Find Your Montessori Community

I got to spend this last weekend with one of my very best friends. Amy, from Midwest Montessori, was able to come with her family to stay at our house for the long weekend. While we have talked for hours and hours and known each other for years, we had never met in person. It was incredible to spend time with her in person, to watch our children play, to go shopping, to talk Montessori both practically and theory, and just to be together as a couple of Montessori families. 

Montessori parenting is beautiful, and wonderful, but it can also be different in many ways from mainstream parenting. It can even feel a little isolating if you don't have a community of like-minded Montessori parents to talk/vent/celebrate/struggle with. Having that tribe of people in your corner really can make such a big difference. 

This weekend was just good for the soul in that way! We all were on the same page in what our expectations are, what our limits are, and how we approach parenting. It was also just amazing to see it in action with another family, and to learn from their own reactions -- to make those mental notes, of "I'm going to try that next time." 

So, how do you find your own Montessori community? There's really no one answer to this question and really no sure-fire way to connect to other families. But there are some places that you can try! 

• Your current family and friends -- keep sharing Montessori with them. Help them see the magic! Bring them on board! 
  
  
• Your Montessori school -- get involved at your school! Meet other parents, volunteer, talk to your child's guide. See if there are opportunities for connection, for creating a community within the school. Talk Montessori with these people!
   
• Local Montessori Organizations -- ask around at school, or search the internet for local Montessori organizations! This could be a city/state/regional organization, or an organization connected to the larger Montessori community.  Go to their events, volunteer, or see what resources they have set up.
   
• Look Online -- there are so many great places online to talk about Montessori and make connections with other Montessori families. Take advantage of these! Whether it is Instagram, a Facebook page or group {like Montessori 101, the group I help to admin} or some other form of online social media. And, while there, make connections! Don't simply answer questions and leave, take an interest. Share your joys, struggles, ask questions, share inspiration. Chat with people there! Often you will find those people you connect to.
   
• Take a Class -- many Montessori educators, parents, and bloggers have created Montessori online courses that offer both information about Montessori and connection to others in the community. Try one! {Check out my Courses Here!}
   
• Start Your Own -- there's nothing stopping you from creating your own Montessori community! Start a local Facebook group, or meetup. Advertise where you can on local forums. Create the space that you are dreaming about being a part of! 

These are just a few ways to try and find a Montessori community where you feel connected and supported. And, no matter how you find it, enjoy it! Because it's an awesome thing!