Parenting Posts

Transitioning from Montessori to a Traditional School
When I was teaching, I was asked about the transition from Montessori to traditional school many, many times. Because few regions of the world offer a complete Pre-K-12 Montessori program, transitioning is something the majority of Montessori kids will have to accomplish at some point in their school careers. The good news is, studies suggest that this change can be approached and managed very successfully.

5 Smart Activities to Beat the Winter Blues
Are you buried up to your ears in snow in Norway or wondering if the rain will ever stop in not-so-sunny California? We all get feeling a bit cramped in wintertime and children may be feeling especially constrained, their abundant energy pent up from being inside all the time.

Top Ten Reasons to Be Glad You've Chosen Montessori for Your Child
This post is dedicated to all my wonderful readers and customers who've taken the leap and chosen to send their child(ren) to a Montessori school. I salute you!

Musings at Midnight
It's midnight and I'm sitting at the computer. No surprise there – with two young kids running around the house all day, I usually wait until they're in bed to work on my business. Tonight I've put the finishing touches on some new materials and spent a little time surfing the web.

Should Parents Tell Their Children the Truth About Santa?
For many people, Santa is a cherished part of their holiday traditions. They remember writing letters and mailing them to the North Pole, leaving out milk and cookies, and running downstairs on Christmas morning to see what Santa had left for them under the tree.

Raising Strong-Willed Children
If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I homeschool my children using the Montessori method and materials. My son, who is about to turn seven, is doing second grade work. My daughter, who is 3 1/2 , is enjoying all the materials of the 3-6 level classroom...

In Loving Memory of My Daughter
Today, my blog post will be very personal and bittersweet. On this day, 11 years ago, I gave birth to my firstborn baby, who was stillborn at 26 weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes I can hardly believe it's been such a long time since this momentous event...

Encouraging Independence in Children
If you're anything like me, you may find it difficult to consistently encourage your children to be independent. When you need to get winter gear on in a hurry, it's so much easier to put their boots on yourself than wait for them to do it...

Bringing Montessori Discipline into the Home
Recently I've been thinking a lot about how to have a "Montessori home". If you have your kids in a Montessori school, most likely the school director and teachers have encouraged you to bring Montessori principles into your home to provide your child with consistency and stability...

What's So Great About Delayed Gratification?
Those of you in the Chicago area have probably seen the publication "Chicago Parent" many times. It's an excellent monthly magazine, and I recommend visiting their website even if you don't live in Chicago...

School Performance: How Much Do Parents Matter?
I recently read the book Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Subtitled "A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything", it's a look behind-the-scenes at the economics of everyday assumptions and decisions...