The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being (The Parents' Guide to Montessori Book 1)

Product Information

Moreover, Davies’s advice around helping toddlers to communicate was very grounding and I found myself screenshotting parts and sending them to my friends. Coin Box: Encourage your child to drop coins or poker chips into a piggy bank or box with a slotted lid. The classroom is a community in which respect for the independence and character of your child is paramount.

But I proceeded to talk to him about each of his toys—which was easy to do since the few that were out were all clearly on display and ready to be played with. This is not to be confused with formal academics for toddlers which are generally avoided with toddlers in the Montessori method. In general, start with just a few colors if your child is new to sorting and slowly add more as your child gains confidence. For an even richer sensory experience, try adding different colors and scents to your playdough using child-safe food coloring, spices, or essential oils. Simone is a very warm, compassionate, and intelligent instructor who creates a sense of serenity and support in the classroom while maintaining an air of humour and enjoyment.She offers a clear, concise exploration of gentle and positive discipline and encourages us as parents to think about how we phrase things and to be kind, calm and deeply empathetic in our tone. When it’s time to play, your child can explore freely, using their hands to squish and roll the dough. Pouring is a basic practical life skill that helps children build fine motor control and independence. In addition, the ball tracker builds your child's visual tracking, prediction, and logic skills, which are essential as your child learns how to walk.

Whether you subscribe to a Montessori mindset or not, this book helps you best relate to your toddler, to give them a wonderful childhood, and for everyone to learn to be a bit more like a toddler and enjoy the present, instead of worrying about the future. A sleeping area with individual floor beds/mats that allows toddlers to exercise autonomy in preparing for rest and allows them to get up independently once rested.

Then, give your toddler a small whisk and show them how to carefully whisk the soapy water to make bubbles. So I set up a station filled with empty conditioner bottles with pumps, and he now spends huge chunks of time calmly fitting long narrow shapes into bottle openings. They help children build all kinds of skills, from fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination to spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills.

My stress level of living in chaos has subsided, and my husband and I can actually kick our feet up and relax after bedtime instead of tackling a mountain of mess created by our little one. I don’t think I’m ever going to know when I’ve read this whole book, as I go through different parts of it all the time. Out of context that sounds great but in context as a parent when you have an internal voice telling you’ now I’m going to have to clean that chair’ it can be hard to stay calm and regulated. Toddlers need freedom, they need movement and they need creative opportunities alongside calm and loving guidance.Then, set them up with a piece of paper, a small cup of water, and a sponge for easy clean-up, and you’re good to go! Recognizing the importance of these formative years, the Montessori approach to infant and toddlers supports starting earlier than that. Your toddler can practice spreading jam, nut butter, hummus, or mashed avocado on their toast or crackers. This need to keep adding to his toy and entertainment collection lasted for about two months until one day I realized our family room had transformed into a one-baby daycare.