If you are expecting a baby or recently welcomed one, you know that there are a million and one resources out there in the world telling you exactly what you have to do in order to raise the healthiest, happiest, smartest, most well adjusted human ever. It can be completely overwhelming to try and figure out whose advice speaks the most to you.
Clearly, we have taken a Montessori approach to our parenting in our home. So, if you think Montessori might be for you, I wanted to pass some great resources along about parenting a baby in a Montessori way. Here are a few that I have found helpful in my baby-parenting journey.
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Understanding the Human Being: The Importance of the First Three Years -- This book is very very good at helping you understand Montessori fundamentals for the first years of life. It helps to explain much of the first year and in particular those newborn months. Dr. Montanaro worked closely with Dr. Montessori and was one of the Montessorians to continue to expand her work and create the 0-3 pedagogy. As a result it is a tougher read with a lot more emphasis on the why then specific "hows."
The Joyful Child: Montessori, Global Wisdom Birth to Three -- This book is much more accessible to parents looking to implement Montessori from birth in their homes. There are lots of practical examples and explanations on why certain materials are found in Montessori baby spaces. It also extends into the toddler years which is very helpful.
Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three -- This book is also aimed at teaching parents how to implement Montessori in the home from birth. It's a bit more dense and I don't agree with all the advice given in this book. In particular, I do not agree with its perspective's on breast feeding or infant sleep. I think it can be a little rigid in its approach, but it is worth a read.
Your Self-Confident Baby: How to Encourage Your Child's Natural Abilities -- From the Very Start -- This is not a Montessori specific book but an RIE book. In many ways, RIE for babies is compatible (but not exactly the same) as the Montessori method. But, this book is a good complement.
Baby's First Year Milestones: Promote and Celebrate Your Baby's Development with Monthly Games and Activities -- Again, this book is not specifically "Montessori" but is written by a lovely Montessorian (and my good friend, Aubrey). It's a very accessible to parents and provides a nice selection of activities and ways to connect with your baby throughout your baby's first year.
Maria Montessori Speaks to Parents -- This is one of my very favorite Montessori books to recommend to parents. While Dr. Montessori does talk about infants some in the book, it is more an overview of how parents should interact with children. It highlights some important aspects of Montessori and how to respectfully engage and interact with your child and why that is important.
The Child in the Family -- Again, this book isn't specifically about infants but Montessori in the family context more generally. Dr. Montessori does give some good examples of what should be included in a home environment for children and the general importance for why that is. It also addresses preparation of the adult as an important part of successfully preparing your environment. This is more theory, but a good dive into Montessori's work.
There are other Montessori books that I could recommend here where she addresses infants and the importance of the first two to three years of a child's life (The Absorbent Mind and the 1946 London Lectures both come to mind, for example), but they are denser and less focused on practical ways to implement Montessori at home during this age. But if you are looking for more reading on Montessori from birth they are both great places to start.
Are there other resources you would add to this list? Any other baby books that really spoke to you that are aligned with Montessori?
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