say "no" to your child without really stopping to think about why? In this episode, Nicole and Amy explore those feelings, what they mean for us for adults, and how to balance that need for control with our child's need to explore. Why do our children need to explore? How can we make Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-90217039294945976392023-11-30T07:29:00.002-06:002023-11-30T07:30:28.703-06:00Montessori Cosmic Education and Family VacationOver this past year, our family has been embarking on what we call "The Year of the Mississippi." It's been a series of trips, both local and travel, learning experiences, books, and more centered around the Mississippi River. For us, it's been an interesting way to bring Montessori cosmic education home and really explore deeply as a family. You see we live near the Mississippi. There is Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-52237461128587585822023-11-21T08:18:00.002-06:002023-11-21T08:22:16.428-06:00Art in the Preschool Years: Montessori at Home I love having a four-year-old! They are so sassy, sure of themselves, and fun. They are often past the stage of needing a ton of support in common tasks and are ready for longer and more structured activities. As a Montessori parent, I also know that 4 is still really little, and they need your guidance and often want your help and participation as they conquer the world around them.There are so Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093060854886133197.post-90555238471078870302023-11-14T07:33:00.003-06:002023-11-15T06:52:46.513-06:00Montessori Young Toddler: Simple Art Tips! Toddlers are so attracted to so many different things in their worlds. For some of them, it's gross motor play, some it's sensory exploration, or for some it's more practical pursuits. For many young toddlers, artistic expression is high on that list. But, some parents can feel like they want to shy away from offering art to young toddlers for a variety of reasons. Some might feel like it's Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0