Independence

Dr Montessori said: "Help me to do it by myself" which means we don't help the child to do something that he is capable of doing on his/her own.

We started the school year by teaching grace and courtesy to the toddler children. Grace and courtesy lessons help children become oriented to the prepared environment. We know these activities serve as tools for functioning in the classroom, using the materials, and interacting respectfully with others.

Lunch is not usually regarded as an important meal of the day. In the scope of things, breakfast is always touted as important because it’s the first meal you start with, and dinner is important because that is the time you get to spend together as a family. Lunch, in the meantime, gets only snippets of our attention, and we usually spend it eating at a desk, in front of a computer, or on our phone (I am guilty of that). 

Learning social and emotional discipline skills that teach our children positive outcomes are one of the foundations of Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy on how to create well-rounded young people. 

Montessori teachers use specific discipline skills that address behavioral concerns they’ve observed. Negative behaviors include aggression, defiance and motivational issues.

Getting enough sleep is critical for a toddler’s growth and development. Most toddlers need between 12-14 hours of sleep, with one afternoon nap, which your child will take at school if he stays for the afternoon. 

It's a good time for us to keep reminding ourselves what we are thankful for, focusing on what we are fortunate to have.  We can apply that when we look at our children.  Each child is unique and special.  Even though we look at the milestones for the age group, we focus on the individual's development.  Let us think about how much your child is talking (able to express their needs in words), how much physical independence he/she has, and about their self-confidence. 'Respect' is vital to parenting, but the word can confuse us, especially when it comes to setting limits with toddlers.

Have you ever struggled with how to reply to your child’s curious questions when you don’t know the answer? There is great value of not knowing the answer to a question as it can:

Dr. Maria Montessori, the Italian educator and scientist who, more than 100 years ago, developed the system of education that bears her name, knew that from birth to age 3, your child’s brain develops more rapidly than at any other time. More learning takes place than at any other stage of development.