The Reason Parents Should Get Ready in The Morning

While I am sure there are all kinds of reasons to get ready in the morning, the one that finally got me was, of course, rooted in Montessori.

Observations of a Montessori Five Month Old

Last Monday I shared some thoughts on why I think protecting concentration in infants is crucial, and partnered with this post, I wanted to share some of my observations of our baby.

Why We Should Say Yes to Our Children Helping in the Kitchen

Our oldest came into the kitchen when I was making eggs the other day and wanted to help.


I wanted to say no. But then I thought, what is the real benefit to sending him away?

Did some shells get into the mix? Yes.

Did it take longer? Absolutely. 

Was he so proud, when he and his brother were eating the eggs, that he had helped from start to finish? Yes, yes he was.

Giving My Kids the Gift of Boredom

The importance of allowing our children to experience boredom seems to be everywhere these days.

As parents in the social media culture, I think we feel the burden, more than ever, to provide our children with Pinterested crafts, Instagram-worthy activities, to fill every moment of their days with activities we deem meaningful.

As if seeing a child walking around aimlessly for a few moments is a sin.

Simplifying Montessori: 5 Ways to Set Up a Shelf Montessori-Style

In a Montessori space, the work available to your child should be set out clearly on some kind of shelf, rather than a toy box or bin. (If you do not have a shelf, or room for one, I have heard of boxes, the floor along the wall, or a table being used successfully.)

The work on these shelves should be arranged and organized in a way that is inviting and beautiful, helping to draw your child into the work.

With this model in mind, I thought it would be helpful to outline a few good rules of thumb when setting up a Montessori-style shelf.

Even Montessori Boys Will Be Boys

For this Montessori Monday, I wanted to talk about something that is dear to my heart as a #boymom and have been reflecting on for quite some time now.

Boys Will Be Boys, Did I Really Just Say That?

When people see me with my three boys, I automatically get comments like: "oh, you must really have your hands full."
"You must have a loud house."
"All boys, woah-ho. Just wait until they are older. My boys fought all the time, were so rowdy (etc, etc)."
"You must want to try for number four so you can have a girl." (Because I could not possibly be happy with only boys.)

Boys will be boys, right? And doesn't that come with all kinds of negative connotations?

Except, I do believe my boys will be just that, boys, and I do not feel this truth should be met with so much cynicism. But it is. In fact, I find myself fighting the same misconceptions. The truth is, it is hard to remember the authenticity behind that cliche, boys will be boys, because it is so often used as an excuse for aggression, bullying, belligerence or other behaviors which pass for manliness.

We had some good friends and their little girls over a while back, and while the visit was a very nice one, it had left me with a lot of discouragement. Over the course of the visit, my son was wild, rough and loud and disruptive, and I could not help but compare him to the little girls who played quietly.

As I sat back, my mother's heart pondering what I witnessed that weekend, I knew I needed to be fair, to respect my son who is strong, and capable, and masculine - wild at heart. These behaviors he was displaying did not make him inherently faulty, even if I want to ultimately steer him toward more peaceful behaviour.

Some Observations of Our Twenty-Month-Old in Our Montessori Home

As I had only just discovered Montessori when our first was the age of our toddler now, and I was slowly implementing things then, we are definitely into brand new territory with a twenty-month-old in a Montessori home, and I thought I would share some of what I have noticed in the past few weeks.

Interchangeable Montessori Mobiles

Maria Montessori did not develop guidelines in particular for infants, but she believed in the value of respecting and nurturing the life of the mind from birth, and based on her research, Montessorians have since developed recommendations for the Montessori infant space. 

One of the most important parts of this Montessori infant space is the presence of the mobile, which serves as the child's first work. The visual mobiles were all specifically designed to meet developmental needs, such as concentration, depth perception, and vision. They also provide beauty, focus, and order to the environment, all of which are important in any Montessori prepared environment. 

Understanding Obedience and Why Montessori Encourages Self-Discipline Instead

The other night our son was looking at the DVD cases, and I noticed him very particularly putting them away afterward, as he knows he is expected to do.

As he was coming to give me a goodnight kiss, later on, he noticed a few DVDs on the ottoman. In this moment I was able to witness a moment of joyful obedience. He laughed to himself and returned the cases to the drawer without a single word from me.

This kind of joyful obedience is what we strive for as Montessori parents. And while I do not always feel we are getting it right, I am so in awe of these glimpses of the self-discipline my toddler is capable of.

Before we begin, I wanted to share some articles I found to be helpful on this topic, such as this one and this one. The first article, especially, is from a teacher training blog, and I always appreciate the information I find at this source.

Simplifying Montessori: Why We Should Follow the Child

Maria Montessori was a scientist, and as such, followed the scientific method in shaping her method. Her findings were based first of all on observation, and this is why she stressed that we, as Montessori guides and parents, start with observation.

We must observe the needs of the child, observe how they interact with their environment, observe their behaviors. In observing them, we are able to “provide an environment that is receptive to the needs of the child […] removing obstacles in the environment that deter his normal development.” {The Essential Montessori, page 48}

If observation is how we can provide for the needs of the child, as well as removing obstacles that will hinder the child's growth, it is obvious that observation is no small thing.

The prepared environment, a fundamental aspect of Montessori, hinges on it.

Montessori Toddler: On Our Shelves This Week (Three-Years-Old & Eighteen-Months)

I hesitate to share shelf work, as I feel the true value of Montessori parenting is lost when too much focus is placed on work and our fixation with accelerating learning, but as this is one of my most frequent questions, I thought I'd share a roundup of our oldest's favorites today.

* This post includes affiliate links at no cost to you. The Fishies in a Row earns a small commission on products purchased through these links and are so thankful for your support. 

Simplifying Montessori: The Need for the Work-Cycle

In The Absorbent Mind, Maria Montessori wrote that "normalization is the single most important result of our work." 

If normalization is such a significant aspect of Montessori, how is it achieved? 

Today I am not going to go into detail on what the term normalization entails, aside from dispelling the misconception that it means that Montessori expects all children to be forced to conform in order to reach an expected normal.

Maria Montessori found that normalization appeared spontaneously in all children, characterized by the joyful and peaceful quality of their work, in the prepared environment.

How to "Montessori-fy" Your Home

So you've heard about Montessori, and you're really excited to start implementing some Montessori principles in your home.

But it seems like all you search for about Montessori turns up these perfectly organized and spacious Montessori setups with materials you definitely do not have yet.

Does Montessori really have to be that complicated?

Do you have to go out and spend an arm-and-leg on new furniture and materials?

Maybe eventually.

But there are definitely ways you can set up your house right now, with what you already have. Or by purchasing very little.

Why I Do Not Believe in The Terrible Twos (and Threes)

In my journey toward more respectful parenting in our own home, I have become really aware of a label or term many people use:

The terrible twos and threes.

As I do not find these labels to be particularly helpful, I wanted to share some of my thoughts about it, as well as what I have come to understand of what Montessori teaches.

If we can stop thinking of our young toddlers with this type of label, especially when they are displaying the behaviors that have caused this label to be given in the first place, I think we will all be well on our way to eradicating a need for this term at all.

Six Simple Ways To Encourage Your Toddler To Concentrate

In my previous post I shared the importance of concentration and, as promised, am sharing a few of the ways we prepare our home and encourage concentration in our children.