The Kavanaugh Report

Somehow another whole year has gone by! This year has been such a whirlwind in just the best ways. New babies, culminating years of school, home renovations, saying goodbye to old friends and welcoming new ones. I'm finding more and more that I'm just in awe of this Montessori life and so grateful that I get the opportunity to guide my children through it.  This year wasn't a year of growth for me. Wasn't a year of accomplishing all the things on my list. But it was a year of soaking it all in. Holding my baby a little longer. Enjoying one more treat. Playing. It was a year of understanding that it all slips through your fingers so much faster than you think it will. Here's a little review of this year for The Kavanaugh Report:  This year I wrote 133 new Montessori articles!  We launched season 3 of Shelf Help podcas t and hit over 500K downloads.  We had visitors from all 6 continents representing more than 225 countries/territories.  The Kavanaugh Report got a...

The internet seems full of all these resources of Montessori babies, toddlers, and even preschoolers. You can find tons of examples on social media, blogs, and even books on how to parent, educate, and prepare for young children. Then, magically, they hit age 6 and they enter the second plane of development and it feels like you're completely alone. The older your children get, the harder it is to find solid information about Montessori parenting. 

On our Montessori podcast this week... In our last episode for 2022, Nicole and Amy reflect on 2022 and their unique relationships with using Montessori at home. We share how Montessori has supported, changed, and challenged us this year. Plus, a look at how we hope to move forward into 2023. Happy New Year and we will be back in January. Show Notes... Toddler Railing   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  |  Amazon .   ---

The months are just flying by with Penelope. One day you have a tiny little newborn and then the next day you have a big baby that is trying to climb onto the couch. It just goes by far too quickly. Now that Penelope is 10-months-old, I just wanted to go back and share some of her favorite activities and materials while she was 9-months-old. 

Nerdy gross motor development post ahead! Natural gross motor development has been such a game changer in my parenting that I can just go on and on about how much I enjoy watching babies learn to move. All babies whether you follow natural gross motor development or not are amazing at learning to move and fascinating to watch, but I find it particularly incredible when babies do it on their own.  Penelope has moved through so many incredible stages in the last couple of months in her movement journey. In my last update , she was just starting to propel herself forward by creeping on her belly and climbing over small obstacles. Now, the last month has been an explosion of sitting.  In traditional parenting and gross motor development circles, babies are often propped up to sit and therefore sit before crawling. However, without sitting them up, it's often the opposite - crawling first, then sitting. First they figure out how to get the thing they want - crawl to it - then they ...

On our Montessori parenting podcast this week... Come make a Waldorf star with us while we chat about preparing our homes for the holidays! In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy are sharing practical ways that they prepare their homes for practical life work, extra toys, new experiences, and all the busyness that happens around the holidays. Holidays looks different for everyone, but with a little preparation it can be a much easier, less stressful, and more joyful experience for everyone. 

The holiday season is here again! I can't believe how fast time moves when you have five kids from babies to upper elementary! There's always something going on, something to do. In order to enjoy the holiday season, I'm trying my best to get all my shopping done as early as possible. I typically can fall into the ordering until the very last second category, but this year I'm almost done!

After five kids it seems that we have a hair pattern in our house with our babies. We either get blonde bald baby or darker hair with curls. Either way, we don't get a lot of hair cuts around here with my younger toddlers. The curly ones haven't needed it, and the bald ones haven't had much hair until 3. So, my kids tend to be a little older for their first cuts, and therefore a little more aware of what's happening.   

On our Montessori podcast this week -  This episode contains the anatomical names of human bodies and a discussion about sexual education. In this week's episode we continue our conversation on body learning with our children. We discuss how we approach sex, pregnancy, and other aspects of body learning in our Montessori homes. From birth we are using real language, concrete examples to teach our children about human bodies in order to make these conversations points of connection and learning with our children. Show Notes... Shelf Help Teaching Consent Episode   Pregnancy and Baby Books How Was I Born? A Child's Journey Through the Miracle of Birth How You Were Born Sex Positive Families Sex Positive Talks to Have With Kids Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys   Vaginas and Periods 101 Book Human Body Model   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.  I...

The other day I shared a day-in-the-life of my three-year-old, Teddy. During the day, many people noticed that he would play independently while I nursed his baby sister to sleep. One of the most common questions I got that day was "how did you get him to let you put the baby to sleep quietly?" Now, there isn't one easy answer to this question so I wanted to share some tips that helped up move to independent play for baby care tasks. 

Even small babies can participate in their everyday lives. If we, as the prepared adult, open up opportunities for participation, there are meaningful ways that babies can be an active part in lots of areas of their day. And one big activity for a lot of babies is diaper changes. It's something they (mostly) will all experience and something that we have the opportunity to engage in several times a day. 

On our Montessori parenting podcast this week -  Teaching consent and bodily autonomy is extremely important to keep our children safe. In this episode, Nicole and Amy discuss how we, as Montessori parents, approach consent from birth and how that changes as our children grow older. Our discussions include how we approach grandparents, strangers, and why it is so important to lean into the uncomfortable feeling that this can bring up. 

The holiday season is already here! I can't believe it, having a baby really does make the year speed by at an incredible pace. This year, in particular, I feel much more unprepared for the holidays than I have in the past. But, I've been trying to observe my children, their interests and developmental stages, and put together a really fun list of things for them this Christmas. 

The older Penelope gets the more she is interested in using toys and materials in our environment. Much of her day is spent on the floor, exploring both how to move her body in big ways and small ones. It's my role to prepare our environment to allow this exploration. And, one way that I really love Montessori is its emphasis on simple baby materials that allow for her to really truly discover the world at a slow and intentional pace. 

I cannot believe how quickly the holidays are approaching already for this year! I'm busying making my children's lists and shopping for everyone on my lists. And as much as I love a good deal at some of the larger retailers, nothing beats finding some truly unique finds that smaller businesses are able to offer! I wanted to share a few finds that are new to me in 2022. 

On our Montessori parenting podcast this week:  It's officially the holiday season! With the upcoming holidays, Nicole and Amy are sharing their processes for thinking about gifts in their Montessori homes. We discuss how we observe our children, determine what types of materials might fit their needs and interests, and share some secrets to creating our own gift lists. Plus, we share some fun resources for inspiration on your own, and how this process evolves as children reach the second plane of development. 

I can already feel some of you cringing as I'm starting to write this post about babies in public spaces. Especially in the era of Covid, I respect that our feelings about germs, exposure to other people, and being given the freedom to explore is different for all of us. If you're not comfortable with this amount of exposure to germs or people, that's totally alright. I'm sharing what works for us and that doesn't have to be the same for your family. Make decisions that feel best for your baby, your family's situation, and your comfort level while still respecting your child and their developmental needs. 

A little over a month ago, Teddy turned 3-years-old. Since his birthday is past our state's birthday cut off for schooling, he did not head to school this year but is getting a bonus year at home instead. While we are mostly still just keeping it really chill and slow, we have started to do more of a homeschool-lite routine with him to fill his days. 

On our Montessori parenting podcast this week:  In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy discuss how chores look in their Montessori homes, particularly in the second plane of development. With a focus on connection, empathy, and consistent expectations we can invite our children to participate practically in our home lives. We include practical tips on how our children to learn how to participate in family life while building executive functioning skills.

One of the most fascinating parts about following a child's natural gross motor development path is seeing all the really incredible ways that babies can move when left alone. Before understanding this RIE inspired approach, I would have said that babies first roll, then sit, then crawl, then pull to stand, then walk. But now, wow, there is SO much more incredible movement that babies can make. 

Offering opportunities for children to participate in practical tasks in the real world is probably one of the ways that Montessori is super unique to other parenting and educational methods. As Montessorians we know just how important it is for our children to have access to real and practical work throughout their days. It boosts confidence, builds fine motor skills, and sets the table for further academic learning. Practical life work really is all it claims to be! 

On this episode of our Montessori parenting podcast -  After a sudden break in our Montessori parenting podcast after a life altering summer, Amy and Nicole are back! In this week's episode we are reintroducing ourselves. Come learn about Nicole and Amy and catch up on their lives over the last few months. We are very excited to be back and to share all about Montessori parenting with you!  Show Notes... Amy's Instagram   Montessori Like a Mother   Midwest Montessori Nicole's Instagram   The Kavanaugh Report   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  |  Amazon .   ---

With five kids in our Montessori home it can feel like we have an ever evolving need to create spaces that fit everyone's needs. And, that is really really hard with kids that are nearly 11-years apart in age. But, we're trying to make our home work the best it can for us with our huge Montessori renovation . We are finally just days away from completing the work and I cannot wait to share more updates. But something that is done and perfect are our new indoor swings. 

Is there anything greater than the pure joy of a toddler that is super engaged in the activity that they are doing?! Around here with our Montessori toddler, Theodore, that often means some sort of play with trucks and dirt. But, on occasion another activity hits him in just the right place and this week it's been - teeny tiny stickers. 

One of the biggest shifts I made as I've become a Montessori parent has been an appreciation for getting children outdoors. Maria Montessori was clear that in nature children reveal their true selves. Her environments were designed for children to move freely between the indoors and the outside. 

Lately, it seems like as I walk through my home you can see evidence of a huge shift that has slowly occurred lately - more of my children are entering or have entered the second plane of development. That's right, somehow, I have more bigs* than littles. It's a revelation that is hitting my baby-obsessed self really hard. But, it also means that I need to adjust my home and my parenting to meet the needs of the bigger children here in my home. 

Over the last few weeks Penelope's coordination of movement has continued to explode. She is now able to creep along the ground in forward motion, pivot, roll, and pretty much get where she wants to go. This movement is still in its early stages and takes a lot of effort for her. But, it's a lot of fun and she is very motivated to move. 

Humans have an incredible ability to adapt to their environment. We can live in the hottest and coldest places on Earth. We have developed thousands of forms of communication. We eat incredibly varied diets. And, with all these different circumstances, humans thrive. Maria Montessori was very aware of this fact. She said, "Humanity is different {to animals} in this all-important fact - adaptation. He can adapt to any environment. All men do not conform to the same habits, the same behavior." ( The 1946 London Lectures , p82) She argued that it is this unique adaptation to our environment that sets people apart and is one specifically special part about children. They learn the language, customs, and ways of their environment and become perfectly adapted to it.

As you may know in the Spring of 2021, I completed the RIE®️ foundations training. In this training I did a deep dive into the teachings of Magda Gerber and her approach toward infants (birth to 3.) While the RIE®️ approach is similar in many ways to Montessori's approach toward infants and toddlers, there are some differences. One difference that I noticed was in the materials. 

We've been a Montessori family for so long now that so many of the Montessori parenting decisions we make on a day-to-day basis feel really normal to us now. That wasn't always the case. When Henry, now 11, was a toddler, a lot of this felt hard, different, or impossible. Looking back it's fun to see how much of our life has changed and how many little things are just regular life for us now. 

At seven-months-old Penelope has started her weaning journey. To be clear, weaning in this context means starting food, not stopping nursing or breastfeeding. The majority of her nutrition comes from breastmilk and will for sometime. But, she is eating more and more solid food throughout the day. I wanted to share a little about how that looks for us because it is a little deviation from traditional Montessori sources. 

Right off the top I want to just say that sleep and sleep environments are highly personal. I am just sharing what we have done with Penelope. I am not providing specific medical or sleep advice. Every family needs to make decisions around sleep that feel right for them and their unique child. Please do not think that I am judging you or your family if your sleep arrangements look differently than mine. 

Over the last couple of years I’ve become quiet obsessed with natural playscapes and playgrounds. A natural playscape is a play area that seeks to use elements of the natural world to invite play for the child. Instead of having a large swing set to climb, use a large tree limb or rock formation, for example. A slide might be added to a naturally occurring hill. And water is captured and reused for play.

Admittedly this summer I haven’t been the best about rotating Teddy’s materials. He’s not the most interested shelf worker and we all alternated between being sick and being outside. But, one thing that stayed in use all summer long with him, was his lock box.

When imagining myself with a large family, I never really thought about all the unique stages that we would have going on all at once. So many individuals and so many amazing stages. Here, I wanted to continue my lately posts on my bigger kids by sharing a little about life in our Montessori home at 11-years-old. 

The last few weeks with Penelope have been what I can only describe as an explosion of movement around here. She has been able to roll and scoot for awhile, but something consciously clicked the past week where she seems to understand that movement means getting to where she wants to go. 

I know we start later in the year than a lot of families around the United States but my kids finally go back to their respective Montessori schools next week. It's going to be a really interesting and exciting year, I think! But, as we prepare for the new year ahead I've taken out our collection of Montessori friendly back to school books. 

With five kids it can definitely be hard to balance everyone and their individual needs. It can be easy for any one child to get lost in the mix and not really get the one-on-one attention that children need and deserve. One of the reasons I am grateful for Montessori, specifically Montessori parenting, that Montessori is designed for multi-age environments. It is foundational to the method for multiple ages to be together learning and working along side each other. 

Six years ago when I was pregnant with Gus, we decided that we would take a more natural approach to gross motor development moving forward. The ideas come from Magda Gerber and Emmi Pikler and super basically mean, allowing a child to develop their gross motor skills at their own pace without adult "help" or intervention. In strict terms this means avoiding tummy time, any device that places a child in a position they cannot achieve on their own, and no propping of babies. As we learned in my RIE training, and in my personal experience, this leads to safer, confident, and capable babies, toddlers, and children. 

I feel like I say this all the time, but wow, time moves fast when you're a parent. Nora recently turned eight-years-old and is an actual full blown big kid now. After I shared a little "lately" update of Gus at 5 , I decided I would do the same thing for my other bigger kids.

I can't believe it, my tiny baby Teddy is less than a month away from being three-years-old! Time really does fly by in the blink of an eye, especially with your fourth baby. Teddy is such a wonderful little passionate toddler, both serious and funny. He is extremely confident and just says what he wants and needs. He will let you know if he likes something or not by saying he "loves it" or "hates it." There's no in between for him. 

I love to read to my babies. Reading to Penelope has been an important part of our daily routine. Although being a fifth baby, often she is listening to books meant for one of her older siblings. But, I do try to make time to read books meant for babies. Either way,  I hope we are instilling a love of reading with her early and that those feelings will stick with her for life.

Typically, my older kids are past the point of many structured art trays. They just have access to a lot of different art materials and sort of go with the flow. However, with all my big kids home from school this summer, I'm trying to add a couple more structured works that allow them to return to work more than once. The biggest hit from this art work, has been making beads from FIMO clay . 

One of the more challenging parts of preparing a Montessori home is creating spaces that work for all your children all at once. Preparing an environment that meets the needs of a baby, toddler and an elementary aged kid can feel really hard. While Montessori schools are also mixed age, the children in the prepared environment are all of the same general developmental stage. This isn't always true at home, and requires some balancing on our part to make it all work. 

I can't believe that as I'm writing this Penelope is a whole 6-months-old. It feels like just yesterday that she was a tiny baby newborn snuggled up in my arms. Now, she's rolling around, scooting on her back and just interested in everything in her world.  

Last night we were having our annual block party in our neighborhood and among the fun and games, Gus came running up to me and said, "Look Mom! I have a loose tooth!" And sure enough one of his little baby teeth was wiggling back and forth with ease. I was shook. I (most definitely) teared up. In my mind, we are nowhere near this phase with him. I don't know if it's a side effect of the pandemic, or what, but in my mind's eye he is still like 3-years-old. 

Penelope is such a love of a baby. She is so happy, calm, and observant. I don't think it's super productive to compare babies but she is a lot like Gus was. Very super chill and not very movement motivated. While she can roll to her belly and back to her back, and scoot on her back, she is very content to just sit still and just watch all the action around her. 

Just about 10 years ago, Morgan and I bought our house. At the time, we had one small toddler and a couple little dogs. Since that time, we've welcome four more children into our family and so many changes have taken place. When we bought the house, we knew that it needed a fair amount of updating and we've slowly worked over the last decade to make the house really work for our style and needs.

The summer season is short and oh so sweet here. The amazing thing about where we live is that we really get four full seasons. It's as hot in the summer (into the 90-100s F frequently) as it is cold in the winter (with weeks below 0.) This time of year we are enjoying popsicles, sunshine, water, and being outside as much as possible. In celebration of my personal favorite season, here are a few favorites for this wonderful season for both toddlers and preschoolers. 

Amy and Nicole have been dealing with sick children the last few weeks. In this week's episode, we talk about how we approach sick children as Montessori parents. This conversation includes how we relax our parenting expectations, how we prepare our child's environment, and how we give medication when children struggle to take it. 

It's been a long couple of weeks here in the Kavanaugh house. We've had our second round of Covid for a couple of kids which was no fun. But then Penelope also got sick. And as hard as it is to have big kids that are sick, it's even harder to have a sick baby. Well, one trip to the emergency room for a fever and cruddy breathing later and we found out that she has a summertime case of RSV. Ugh. The RSV was tough enough but it led to a double ear infection that is making for long days and even longer nights. 

At nearly 3-years-old (how!?) reading books is a big part of my day with Theodore. Especially since Penelope was born, reading while I nurse has become a big part of our routine. Teddy is still mostly into cars, trucks, and all things that go and many of the books he chooses are related to that theme. But lately, something new is starting to take over and I just had to share - the Clive and Rosa books. 

It can be a challenge to navigate social spaces with children. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy talk about all the ways that they advocate for this children in public. Whether the interaction is with between two children, between our children and another adult, or even ourselves and another child we talk about some of the Montessori inspired strategies we use to make sure everyone is treated with respect. 

There is so much beauty and fun in nature for children. Nature is perfectly perfect for all sorts of sensory exploration and learning. In so many ways, the outdoors provide the most perfect prepared environment. But, it can be easy to think this only applies to older children - those children that can walk around and explore on their own. This doesn't have to be true. Babies - even newborns - can be brought outside to enjoy the beauty and wonder that is nature. 

Over the last several months, Teddy has finally becoming more and more interested in participating in practical life activities around the house. I know it doesn't really matter and comparing children is a useless practice, but he has been a little slower to show interest than Gus or Nora were. So, it's been fun to finally have him join in to some of our favorite practical activities. But, the thing about Teddy is that once he gets started in a particular practical life work that he enjoys, he has a lot of difficulty stopping. 

As Penelope gets older, the more she wants to move and explore the world around her. A couple of weeks ago she started rolling, she can scoot backwards, and her grasping skills improve by the day. It is clear as I observe her that her newborn days are far behind her. She is moving forward and on from life as she knew it in here pursuit of developing herself. 

Summer is upon us here and it is in full swing. And with it the size of my children's stomach has somehow doubled - just kidding! But, seriously, home for the summer somehow means that my children want nothing to do with meals and just want to eat 1,000 snacks all day long. Well, that sounds great, except for our actual food supplies and budget! So, this summer we are trying something new here to give our children access to the snacks but also limit complete free range snacking. 

I have a thing for Montessori baby mobiles! I think they are just a great way to provide opportunities for concentration, stimulation, and movement from babies before they can do a whole lot with other toys. For the four children I have used them here at home with, the exact mobiles that have been interesting to my kids has changed each time. It really speaks to how much of an individual each baby is right from birth.

Observation is one of our most powerful tools as a Montessori parent. It is through observation that we learn what our children need, where their interests lie, and how well our environments are meeting their needs. Observation answers so many of the questions we have as parents and caregivers. One of my favorite things to ask myself lately has been, "but, why?" This question truly can only be answered through observation.

It's been a little while since I've shared the materials on Gus' play shelves here in our Montessori home. As a reminder, Gus is 5.5-years-old and attends a Montessori school. So, while you won't find many Montessori materials here on our shelves, you will things that support his interests, and build upon the skills he may be working on at school. 

In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy answer listener's Montessori questions. This episode includes a lot of different topics including tummy time, cursive learning, phones and screens and routines. There's a little bit of something for everyone here! 

Babies, like all children, are people of their time and place. They are quietly absorbing everything around them - from what we are saying to them, to what we are doing, to what we see, they are soaking it all in. From the extraordinary to the mundane, our babies learn by being with us, connecting with us, and participating where they can.

Summer break is just beginning here and so is a whole new routine for the next few months. Henry, Nora, and Gus* are all home from their respective Montessori schools and enjoying a relaxed summer of following their interests and enjoying self-directed activity. But, with that comes a whole lot of time at home, a lot of togetherness, and plenty of second plane disorder.

Recently, I was looking through and organizing my puzzle collection in preparation for a big renovation project that we have going on here this summer. While I was doing that I was reminded of one of my kids' favorite puzzles - a frame puzzle of a garden scene . I was looking at it and realized it's really unique in that it is a frame puzzle with a larger number of pieces and also that the control of error included words to read. Love. 

Children are meant to exist in the world - not just their homes. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy discuss how they prepare themselves and their environments to take their children into public. We review our mindsets, the limits we set, and how we allow for respectful freedom outside of our homes in both adult and child centered spaces. 

Babies are just like all people - they come in all temperaments. Some are happier, some are fussier, some are more on the go, while others still are more chill. But, no matter what adjectives describe your baby, one thing is certain, they will experience a wide variety of emotions. Babies, again like everyone, get happy, tired, frustrated, or sad. Our job as Montessori parents, is not to prevent emotions but help guide our children through them. 

Sometimes the best activities are the simplest. Teddy isn't a kid that loves a lot of shelf or tray work. But every now and then, something will really call to him and meet his needs. When that happens, he can't get enough. And, this bubble wrap tray activity has completely enthralled Teddy this week. 

If you've followed us closely for any length of time then you probably know that Teddy loves trucks. Construction trucks, transportation trucks, city trucks - any and all trucks have his heart. For a long time, garbage day has been super awesome for him as all the trucks come up and down the street. Recently, however, he noticed that the two different trucks stop at our house - the garbage and the recycling. This has spurred an unexpected interest in recycling. So, I thought I would share how we are supporting that interest here at home. 

Babies are born moving, and they are moving well before that. These early movements are a lot more subtle than the movement that is to come. First moving their eyes and head, then arms and legs. The movement is generally fairly uncoordinated, and there's not much (outward) purpose for that movement. Overtime, that movement becomes more coordinated and eventually that movement leads to motion. 

When your baby is born and you look into their beautiful face you never imagine (or at least I didn't) that one day they are going to tell you that your hair needs to be combed, that your butt is big, or that you look old. But, guess what, it's actually pretty likely. The age of rudeness is a thing. Maria Montessori identified the second plane of development (ages 6 to 12) as a time of tremendous inner growth for children. They start to get louder, chat more, and push back against limits and boundaries. 

It's been amazing to me each time that we add a new baby to our family how perfectly themselves each baby is from birth. Before having children, I kinda assumed babies were just babies and they "grew" their personalities somewhere along the way. But, that really hasn't been my experience. They have personalities, they have likes, they have dislikes right from the womb. That's been part of the fun of a new baby, discovering that personality and seeing the world through their eyes. 

For many parents, summer break is here. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy break down some of their summer routines, schedules and plans for their Montessori families. We include a little insight into how we balance scheduled outings, free play, and academic learning during the summer. 

If you know me, then you know that I love a good IKEA run. I still maintain that there is someone in the Montessori community sneaky consulting for IKEA and making products that fit the needs of the Montessori community so well. Not only are the items great for a Montessori home, they are at a price point that we can all get behind! This is particularly true for furniture, practical life finds, and art! 

Penelope was on the floor the other day playing with her hanging bell mobile. She was watching it move as a slight breeze moved through the house. Slowly, I watched, as she lifted both her little hands, brought them together and slowly but surely grasped the ribbon bringing the bell to her chest. It was an incredible moment of intentional grasping and movement. And, a good reminder that she is ready for more and more grasping opportunities. 

Late last fall one of our good friends had to cut some smaller brush and trees from their property. They asked if we wanted some logs for firewood and we gladly accepted. But, times were busy and the firewood logs sat in our shed for the winter without getting burned. This spring the bins of firewood were discovered by Gus. And surprisingly, they have become one of his favorite additions to our yard that we've ever made. 

In this week's episode we continue our mini-series on Montessori siblings by chatting about shared bedroom spaces and routines. Nicole and Amy discuss their routines around sleeping and shared bedrooms, bedtime, and what they include in their shared bedroom spaces. They also address safety and how to keep kids safe when sharing rooms.

Every day it seems like Penelope is growing, changing, adjusting and adapting to her environment more and more. The 3-month mark seems like such a big change. Suddenly Penelope is really taking the lead in interacting with the people and things around her. She is slowly but surely starting to intentionally grasp and explore the objects placed around her. One of the first things that she has really been interested in has been baby paper. 

Lego has been having a moment in our house for the last several years. It's one of Henry's favorite things and one of the few toys left that he really uses at his age. Gus is also super into lego too, so I have a feeling these magical little toys aren't going anywhere anytime soon. I find it fascinating watching children play with lego. Some are builders, some are designers, some are really in it for the play. For us, the minifigures that come with the sets are more highly prized that anything.

In a blink and flash Penelope's newborn days are behind us! She's officially 3-months-old and really blossoming in so many new ways. Her schedule is getting more predictable and consistent. She is spending more of her day awake and alert. Less of her time is spent nursing or cat napping. It's always such an amazing thing to watch these sleepy newborns, discover the beauty of the world around them. 

Welcoming a new baby is such an exciting time for you and for your older children. There are lots of feelings - both happy and negative - when a new baby comes into your home. In this episode, Nicole and Amy share their experiences with cultivating a relationship between babies and their older siblings including some practical tips to teach gentleness and responsibility. 

All three of my bigger children could sit and do art for days, and days, and days. They seriously love to create. And, I love that about them. Their creative little minds and souls bring so much beauty into this world. However, with all this creation comes a lot of product - a book, a poster of cut up and glued scraps of paper, comic strips, and paintings. You take that times three or four kids and suddenly you have a huge pile of art. 

It can be so beautiful watching your children develop relationships with one another as they grow. However, it's not always a peaceful process. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy discuss how Montessori influences their parenting decisions when it comes to sibling conflict, and challenges. We discuss how we strike a balance between giving them space and intervening. 

Penelope has made a very important discovery this week. One that will change her life forever. Her hands! Over the years, as a Montessori parent, I've learned that some of the most important work I can do is observe my children's hands. From their first movements and reflective grasps to nimble little fingers sewing, the hands can give us so many clues about the kinds of work that our children need and want.

My children could play board games all day, every day. There are very few days that go by where we aren't playing something. But lately, Gus has been getting into another type of game - I Spy. He's very family with the format of looking games after his experience with sound games at home and at school. But lately, he's really upped his game.

Growing up I had a love/hate relationship with maths. In elementary school, I remember resenting the topic, being bored and uninterested. I can still remember the tears that came along with long sessions of drilling multiplication facts in preparation for a math test. Why was this important? How was this relevant to the world? Why should I care? None of these questions were ever answered for me. As I grew, I came to realize I liked the order and rules that math was structured around. That didn't make me any good at the subject, but at least it made sense. 

For my last three Montessori babies, I've been writing these weekly Montessori baby updates. I share a bit about what's on my mind, and give a little picture of what it looks like to use Montessori from birth at home in real life. I love being able to share our story and what Montessori feels like for me. But, in writing these updates, I also feel like I need to clarify something - growth is slow. 

The calendar says that it's finally spring. But, here in Minnesota, the snow is still flying more than I would like. But, we are solidly dreaming of spring, and thinking about all the warmer weather that is to come. But, I know for lots of you spring is here and in full force. And, with the season change comes new and different opportunities for us and for our children. I thought I would share some of what I'm looking forward to this spring in four categories: wear, read, play, and learn. 

As my bigger kids have gotten older, we have done less and less "art trays" in our Montessori home. Older children, especially those in the second plane of development, just don't need small directed trays. They are able to gather supplies and create more openly than younger children. But, my toddler Teddy still needs these trays in order to most effectively be able to create. He isn't able to gather supplies on his own and focus on learning new skills. 

Taking care of a newborn is hard work no matter what parenting method is grounding your decisions. Whether you are using Montessori, or taking a more traditional route, adjusting to a new baby is physically and mentally draining. During this time it can be easy to ignore your own needs in favor of the baby's. And while newborn babies do need prompt attention to all their needs, we also need to make time to take care of ourselves. As the old saying goes, we cannot pour from an empty cup. 

With five kids, I think we are finally in the category of "big family." With so many kids, it's really cool to experience all these different stages of a Montessori childhood all at once. It's challenging and beautiful all at the same time. They all have different interests, different needs, and different abilities. And, they all have different favorite Montessori friendly toys and materials. These change all the time, especially with our younger kids, but I wanted to share a little snapshot of some favorites right now in the Kavanaugh family household! 

At 9-weeks-old Penelope has suddenly woken up and started interacting with the world around her. It's been really fun to see her start to interact with us and with her siblings. Compared with Gus and Teddy, Penelope seems to be much more interested in social interactions. She loves "chatting" with us, staring into our eyes, or just watching us. She's started smiling and cooing, all really fun things! 

Imagine you had been doing something one way your whole entire life multiple times per day. You were happy in that routine, or at least you weren't unhappy with it. But, then someone comes along and asks you to change that thing. Guess what? You can't do it anymore, or you have to change the way you were doing that thing significantly. Some people, because of their personality or temperament, might have an easy time with this change. Others might experience worry, fear, or anxiety. Some of us might adjust quickly to a change like this, while others might take awhile. 

Looking back on my Montessori journey there were definitely times where I assumed that the older my kids got, the less we would "Montessori" here at home. But, the opposite has just been true time and time again. Montessori remains just this amazing framework for structuring our house, and our children's experiences well into elementary school. 

At around 7.5-weeks-old I was carrying Penelope around the house when I noticed something - she had grabbed on to my shirt.  The next day, she was laying on the floor in our bathroom and grabbed our shower curtain. While these seem like little moments, it's actually a really big deal to me! Through this observation, I can see that Penelope is getting ready for more active work for her hands. 

There is so much we can learn through our senses. As humans move through the world, we are constantly assessing our surroundings with all the tools that our body provides. The assessments are often immediate and sometimes even unconsciously preformed. As Maria Montessori explained all those years ago, and as we know from modern science, children have heightened sensory awareness as they learn about the world. That's why Montessori materials include such heavy sensory input. Children learn first through their senses, it's literally how they make sense of the world. 

One thing that has been an unexpected joy of parenting kids is watching their interests unfold as they get older. Their own unique opinions, personalities, interests to every project they undertake. They approach problems in new ways, have creative visions, and the energy to really put it all together. I'm finding that I'm learning from them, and really taking joy in seeing them share their passions. 

I'm going to be the first one to stand up and admit that I was really skeptical about this. Was a bassinet stroller really that much better than just using the car seat attachment? Would we really get use out of it? Would it even seem different? Was it worth it for our fifth (and likely last) baby? 

It's been a little bit of time since I've shared the materials that Teddy is using on his Montessori work shelves. At 2.5-years-old, his main focus throughout the day is still practical life and gross motor development. More than any of my other children, Teddy is far less interested in toys and shelf work. He is much more likely to be running around with a truck than spending much time on puzzles. Yet, some parts of his day still do include working with his things. 

“That’s my toy!” “You can’t use it!” “Give it to me.” “She’s not sharing!” I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how we handle toy competition, sharing, and fairness lately. And, I totally get why. Bickering, fighting, and whining from big and little kids is no fun for anyone. It can make your house feel like a competition and you feel like a referee. 

If we let them, caregiving routines with babies can be approached as a chore for the parent. Instead as Montessori parents, we want to make caregiving routines a point of connection between us and our children. In this episode, Nicole and Amy discuss their caregiving routines and how this looks in real life with distractions and other kids.

Babies change so fast! It’s like lightning. At six-weeks-old, Penelope is already so different from what she was like at birth. She’s nearly doubled her birth weight, she’s more alert and has more and more control over her body every day.

There's nothing like a new baby in the house to really make you feel rushed in getting ready for holidays. I swear it was just January, and now we're talking about Easter in April! I don't know where the time is going and I once again feel super unprepared for our Easter celebrations. 

It's no secret that the Montessori method is focused on sensorial learning, especially for younger children. The materials that are used, the activities we choose - they all have a sensorial aspect. We are engaging a child through their senses to bring them into the work. This is supported by our modern understanding of how the brain works and how children learn. That's one of the most amazing things about Montessori to me, that so many of her discoveries are supported by modern research.

There is a lot of turmoil and uncertainty around the world. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy share their experiences of having difficult conversations with their children including conversations around war.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Show Notes... Simplicity Parenting Montessorians for Ukraine   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  |  Amazon .   --- If you enjoy my work, please consider supporting The Kavanaugh Report through Buy Me a Coffee.