The Kavanaugh Report

Somehow my tiny baby Nora is turning 7-years-old today. The years go so quickly, don't they? She is now solidly a second plane child moving through the world with increasing amounts of independence. Nora just finished her first year of lower elementary in a public Montessori school. She handled the year with so much grace and flexibility and I cannot wait to see her blossom in the coming year. I thought I would share a few of her favorite things to give a glimpse of Montessori life at 7. 

I've been putting off this post for a little while because I felt a little disappointed that I didn't have more to share. See, Teddy just isn't that into materials, especially those on the shelf. He tends to return to a couple of favorites over and over again and ignore all other attempts at shelf work. But, really that's my own adult feelings getting in the way of Teddy's own interests, and developmental path.

This week's episode is our first in our new mini summer series where we are diving into smaller topics. Today's episode is all about reading with older children, specifically reading chapter books. Nicole and Amy share some of their favorite chapter book recommendations and more about why they still choose to read aloud even to their older children.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  Show Notes... The Ramona Collection   The Chronicles of Narnia The Tale of Tiptoes of Lightly Big-Stamp Two-Toes the Barefoot Giant: Spring Tales of Tiptoes Lightly The Way of the Gnome The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook The Children of Noisy Village Anna Hibiscus   The Magic Treehouse Nate the Great Betsy-Tacy Wellie Wishers Tanglewood Animal Park Little People, Big Dreams   Camp Act The Penderwicks Who Is/Who Was/What Is Series Cobble Street Cousins Pippi Longstocking   Emil Charlotte's Web The Littles The Secret Door   Thanks for joining me for t...

Becoming a Montessori parent doesn't have to mean making big or expensive changes to your home or your life. Sometimes just simple changes, tiny ways to increase independence and accessibility in your home. These tiny changes can make such a difference in our toddler's ability to move successfully in the world.  Lately for us, it's a simple tiny watering can that is making all the difference. Teddy is in love with it lately. Filling it up, dumping it out, attempting to water both our house plants and outdoor flowers. The old saying that toddlers plus water equal fun really is true. Any access to water, especially purposeful access is such a great activity for toddlers.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Reasons to Get Your Toddler A Tiny Watering Can While any watering can could have the benefits of a toddler having access to water, I love tiny watering cans for a few reasons. One, toddlers are always going to want to fill a watering can all the way to ...

Minnesota is experiencing a very warm start to summer. The last week has been in the upper 90s with no end in sight. The kids are hot, I'm hot, and we're all left wondering where the end of Spring went. But, after a long winter, the warm weather is always a welcomed change for our family.  This summer, we're going to be keeping a fairly low profile at home again. We have some plans for travel but for the most part we are going to be enjoying things close to home. In order to prepare we've been pulling some of our pool gear out of storage and ready to play this summer.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Like any material we add to our Montessori home, I want our outdoor toys to be: Simple and child led - I don't want anything too flashy or complicated. Basically, good old fashioned, simple fun.  Safe Appropriate for their interests and skill levels - this is a bit tricky with so many ages. But, for example, if Teddy wanted to play outside I woul...

Montessori parenting is so full of joy and wonder. In this week's episode, Amy and Nicole are sharing some of their personal highlights and "ah-ha" moments of bringing Montessori into their homes. We hope this helps you take some time to reflect on the ways that Montessori has brought joy into your parenting. Show Notes... Amy's Tik Tok Large Bead Frame   Topponcino Co. The Magic of the Topponcino Our Children's Montessori Kitchen Montessori Home Tour: The Kitchen Montessori Toddler Makes Cinnamon Rolls   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 .  ---

The other day I was walking through our playroom and I noticed something unusual, a glass vase filled with dirt and a leaf stuck into it. I knew immediately this was the work of Gus. I made a mental note. A couple days went by and another one of these dirt filled vases showed up on our deck this time with a flower stuck in it. Again, I made a mental note. The third time I found a little vase, it had water and a flower but also the funnel. 

At nearly 7-years-old, there aren't a ton of Montessori activities on our shelves anymore for Nora. She has been back in a Montessori classroom for a few months, and does most of her academic learning there. At home, mostly open ended toys and art supplies fill our shelves. But, recently, I added a more traditional Montessori activity to her shelves - a bow tying frame - because it's time for Nora to learn to tie her shoes! 

As Montessori parents we need to balance our child's freedom of movement with safety. We always want to make sure our children are safe and able to explore their environments. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy offer tips on how to balance safety, our own expectations, and our Montessori environment, particularly with babies and toddlers. We dive into sleep spaces, multiple age spaces, and adult spaces.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.   Show Notes... An Emotional Menagerie: Feelings from A to Z The Writing Revolution McHomeschool Instagram A Moving Child Is a Learning Child: How the Body Teaches the Brain to Think Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head Thriving Littles Instagram The 1946 London Lectures Baby Proofing with a Montessori Floor Bed Preparing a Montessori Baby Space When You Have Multiple Kids IKEA Baskets   Thanks ...