The Kavanaugh Report

One way that Montessori is different from mainstream parenting is that we insist on giving children -- even the youngest children -- real experiences. We believe that they are capable of experiencing so much more in the world than they are often given credit for.  This is especially true with learning to eat. Montessori babies are given the opportunity to learn how to use real materials from the start. This includes using real utensils, plates and cups. These all provide an opportunity for independence while showing a baby respect and trust.   This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  However, just like with the weaning spoon , it's important to pick a tool that will help your baby become successful. Handing a baby any old glass won't have the same result as giving them a glass that is a good size and shape. We want to provide opportunities for independence, but also set them up to be as successful as possible.  The solution for...

A little over a month ago, Henry finished his kindergarten year at the public Montessori school he attends. He had a wonderful year and grew in ways that I wasn't even expecting. My plan for the summer was to just take it easy, let him play and see where he led us.

Augustus has been sick all week with a high fever, but that hasn't stopped him from doing the one thing he really wants to do -- move. Movement is such a huge part of his life these days. Some days it feels like all he does is roll from one end of the room to the other looking for any weaknesses in our baby proofing efforts. And, you know what? That's totally fine. It's actually more than fine, it's perfect. 

With Nora being 3-years-old now, we are starting to leave the toddler years behind. This fall she will enter Children's House and a whole new world of discovery will open up for her. But, even at 3-years-old, and before entering school, she is so exceedingly capable. Kitchen tasks, in particular, are a favorite of hers. 

Observation is such a critical skill for a Montessori parent. Yet, the ability to sit back and watch, really watch, your child is not an easy thing to do. There are so many distractions in modern life, so many pressures to push your children, and so many voices telling you what they should or should not being doing. It can be so easy to forget that your child already knows what he or she needs and is working to get there. One of my personal favorite things to observe is a children engaged in artistic expression. It's literally like getting a glimpse into their soul. You get to see how they see the world, you get insight into what drives them, what challenges them, what's funny to them, and so much more. It's also a rare opportunity to watch their hands move. To see their strength in action. To observe changes in their physical growth that can otherwise be difficult to notice. Suddenly, your child is holding that brush so beautifully, is drawing straigh...

My love affair with all things Instagram and Montessori is showing a little bit with this post! There are just so much great Montessori inspiration on IG, I could literally spend hours browsing through it all. While I often lust over the wonderful Montessori spaces and parenting anecdotes on Instagram, there are also tons of great Montessori inspired materials and work to use as inspiration as well.  So, I thought I would share some of my recent finds! Here are 10 Montessori inspired trays from Instagram to consider for your work shelves!  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  A post shared by Mindful Learning (@mindful.learning) on Jul 15, 2017 at 3:39pm PDT I love this simple posting work from Mindful Learning! This would be great for an older baby or young toddler, and it could easily be adapted into an object permanence work! These Grimms marbles would be wonderful for this kind of tray.  A post shared by M...

At Christmas, I needed a little something to put in Henry's stocking so I picked up a little top {number 8} to include. And, a love affair with spinning tops in our home began. They are such great little toys for building hand strength, concentration, and self control. And, as it turns out, they are just gorgeous toys! The more I look for tops, the more I want to look!  So, I thought I would share some of my favorite spinning top finds with you! And, as a bonus for those of you that live in Europe, you guys have so many more beautiful options than we have here! Some of these were tops I found when creeping on European sites. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  top 1 |  top 2  |  top 3  |  top 4  | top 5 |  top 6  |  top 7  |  top 8  |  top 9  | top 10 | top 11 | top 12  |  top 13  |  top 14  | top 15 | top 16 I know there are so many mo...

Using a Montessori floor bed with an infant is so incredible. Like I mentioned in my previous post , there are big differences between using the floor bed and a traditional crib. The biggest one being freedom of movement. With the freedom to get in and out of bed, it is very important that the nursery {or sleeping space} is safe. Therefore, baby proofing with a Montessori floor bed is really important.

Augustus has been our first baby that has used a floor bed from birth. Nora and Henry both moved to floor beds as toddlers -- Henry at 2-years-old and Nora around 14-months. But, before that they slept in a traditional crib in their own rooms. So, moving to a floor bed has been a big change, but actually quite a pleasant one! 

Introducing solid food to your baby can be such an exciting time! But, weaning -- as we call it in Montessori -- can also be nerve wracking and stressful too. For me, there's always been this sort of dread over whether or not we are making the right feeding choices, how we are going to make it work in reality, and how to create this positive relationship with food. Montessori weaning has provided a lot of answers, especially when it comes to family meals .

Nora is obsessed with dead bugs right now. No joke! We literally have a discovery box full of dead beetles sitting at our children's table as decoration. She searches for these big dead June bugs around our yard and collects them in the house. If you follow me on Instagram , I'm sure you've seen the dead beetle box and my secret, yet, beyond horrified reaction.  Despite my disgust, I am determined to allow Nora to follow her interest and learn as much as she can about these bugs. So, in an effort to support her new hobby, I've went looking to see if there were any materials that could support her growing interest!  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  1. Insect X-Rays and Picture Cards 2. Insect Emporium   3. Laminated Butterflies 4. Discovery Boxes 5. Preserved Insects 6. Bug House 7. Bug Magnifier 8. Butterfly Grow Kit 9. A Beetle is Shy So far Nora's interest has been limited to dead bugs, lucky me. But, I...

Now that it is officially summer break here, we've been so busy. But, that hasn't stopped us from reading! It has influenced our choices a bit, since Henry (6-years-old) is home more I have a few more books just for him. Not only do I want to follow his interests, but I want to make sure we are getting books that challenge him to think about new things, and some that develop his reading skills. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  Here's a look at what we've been reading this past month!  A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story About Knitting and Love | Box | See You Next Year  | When We Were Alone * | A Packet of Seeds | We love you, Rosie! | Curious Critters Marine | Thunderstorm  {this one was surprisingly upsetting to my children, just a warning here} | Still a Family * | So Many Henry's   * These two books I specifically got for and read only to Henry. When We Were Alone tells the story of residential schools. Its an...