The Kavanaugh Report

In a Montessori environment manners are approached differently than in many traditional spaces. In Montessori grace and courtesy lessons are used to give children the keys to unspoken social rules. In this week's episode we address how to give grace and courtesy lessons, what to do when challenges arise, and how to engage older children in these important lessons.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  Show Notes... Montessori and Waiting - 2 Solutions We Use at Home Grace and Courtesy in a Montessori Home Practical Life for the Winter -- Toddler Nose Blowing The Deep Well of Time   Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podcast app. If you are interested in finding Shelf Help in a podcast app, it is available on  Apple  |  Spotify  |  Stitcher  |  Google .  ---

In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy talk about ten Montessori terms you should know when using Montessori at home. These Montessori fundamentals are important to understanding how children learn and develop. Nicole and Amy give examples of how to apply these terms in your Montessori home and how they influence Montessori parents. Show Notes... Sensitive Periods from Birth to 6 - A Chart and Guide Tendencies of Humans The Human Tendencies   Montessori Planes of Development -- First Plane 0-3 Montessori Planes of Development -- First Plane 3-6 Montessori Planes of Development -- Second Plane 6-12 Parenting in the Third Plane Grace and Courtesy in a Montessori Home Developing the Senses - Taste Developing the Senses - Visual Developing the Senses - Touch Developing the Senses - Hearing Shelf Help Ep. 32 - The Beauty of Montessori Math   Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podca

Last weekend for the first time in way over a year, I went to IKEA by myself to just look around. It was really a slice of normal that I needed. While I was there I saw a tray that I have been contemplating online for awhile because it looked like it was going to be the perfect chowki!  A chowki is a small table or stool that can be used for a child's work. Dr. Montessori first saw them used while she was living in India and incorporated the concept into her schools. A chowki provides a distinct work space for the child slightly above the ground. Children can work at them on their knees or while sitting, depending on their own comfort and their height.  My kids love working at a chowki and often choose a chowki at school or other Montessori spaces. I've been wanting to add one to our home for a long time, so I decided to buy this IKEA tray to try outdoors as a chowki. It is perfect. Over the last week, all of my kids have constantly pulled it out to use it. It gives the the op

At 20-months-old Teddy is an active little ball of snuggly love. He is really is just the cutest. He spends his days mostly engaged in gross motor play, using some materials, practical life and potty learning. I've talked a little about his potty learning journey before, but for us it really is a journey. And this means it really does have it's ups and downs. And in this post, I want to normalize some of the downs. These are the times when maybe potty learning feels too hard or too much, or seems to not be working.  When can we take a break from potty learning?  Over the last week and half, Teddy has been in diapers 100 percent of the time. Prior to this we were in a down slump of using the potty. I don't want to share too many details, but just know it was a lot of awareness of needing/going but also all misses. So I decided I needed a break. We have been recovering from the stomach flu and just lots going on and we needed to step back. Here are some reasons that I think

This week, Nicole and Amy are tired from dealing with sleep regressions. So they play a quick game of Montessori true and false answering listener questions and assumptions. In this episode, they address whether Montessori is just for the rich, if it's right for every child, whether they want more babies, and more!  Show Notes... National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector Being a Parenting Team (with Morgan Kavanaugh) Montessori Silliness and Joy Going Out   Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podcast app. If you are interested in finding Shelf Help in a podcast app, it is available on  Apple  |  Spotify  |  Stitcher  |  Google .  ---

I've mentioned this several times, but over the last few years we have made a much more conscious effort to get outside in all types of weather. Yes, that even means in Minnesota's long winters. But, in the winter there just isn't as much to explore here. The world is covered in ice and snow and pretty much that's it. But, now that Spring is really here, our world is far more exciting. From insects and flowers, to vegetable gardens and (gross) dog poop - even our immediate yard is a complete wonder for Teddy.  Being outside with an active young toddler can be a little hectic. There's so much to explore! There's so much you could taste! But, not everything is safe. And we can't prepare the outdoor environment in the same way we can prepare the indoors to remove all danger. So it really becomes a balancing act between a child's safety and their drive and need to explore the environment.  Montessori friendly tips for outdoor toddler exploration Get on your

We have a construction site close to our house this summer. The city is tearing up some streets and one very close to us happens to be on the schedule. But, they started several blocks away from where we live. Theodore knows about the construction and is pretty happy to say the least. A few days ago, we went outside to play. I assumed we would stay in our yard, but decided I would follow Teddy's lead.  At 19-months, Teddy was determined to find the trucks at the construction site. I quietly followed him and we ended up walking many many blocks for over an hour. I never once picked him up. He didn't complain or whine. We had a genuinely wonderful time.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  Maria Montessori never intended for children to be inside working at little tables from things on a shelf their entire day. No, she expected that. children would have access to the indoors and the outdoors and would be able to follow their own natural drive when it comes to b

RIE®️ is a respectful childcare method created by Magda Gerber. With it's emphasis on intentional caregiving and predictable environments RIE®️ is beautiful. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy discuss RIE®️ and how its principles are similar and different to Montessori for infants and toddlers. We share our experiences with RIE®️, which parts speak most to us, and which parts we find challenging.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Show Notes... RIE.org Your Self-Confident Baby Object Permanence Box Box with Bins 2 Minute Montessori - Sticks into Shaker RAD Children's Furniture RISE Child Nicole's Instagram Amy's Instagram   Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podcast app. If you are interested in finding Shelf Help in a podcast app, it is available on  Apple  |  Spotify  |  Stitcher  |  Google .  ---