The Kavanaugh Report

It's the Christmas season for us! For us that means that we engage in a lot of special traditions that help us celebrate and feel the warmth and love of this time of year. Typically, I don't do a lot of themed trays for my children but, on occasion, I do make some exceptions for holidays. It honestly depends on how much energy and creativity I feel like I have! It is in no way required and is honestly just a fun extra. 
I thought I would share our Christmas themed art trays this year. They are mostly simple, easy ideas to bring just a little holiday cheer into our day-to-day work options. 
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 
From top to bottom, left to right:  Pom-pom Tree: (sorry no source for this actual work) Here the kids can decorate the little tree over and over again with the pom-poms. Its a great little creative work while still providing some excellent fine motor work. It's been particularly popular with Teddy. Pin-Punched Trees: This is a simple pi…

In Montessori, adults play an important role - that of the prepared adult. We are called prepared adults for many reasons and we have many roles to play. But, as parents, how can we become prepared? Often, it's simple little changes we can make in our behavior toward children that help us take on the role of the prepared adult. One of the easiest, and most important, things we can do as prepared adults is simply wait. 
Right now we are entering the holiday season, and my 2-year-old Teddy provided me with the perfect example of my own need to wait. We were outside trying to get back in from a school pickup and he stopped and looked at every single Christmas bulb hung along the path to our house. Slowly he even lowered himself to the ground to look at those near the bottom. That exploration required me to access some serious patience, and just wait for him to be done with this important work. Same when Gus recently got a new lego set for his fifth birthday. Waiting for him to figure …

The holidays can be a difficult time for children with a lot of uncertainty, lack of routine, and lots of relatives. In this week's episode Nicole and Amy, talk about how to emotionally support your children through the holiday season. From opening gifts, to large family gatherings and using manners we address some Montessori strategies to deal with these common hurdles with small children.  Show Notes...Shelf Help Ep. 34 - Christmas Traditions...Montessori Style!Shelf Help Ep. 31 - Our Approaches toward SantaAn Advent Calendar Idea - A Book a Day Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podcast app.
If you are interested in finding Shelf Help in a podcast app, it is available on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google. 
---

There are so many reasons to love the Montessori materials and method. The hands on approach makes mathematical concepts accessible to even the smallest of children. All the different material options really give children the opportunity to practice and learn the concepts in a way that makes the most sense to them. But after age 6, during the second plane of development a shift begins to occur in children. They move from children in need of concrete materials to illuminate math concepts to more abstract learners. 

Much like traditional methods of teaching math, these abstract learners begin to rely less and less on physical materials to support their math work and more on their mental understanding of the concepts. One important step in making this leap is learning and memorizing math facts. Instead of needing to use a material (including their fingers) to remember that 7+3=10, they need to just quickly remember that the answer is 10. These little equations help them more quickly and e…

One of the challenges that many parents face is the clutter and mess that comes with having children. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy address the process of teaching your child to clean up and restore work in a Montessori environment. They share how this process evolves from babies and toddlers to preschoolers and elementary aged children and the importance of the prepared environment in this process. Show Notes...Siblings with RivalryHitting, Biting, Pinching -- Montessori Young ToddlerCleaning with Your Baby -- Montessori Baby Week 39The Powerful Unconscious Absorbent MindA Cycle of Activity Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podcast app.
If you are interested in finding Shelf Help in a podcast app, it is available on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google. 
---

The holidays are almost here and I thought I would share some of the things I am drooling over this holiday season from small shops. I know there are so many more amazing shops that deserve to be on this list but here are a few of my favorite finds. Remember, this year in particular, it's important to shop early to ensure things are delivered in time for the holidays!

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. For the Home Sprout Kids Display Bookcase: We love our bookcase, it's the perfect size for the whole family. Montessori Mug: This is just hilarious and I love it.  Wooden Toy Refinishing Kit: Perfect for freshening up wooden materials! Wooden Tray with Handles: This is a gorgeous looking tray for Montessori work.  Sprout Kids Chowki Floor Table: I really want one of these for our playroom. Fabric Wall Decals: these are really beautiful in person and great for creating a lovely child-friendly space Babies Single Shape Mirror Puzzle Sights and Sounds Texture Cards: These h…

Potty learning can be such a fun (and sometimes frustrating) process for your child and for you. We are asking our child, although slowly, to change their routine around elimination. This can be a change that many welcome as they move to a new phase of craving independence. For some, it can be a little scary, frustrating, or maybe they don't even care. 
At just over 2-years-old, Teddy is pretty much finished with his potty learning journey. We are still working a bit on some areas but he is in undies full-time while awake and is very successful at this point. One thing that Teddy has really enjoyed during this process is reading about poop and using the toilet. Actually, I found this helpful with all of my children. So I thought I would share some good options for books about learning to use the potty. 
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.
Going to the Potty (Mr. Rogers)* | Everyone Poops* | How Do You Poo? | Potty/Bacinica | Where Do You Poop?* | How Do You Know You…

For the past nine (almost 10 years) Montessori really has had my heart. But around the time Nora was born, seven-years-ago, I started also diving into the work of Magda Gerber. Magda is the founder of Resources for Infant Educarers, or RIE. Last spring I finally dove more seriously into the world of RIE and took the RIE foundations training course. In so many ways RIE and Montessori are really complementary. In some ways, they are even very similar. And, in others still, they are very different. 
One way that the RIE and Montessori approaches are different is with their choice of young children's seating. In a Montessori environment, babies and toddlers use small chairs for meals and play. For eating these chairs are called "weaning chairs" and are used at a small table from the time a baby can sit supported. In RIE small flat stool. Children use these stools on their own timetable when they are able to climb and sit completely independently. 

I definitely see advantages a…

Let's just say that Teddy is a particular human. As far as flexible people go, he isn't on the list. Teddy likes his routine, his materials, his clothes...just so. And, honestly, that's not that unique for toddlers in general. Toddlers especially around age 2 are deep into the sensitive period for order. As Maria Montessori reminds us, "a child of this age notices a lack of order in the least details which escape the notice of adults and even older children" (Secret of Childhood.) This means that changes in things like the clothes they are wearing, the activities they are doing, the decor, or in the materials on the shelf are noticed. And sometimes those changes can be really upsetting. 
One change that has been really hard for Teddy this Autumn has been the change from his summer clothes to his fall and winter wardrobe. He didn't want new long sleeved shirts or pants. He wanted his same tank tops and shorts from the summer time. That wouldn't be a huge pr…

It's hard to believe another holiday season is upon us again. Every year I enjoy putting together my kids' Christmas gift lists. It's really a good time to observe them, see what they are interested in and what they might be ready for during this coming year. It's one of the few times a year that I purchase new materials for our home so it's always really exciting.
IF YOU NEED MORE IDEAS DON'T MISS MY ULTIMATE MONTESSORI TOY LIST OR MY 2021 DEALS PAGE!
When considering these lists, please remember that these were curated based on my own children. Use them for inspiration but they are heavily influenced by what my children are into and interested in. And for my older second plane children, what they have asked for! 
Here's a look at our family's Montessori Christmas lists for 2021! 
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  Theodore (Toddler)Teddy is just over 2-years-old. Being our fourth baby, he is really hard for me to think of unique things …

Every breastfeeding journey is very individualized. At some point, this journey will come to an end. In this episode Nicole and Amy are sharing some thoughts about Montessori and weaning from breastfeeding. We share insights into our weaning journeys and how we have approached weaning as Montessori parents.  Show Notes...World Health Organization Breastfeeding RecommendationsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics Information on BreastfeedingDr. Jay Gordon Night Weaning Article Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podcast app.
If you are interested in finding Shelf Help in a podcast app, it is available on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google. 

---

It's been a little while since I've updated the things on Teddy's shelves. At just over 2-years-old, he still isn't a child that is super into using toys and materials. Through my observation of him, I've determined that he gets overwhelmed fairly easily. If we have too many choices available then he tends to just ignore all his work shelves. So I recently went and really slimmed down the choices so that he can more easily see and choose work on his own. 

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.
As always, I want to remind you that Teddy is just one child and the toys/work that your toddler may be interested in might be different that Teddy's. Even comparing him to his siblings is not very helpful because they are all so different. So use posts like this only for inspiration, not as some sort of definitive Montessori curriculum or set of must-haves. 
Here's a look at his toy choices: Shape Sorting Beads: Ours is from MontiKids (similar). I love th…

Autumn is solidly here and we are enjoying the wonders of everyday life in another new season. One of my favorite parts about having children in Minnesota is that we get such amazing variety in our weather. We really do get each of the four season experiences here. As I enjoy cozying up to a fire in the mornings or lighting candles in the evening, I've been thinking about how our children's rhythm also changes with the season. So I thought I would share some favorites in our  Montessori home to welcome, acknowledge and celebrate this new season.
I've broken it down into four categories - something to wear, something to read, something just for play and some activity for learning.  Four For Fall: Toddlers
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.
I love the change in seasons the most with toddlers! They live so in the moment that every season opens a whole new magical world for them, everything is spectacular. Small changes are noticed and appreciated. It really is …

There are many myths about what it means to raise an independent child within Montessori circles. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy dive into the journey of independence and what it truly looks like in a Montessori home. They share how they support children on their individual journeys and the importance of the prepared adult in this process.  Show Notes...Maria Montessori Speaks to ParentsArticles on Floor BedsMontessori and RIE®️ for Infants and Young Toddlers Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podcast app.
If you are interested in finding Shelf Help in a podcast app, it is available on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google. 
---

"Hey Teddy, do you want a cookie too?" "NO!" "Teddy, should we go outside?" "NO!" "We need to clean up this work." "NO!" No, no, no, no, no. It's probably Ted's most used word now at just over 2-years-old. All day, everyday. If this was my first experience with a toddler, I know my frustration would be starting to mount. Why is he suddenly so contrary? Why wont he listen? What does he want?! I know he wants that cookie, why is he saying no? I know he wants to go play outside. But everything thing is no. 

Thankfully, this isn't my first dip into the lovely age and this isn't my first time with 2-year-olds. So, this time I can laugh and watch Teddy with wonder as he learns to confidently exert his independence in the world. This kind of behavior is exactly what I want to see in my older children. I want them to clearly state what they need, to set boundaries, and express their feelings. So I need to foster it in …