The Kavanaugh Report

I'm struggling to comprehend how this year has already come to a close. It really has felt fleeting. My littles are becoming bigs. Everyone moved up to a new Montessori level. And so much growth has happened. For me, as a mother it's been incredible. It's been a year of really watching my kids flourish in new and exciting ways.  As a Montessori parent educator in this space and on social media...whew. It's been harder. Harder to feel like I can stay relevant in a world that has moved to short format video as it's media of choice. But, despite the challenges of the changing world, I'm proud that this year was one of stability for me, of showing up in the best way that I could to provide some real, practical, and hopefully helpful Montessori parenting information.  This year at The Kavanaugh Report:  I wrote 90 Montessori parenting articles  We had visitors from over 200 countries and territories. Hello Timor-Leste visitor!  I had an article published in the Monte

I just love one-year-olds, and I can't believe that in just a couple short months Penelope is going to be 2. Two-year-olds are fantastic too, but they really rapidly lose the "baby" part of them and step into their own little personhood. It's hard on my mama-heart. So, I'm soaking in all this time with her before this next phase of toddler-hood really sets in.  This stage is one of real busyness. Penelope is always working on something. The days of wandering about the house seem to be behind her and she is more and more engaged in deep and meaningful work. That work isn't always with toys meant for her but includes practical life work, movement work, language work and more.  Montessori Moments at almost 2-Years-Old Here is a glimpse at some favorites right now:  Fine Motor Work She is in love with puzzles and small pieces right now. In particular, she loves size sequencing puzzles at this point and anything with a smaller knob. Other things she loves:  Stacki

Some of the Kavanaugh children want a pet rabbit something fierce. Gus is lucky enough to have a couple of rabbits as his classroom pets right now, and he and Nora have fallen in love with them. It has started a months long campaign here to get a rabbit or two of their very own. And, I'm sure they are wonderful companions that do great in lots of families. But, I'm not convinced.  This rabbit situation has given us, however, a lovely example of the power of collaboration in the second plane of development. Not only the need to collaborate between the children, but the power of collaborating between the adult and the child.  Montessori Parenting: Collaborating During the Elementary Years We know that children in the second plane of development are incredibly social . They need to learn how to interact within social groups of kids and test the boundaries of those relationships. That's why you often see elementary kids moving in little packs working and playing together. Part

It can be so overwhelming to find meaningful and useful stocking stuffers. It's easy to fill a stocking with trinkets and junk that will be forgotten about or thrown away in a couple days. But, it's harder to think of things that will last awhile and are going to be well loved.  I wanted to put together a few ideas based on common themes enjoyed by many Montessori kids. You could stick to one theme for your stocking or mix and match based on your child's age and interest.  Stocking Stuffers For Your Little Montessori Kids You'll notice that I didn't use any ages here. Some of these are more appropriate for toddlers and some older kids. You know your child best, find the items that suit where they are instead of shopping by purely by age. Many of these are so universal that they would be loved by a wide variety of children. Or use as a jumping off point for planning a stocking of your own!  For Littles that Mouth Can't keep little stuff out of their mouths? Here

You know that I love natural gross motor development principles. I love watching infants unfold at the time and place that they are ready. Instead of moving babies for ourselves, we allow them to discover their bodies and in turn get to see all these amazing phases of development that are sometimes overlooked. Transitional positions , unique climbing challenges, different ways of discovering motion , and so much more. It's all there with natural gross motor development. And, it's all leading to one of the greatest feats of human design - walking.  Walking requires so many different skills at one time - everything from strength and coordination to balance. Children will reach this milestone at completely different times. For my kids, it's been a huge range. My oldest was solidly walking by 9-months-old, and Penelope didn't even start to attempt steps until 15-months. The rest were somewhere in between.  Montessori Baby: Phases of Walking There are so many beautiful littl

 In this week's Montessori parenting podcast... Have you ever felt a gut urge to just say "no" to your child without really stopping to think about why? In this episode, Nicole and Amy explore those feelings, what they mean for us for adults, and how to balance that need for control with our child's need to explore. Why do our children need to explore? How can we make that exploration possible while still balancing our own needs? This podcast dives deeply into exploration, control, and our response as prepared adults.  Show Notes... Sports in Our Montessori Homes Waldorf/Advent Stars Kite Paper Preparing the Environment for a Holiday   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   |  Google  |  Amazon . *Shelf Help now includes  automated ad breaks. We do have

Over this past year, our family has been embarking on what we call "The Year of the Mississippi." It's been a series of trips, both local and travel, learning experiences, books, and more centered around the Mississippi River. For us, it's been an interesting way to bring Montessori cosmic education home and really explore deeply as a family.  You see we live near the Mississippi. There is hardly a day that goes by where we don't see the river. It shapes our everyday lives and yet, it is so much bigger than we are and extends so much farther than our children realized - not only geographically, but historically and culturally. It really was cosmic education in action.  Cosmic Education and Montessori Family Vacation In the elementary years, Montessori education is cosmic education. This is the belief that children of this age (ages 6-12) are deeply interested in seeing and knowing the bigger connections between themselves and the world around them. Nothing is lear

I love having a four-year-old! They are so sassy, sure of themselves, and fun. They are often past the stage of needing a ton of support in common tasks and are ready for longer and more structured activities. As a Montessori parent, I also know that 4 is still really little, and they need your guidance and often want your help and participation as they conquer the world around them. There are so many Montessori activities that a 4-year-old might be interested in. At our house, and in school, art is having a moment right now with Teddy. But, it recently struck me how different his art process looks these days compared to the toddler years .  Montessori Preschool: Art Activities at Home Montessori art in the preschool years is so many things! And, it is a joy to watch it all unfold.  Art in the preschool years is making choices :  What art medium am I going to choose? (Ted choose paint rolling) What colors will I use? ( Blue, purple, and yellow ) What tools? ( paint rollers  and large s

Toddlers are so attracted to so many different things in their worlds. For some of them, it's gross motor play, some it's sensory exploration, or for some it's more practical pursuits. For many young toddlers, artistic expression is high on that list. But, some parents can feel like they want to shy away from offering art to young toddlers for a variety of reasons.  Some might feel like it's too messy, or that the materials are going to be eaten or otherwise misused. While not every young toddler will have an interest in art, artistic expression work is a great way to help a toddler develop concentration, fine motor skills, and exercise their innate creativity. Penelope has been so into art work lately and it's taking up a lot of her work time.  Simple Tips for Art Work with Young Montessori Toddlers It's so cute watching her explore art materials and discover the things she can make. And I've really enjoyed creating some simple trays for her to explore. But

It's that time of year again! I can't believe how quickly the holidays come when you have five kids. I feel like we were just here discussing last years Montessori gift lists for my kids! I love taking some time to observe my children, figure out what we need, love and crafting these lists. This Montessori mom loves a good gift list to pass around, so feel free to share this if these interests fit with your own children!  If you need more inspiration don't miss: Ultimate Toy List Birth to 5 | Ultimate Toy List 6 -12 | 2023 Holiday Deals Page One note about this list this year, I have decided that these gift lists will not include my children who are age 12 and older. Once my kids hit the third plane of development, I will not be talking specifically about them any more.   Real Life Montessori Christmas Lists  Just as a reminder these are just their lists; putting it here doesn't mean that ultimately I will buy all of this stuff for them. Actual purchasing decisions de

With so many children in our family, it can be difficult to find thing that all of us can do together and enjoy. But, during the pandemic, we discovered the perfect activity to engage all of us - night walks! A night walk is super simple - just what it sounds, walking at night. It's a great way for familiar surroundings to feel unique, special, and fun. Being in the dark changes the whole dynamic of this simple Montessori friendly activity.  Why We Love Night Walks as a Montessori Family We were one hundred precent inspired by the book City Moon to start taking night walks back in 2020. At. that time, we made it six solid months of taking a walk each night before something came up and we stopped. Now, with regular busy life returning a bit more, we don't make it out every single night, but night walks are still something we enjoy.  We love night walks for a few reasons. One, it get's us outside, moving our bodies together. At night, our entire family is usually home. We ca

There are some truly unique small shops selling Montessori friendly toys, games, books, and materials. And, I love sharing these small shop finds with you and ordering a few things for my own kids too! Small shops support real people and families around the world, and spread so much joy. I wanted to take some time to share a few of my favorite finds from 2023. There's a little here for everyone.  Montessori Friendly Toys and Gifts to Love from Small Shops These items are things that caught my eye, or are from shops that I love. This list is just a taste of the great small shop offerings that exist today. I know there are many others with great options. If you have a shop you love, leave it in the comments for people to check out! For The Home Montessori friendly small shop finds for the home:  Brick Sorter : I love this for organizing and for play Storage Bookcase : What a great use of space Magnetic Wall Decal : Vertical play and art opportunities My Pouring Work Coffee Mug : just