The Kavanaugh Report

It's been amazing to me each time that we add a new baby to our family how perfectly themselves each baby is from birth. Before having children, I kinda assumed babies were just babies and they "grew" their personalities somewhere along the way. But, that really hasn't been my experience. They have personalities, they have likes, they have dislikes right from the womb. That's been part of the fun of a new baby, discovering that personality and seeing the world through their eyes. 

For many parents, summer break is here. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy break down some of their summer routines, schedules and plans for their Montessori families. We include a little insight into how we balance scheduled outings, free play, and academic learning during the summer. 

If you know me, then you know that I love a good IKEA run. I still maintain that there is someone in the Montessori community sneaky consulting for IKEA and making products that fit the needs of the Montessori community so well. Not only are the items great for a Montessori home, they are at a price point that we can all get behind! This is particularly true for furniture, practical life finds, and art! 

Penelope was on the floor the other day playing with her hanging bell mobile. She was watching it move as a slight breeze moved through the house. Slowly, I watched, as she lifted both her little hands, brought them together and slowly but surely grasped the ribbon bringing the bell to her chest. It was an incredible moment of intentional grasping and movement. And, a good reminder that she is ready for more and more grasping opportunities. 

Late last fall one of our good friends had to cut some smaller brush and trees from their property. They asked if we wanted some logs for firewood and we gladly accepted. But, times were busy and the firewood logs sat in our shed for the winter without getting burned. This spring the bins of firewood were discovered by Gus. And surprisingly, they have become one of his favorite additions to our yard that we've ever made. 

In this week's episode we continue our mini-series on Montessori siblings by chatting about shared bedroom spaces and routines. Nicole and Amy discuss their routines around sleeping and shared bedrooms, bedtime, and what they include in their shared bedroom spaces. They also address safety and how to keep kids safe when sharing rooms.

Every day it seems like Penelope is growing, changing, adjusting and adapting to her environment more and more. The 3-month mark seems like such a big change. Suddenly Penelope is really taking the lead in interacting with the people and things around her. She is slowly but surely starting to intentionally grasp and explore the objects placed around her. One of the first things that she has really been interested in has been baby paper. 

Lego has been having a moment in our house for the last several years. It's one of Henry's favorite things and one of the few toys left that he really uses at his age. Gus is also super into lego too, so I have a feeling these magical little toys aren't going anywhere anytime soon. I find it fascinating watching children play with lego. Some are builders, some are designers, some are really in it for the play. For us, the minifigures that come with the sets are more highly prized that anything.

In a blink and flash Penelope's newborn days are behind us! She's officially 3-months-old and really blossoming in so many new ways. Her schedule is getting more predictable and consistent. She is spending more of her day awake and alert. Less of her time is spent nursing or cat napping. It's always such an amazing thing to watch these sleepy newborns, discover the beauty of the world around them. 

Welcoming a new baby is such an exciting time for you and for your older children. There are lots of feelings - both happy and negative - when a new baby comes into your home. In this episode, Nicole and Amy share their experiences with cultivating a relationship between babies and their older siblings including some practical tips to teach gentleness and responsibility. 

All three of my bigger children could sit and do art for days, and days, and days. They seriously love to create. And, I love that about them. Their creative little minds and souls bring so much beauty into this world. However, with all this creation comes a lot of product - a book, a poster of cut up and glued scraps of paper, comic strips, and paintings. You take that times three or four kids and suddenly you have a huge pile of art. 

It can be so beautiful watching your children develop relationships with one another as they grow. However, it's not always a peaceful process. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy discuss how Montessori influences their parenting decisions when it comes to sibling conflict, and challenges. We discuss how we strike a balance between giving them space and intervening.