The Kavanaugh Report

I feel like in Montessori circles there is a lot of love for kids using knives. Child safe knives open up a world of independence for toddlers and preschoolers. And, we introduce knives around here around my babies' first birthdays. But, I think a lot of love falls to the wavy chopper knife , which is honestly a great choice for young toddlers.  But, wavy choppers are far more limited than my favorite child-safe knife - a nylon knife. The wavy chopper is limited to a chopping (up and down motion). It's great for small children since both their hands can be up and out of the way of the blade. But, only so many different things need to be chopped, often that motion can crush more delicate foods and simply not work at all for larger ones. Plus, they really don't teach the skills needed to work with most adult knives in the future.  Reasons to Love a Nylon Knife for Your Montessori Toddler What does teach the skills then? Enter the nylon knife , also called a lettuce knife! The...

I just love new 2-year-olds. They are so full of energy, and sweetness. They are becoming themselves, and their interests, preferences, and dislikes become easier to spot. And they are just so cute and funny. Our Montessori days at 2-years-old are slow and steady. We try our best for long periods of time where we are just hanging out in our prepared environment. But, I wanted to share some more specifics about what we are actually doing on these days at home.  Quick reminder that every child is different and that the best way to prepare your environment is for the child that is actually with you. Use these ideas as inspiration, not an exact guide of what a 24-month-old should be doing.  Montessori Favorite Toys and Activities to Support Skills at 24-months Here are a few skills at this age and how we support them:  Fine Motor Penelope has been much more interested in using toys designed to work her hands. She's sitting for longer periods of time to work with her hands. S...

Sometimes there's a misconception on the internet that Montessori is all about teaching children - that our main focus is math, reading, or writing. And I think this comes from the unique approach that Montessori takes toward academic work. The materials are extremely unique, the timing and the pace can also be very different from mainstream school approaches. But, the reality is that as a Montessori parent my primary focus is not on teaching academics.  But, that doesn't mean I'm not teaching my children things from birth. While I'm feeling zero pressure to teach my babies and toddlers letters, numbers, and facts. As a Montessori parent, I'm hopefully teaching them far more important lessons. Montessori is a method that is deeply rooted in respect for the child, in love for the child, and a belief that the child holds within them the future. With these beliefs in mind, here are three things I'm teaching my children from birth as a Montessori parent.  Lesson 1 -...

I love putting together a simple, sweet Easter basket for my kids each spring. While Easter is mainly a religious holiday in our Montessori home, we do celebrate with some simple gifts and treats each year. There is so much pressure now to create these giant baskets filled with so many things. Instead I try to pick a few quality choices that my kids will each love and something practical for the spring/summer.  Just a reminder that these are choices based on my own children's preferences and to follow your own children when making decisions.  One note about this list this year, I have decided that gift lists will not include my children once they reach the third plane of development (12+) so my oldest is not included.  Here's what will be in my kids' baskets this year. Easter Basket for Montessori Toddler  Penelope will be 25-months-old this year at Easter. She loves baby dolls, small objects, and being fancy so her Easter basket this year will include:  Sarah's...

I live for all the different ways my children show up in this world. They are just so cool and doing so many interesting and amazing things. And, I bet your kids are too! I think that's one of my favorite shifts that I've made as a Montessori parent - seeing children as whole humans right from the start. These are not empty shells for us to fill, but flowers we get to watch open.  And no matter how many children I have, it is just so amazing the number of different things that peak their mind. They are all so vastly different and it is so challenging and intriguing trying to meet all their needs at once. And, in our family with our wide variety of kids, it feels like we really get to experience so many different things all at once. I thought I would just share a glimpse at what's in today for my kids and why I love it!  Montessori Kids at Home - What are they Using? I'll take this in age order from youngest to oldest. Just a reminder that I no longer share specifics abo...

There are so many cool ways to explore our world as an kid. Free play and exploration are so important, and so is giving our children time to make discoveries on their own. But, as kids move into the elementary years, I've found it's really fun to make space and time for some more directed exploration. And, we are so fortunate to live in a time where science kits are common and handy.  

It's no secret that I love play silks in my Montessori home. I mean we really love them. They are used nearly every day around here for some sort of pretend play by all of my kids. Capes and forts, dress up and small world play - you name it, they have probably done it with a play silk. Even in our home, firmly rooted in Montessori, we have found that the Waldorf magic just creeps in and brings their play to the next level.  But, when Sarah's Silks approached me with the idea of trying a Waldorf Playstand , I hesitated a little bit. Would we really need such a large piece of furniture geared toward pretend play? Would it really see that much use? Ultimately, I decided to give it a try and gave it to Penelope for her second birthday.  Waldorf Playstands and Montessori Play And once we added the Waldorf playstand to our home, a magical thing happened. Play exploded. And, I'm not just talking about my toddler, but with each of my kids. Suddenly my kids are in Penelope's r...