Confessions of a Montessori Mom Podcast with Lisa Nolan of Montessori for the Earth

Listen as I chat and share passages from this amazing book for teens (and tweens)! It was originally posted on my private membership blog, but in response to the recent tragedy that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Texas, I wanted to share it with the general public. If you have a tween or a teen, work with 11 to 18-year-olds, GET THIS BOOK! About the book, The Self-Compassionate Teen: mindfulness & compassion skills to conquer your critical inner voice by Dr. Karen Bluth:  "Are you kind to everyone but yourself? This book will help you find the strength and courage to move beyond self-criticism and just be you. "Do you ever feel like you’re just not good enough? Do you often compare yourself to friends, classmates, or even celebrities and models? As a teen facing intense physical, mental, and social changes, it’s easy to get caught up in self-judgment and criticism. The problem is, over time, these negative thoughts can build up, cloud your world, and lead to stre

You know you have a Montessori child when... I posted this question on my Montessori Facebook page, and I received a lot of responses! Here are a few of my favorites: "My son was taking a REALLY long time in the children's library bathroom so I peeked in the door and he was wiping the sink and mirror dry with paper towels!" OK, that one was mine! " When your two-year-old says excuse me when she needs to interrupt your conversation!" Sophie eating snack! Copyrighted: Lianne Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth!  Top photo credit:  theloushe  via  Foter.com  /  CC BY-NC-ND

A Montessori mom recently confessed in my Montessori Facebook group about the constant feeling of needing MORE: more Montessori activities and materials, more quality toys, more art supplies... When do you feel satisfied? When do you have enough!? "You are not alone!" That was my short answer. It is so easy these days to get sucked into all the Montessori materials and related activities that are now available online, on blogs, on Pinterest, and showing up in Facebook groups! There is so much out there compared to five and ten and fifteen years ago when I first started Montessori online! Here's my long answer: Keep reading here at my sister blog!

There are all sorts of reasons for bringing Montessori home. And there are all sorts of ways of doing it. There doesn't have to be a divide between working moms and stay-at-home moms (who are, of course, also working). There really are just moms, and we’re all just doing our best. Let’s have a bit of grace with each other (and ourselves), shall we? With that said, there are some practical differences... Keep reading here at my sister blog! 

1. Tell stories. Children love bedtime stories. It helps them to relax and fall asleep more easily at night. However, I’ve learned that with my children it can be more fun to TELL stories rather than simply read them. Back when I was in college I used to take an improv acting class. Of course, my child is too young to understand what improv is, but he still understands the “yes, and” part of it. I start off by asking him what he wants to hear a story about. I start the story and pause with a “and then….” for him to continue. We take turns “passing the torch” with our “and then…” until we both feel the story has reached its end. Our stories may not always make that much sense, but...  Keep reading here at my sister blog! 

If you walk a homeschooling journey for any length of time, you are certain to encounter some unexpected bumps in the road.  Life has a way of surprising us with moments, both good and bad, that obliterate the best-laid plans.  Those bumps can come in many forms – moving, a new baby, a job loss, prolonged illness, divorce, the death of a loved one, a family member deployment, a life-altering diagnosis, natural disaster, or adoption.  These moments often drain our resources, elevate our stress levels and overwhelm us emotionally.  It can be difficult, if not impossible to focus the time and energy necessary to produce the homeschooling experience we desire for our children. But what can you do to keep your homeschooling journey progressing while attending to the unexpected moments in life?   Keep reading here at my sister blog! 

  This Confessions of a Montessori Mom podcast episode was based on a short and sweet blog post I wrote a while back...  Keep reading here at my sister blog!  Photo by Nicolas Alejandro Street Photography on Foter.com / CC BY

During this recession, I get more and more emails from moms who are faced with the heart-wrenching decision to pull their children out of Montessori school and place them in a local public school for financial reasons... emails like this one: "I have two children almost 7 and 8. They have been in a private Montessori school since the age of 3. I have just taken them out and they actually start public school on Monday. I’m terrified. This was not by choice that I made this decision, but rather by necessity. Private school is really expensive. "My thought is..."  Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth!  Linking up with Montessori Monday! TOP Photo by  Alex P2006  on  Foter

I receive emails from time to time from parents who question whether or not they should keep their child in Montessori school, especially if the child is five, because the question becomes whether the child should stay in Montessori for their Kindergarten year, or enroll in a public school or non-Montessori private school, enter a Waldorf school, or stay home and be  homeschooled . It is a big decision! The following is an email from such a mom: My almost five-year-old is finishing his second year at a  Montessori  school, and though we love it, I am not sure their approach is what is best for him. He has been building the same words for the past six months [ Movable  Alphabet] and generally is not motivated to do new harder things because he isn't good at it. He gets the greatest satisfaction out of easier work. The teachers try to get him working on more serious stuff, but he generally seems bored at school and tells me he doesn't want to go because it's boring. I know th

Want to know the truth? Most toddlers don't really like Montessori three-period lessons: they are still learning how to control their bodies (and bodily functions!). They rebel against help and interference from adults, like diaper changes, getting dressed, sitting at the dinner table, and taking a nap... And they insist on doing everything themselves! The trouble is they (still) need a lot of help! So you are always trying to help while letting them do it themselves! So how does giving a three-period lesson work in a Montessori environment for this age group?  Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth!  First photo credit:  shanntastic  /  Foter  /  CC BY

The six- to twelve-year-old child has a mind that is reasoning, abstracting, and imagining, according to Maria Montessori. When the child turns six years of age, the stage of the absorbent mind (which lasts from birth to age six) is gone and the stage of the reasoning mind begins. Physically, the six-year-old loses his baby teeth, and grows taller and thinner like a beanstalk, gone is the preschooler. The elementary child that emerges has...  Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth! 

I've read several books so far about Montessori and I am slowly implementing it into my routine with my son (he is 13-months-old now)...I get a little nervous as I wonder if I'm missing those windows of opportunity...however I don't see him ever really getting absorbed and concentrating on any one item...And I'm having a hard time rotating items mostly because I don't know what to rotate with as he doesn't seem to like anything...I also get worried that I should forgo safety and allow him to explore--instead, I feel like I'm backtracking and saying no to things, but I try to remember that I'm a mom first and a teacher second. Exploring is the key for your 13-month-old son, especially gross motor and oral (mouthing). So try to...  Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth!  Photo by Haifeez on Foter.com / CC BY

This might bit a bit  irrelevant  but will like to know what is the  Montessori  way of teaching toddlers to sit  throughout  mealtime. He will play with his food after he is about half full and will either ask me to feed him the rest or he will just go running around. Two things: when he begins walking around...  Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth!  Photo by Spitzgogo_CHEN (Nokia 6230i) on Foter.com / CC BY-NC

In a Montessori environment, the study of a continent (for ages 3 to 6) entails introducing activities in Geography, Zoology, Botany, and Culture, to name a few. Today we are going to look at the continents of Arctica and Antarctica. When we think of these continents at both ends of the world, we think of ice and snow. So the very first day or week of activities ...  Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth!  Top/bottom photo by M. Jost

Montessori and Composting With Kids When I was a Montessori teacher for 20 years I learned how to compost with the children at our Montessori school. Now that I am a work-at-home mom, and my son is older, I started composting with him this summer: I combined what I learned as a Montessori teacher with what I had around the house.  First I grabbed...  Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth!  This post has been a part of:

Welcome to my Best Montessori Books I Own Series: I highlight four Montessori books including Teach Me to do it Myself, Montessori activities for you and your child   by Maja Pitamic; How to Raise an Amazing Child The Montessori Way by Tim Seldin; The Essential Montessori Updated Edition: an Introduction to the Woman, the Writings, the Method, and the Movement   by Elizabeth Hainstock; and Awakening Your Toddler's Love of Learning by Jan Katzen-Luchenta. Some of these books are available at your local library, as an ebook on Kindle, and or used and new on Amazon.com where you can add them to your wish list or purchase them on the spot.  Teach Me to do it Myself, Montessori activities for you and your child  by Maja Pitamic:   The Introduction includes: a Preface; "Who was Montessori"; "How to use this book"; and "Frequently asked questions" (seven in all). There are five chapters with activities you can do at home or in a classroom setting:

Do You Need to Be Crafty to do Montessori? I am a mom with good intentions, but I struggle with organization, planning and as a pregnant woman, fatigue! I am also admittedly not that crafty. I will often opt to purchase an item if it will save me from the overwhelming feeling of crafting something. However, I really don't want my deficiencies to interfere with the type of quality environment I raise my children in. After reading many different Montessori books, I know this is the approach that I want to adopt for raising both my children. I asked other Montessori moms and educators what they thought! Here is what they had to say...  Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth! 

Is there a general order that teachers use for giving Montessori lessons? Is there a general order that teachers use for giving lessons? The montessori  method follows the child and observes what is next for that child. Therefore, I have read in many places that there is no set curriculum to follow.  But there are albums that Montessori teachers create. There may be no set time to teach something, but what I am thinking and wondering is, is there a general order or pattern which a teacher might use. I have noticed in the math materials that the pink tower comes before the brown stair and the red rods.  I am thinking that I could have the "next" lessons or activities prepared, tucked away, and taken out when the child is ready for it. But how do I know what lessons and activities to tuck away? ~Laura S. Here is what other Montessorians had to say! "When Montessori teachers go through training..."  Keep reading at my sister blog, Montessori for the Earth! 

I've been doing a few Montessori activities with my son C. since he was born. He's now nine and a half months old. Here's a question I've been wondering about for a while. When I present an activity, C. has very little interest in copying me and doing the intended activity. I know that sometimes it's appropriate for the child to use the materials in his own way, but other times it indicates that he is not ready for the activity and I should just put it away. But how do I tell the difference? When I presented the "putting spoons in a bowl" activity, C. picked up the spoons and put them in his mouth, and taped them together, both of which I thought were probably ok. But then he took a spoon in each hand and started crawling away (he loves to crawl while holding things). I decided that was not a good idea, because he wasn't using the materials in any investigative way, so I took the spoons away from him and he was really mad. Do you have