Shelf Help

What does bedtime look like in a Montessori family? The answer will vary for everyone as families follow their individual children and their own sleep needs. In this week's episode Nicole and Amy answer one of your most commonly asked questions and share their bedtime routines and experiences with sleep. We chat about everything from balancing independence, to what we're reading before bed and how we make it work with multiple kids.

Games are a fun way to connect with your child and teach new concepts. But, games are also a great way for children to practice a variety of social-emotional skills. From patience, and turn-taking to wining and losing, games gently introduce these concepts to children. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy talk about some of their favorite Montessori friendly games and how and when they introduce games in their families.

The bond between a pet and a child can be very beautiful to witness. In a Montessori home, animals provide opportunities to practice social, emotional, and practical life skills. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy discuss the benefits and challenges of having pets and children. We also discuss how we've helped our children deal with the death of a beloved family pet.

Children are born with strong desire to move freely. In Montessori, freedom of movement is respected from birth both at home and in the classroom. In this week's episode Nicole and Amy are chatting about natural gross motor development and how our choices as parents influence our child's ability to move. In particular, we discuss how our clothing choices can help or hinder our children throughout their childhood. We'll get into the do's and don'ts of natural gross motor movement from birth.

*This episode was recorded before Covid-19 and shelter-in-place orders so we mention being out in our communities.* Introducing food to your baby can be a fun new adventure for both you and your child. In Montessori we call this process weaning. In today's episode Amy and Nicole discuss their experiences with weaning and preparing their homes for introducing solids. Plus we dive into why and how we use a weaning table for starting solids with babies and young toddlers.

As a Montessori parent, the language you use with your children matters. Ultimately the decisions you make will effect everything from how your children learn to read, to how comfortable they coming to you as they grow up. In today's episode, Nicole and Amy talk about their do's and don'ts for language development as Montessori parents. This includes why the ABC song is out but swear words are in! Plus, Amy has an exciting announcement.

Montessori is an aid to life and can be used from birth through adulthood as a framework for education and parenting. In today's episode, Nicole and Amy talk about Montessori parenting with children in the second plane of development - from ages 6 to 12. We also have our first guests - Charlotte and Henry - our second plane children to talk about what it's like to live in a Montessori home and go to a Montessori elementary school. Join us for an honest look at the beauty and challenges of the second plane of development. *Please note that this episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Like many families around the world, Amy and Nicole are busy trying to balance their new roles as homeschooling and distance learning families with their regular lives as Montessori parents. With children out of school, we are learning new rhythms and facing new challenges - including trying to find some silence! In today's episode, we share some Montessori ideas to balance it all. Plus, lots of great, easy to incorporate ideas for keeping your kids from babies to big kids busy and happy at home.

In today's world there are so many options for child-centered classes. From music classes, to art and sports, parents are inundated with choices for their children. In today's episode, Nicole and Amy discuss their experiences with classes for babies, toddlers, and older children as Montessori parents. We'll share some tips on what to look for when choosing classes and sports. We talk about how to decide if an activity is Montessori friendly and fits with your child and family. *This episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Please practice social distancing and take this advice for a safer time.

As the Covid-19 pandemic reaches further into the United States, we encourage everyone to practice social distancing at this time. In this episode, Amy and Nicole give an update on their Montessori homes and a look at how they are dealing with the closures related to the spread of Covid-19. We also discuss Montessori ideas and activities for children from birth to age 9 to try when they are spending significant time at home.

Going into traditionally adult spaces with children can be daunting if you aren't prepared. In this episode, Nicole and Amy share ideas on how to use Montessori grace and courtesy lessons to make it easier for you and your children to navigate the world. Later we'll discuss why you should consider a floor bed for your home. From nursing to big kids, Amy and Nicole dive into how the floor bed influences their Montessori parenting.

Establishing a family routine or rhythm can be an important step in parenting young children. This routine can look differently for every family. In this episode, Amy and I discuss how we use Montessori to influence our families' rhythms and routines. Whether that is through the use of affirmations and grounding questions, or the Montessori 3 hour work cycle, we are diving into how we structure our days with babies, toddlers, and older kids.

Welcome to Shelf Help, Where Montessori and Parenting meet. In today's episode, Amy and I introduce ourselves and our new Montessori podcast, plus discuss why we are Montessori parents. Come listen to us overcome the nerves of our first podcast and do a rapid-fire parenting Q&A!