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First a little encouragement, I have never had a child scratched or cut by broken glass in my classroom in the over 20 years I have worked in Montessori classroom. The type of glass you have in the classroom can help with this, for example I wouldn't use a thin ceramic that breaks into shreds when dropped as that can scatter in a wide area that is difficult to manage. Also have a clear broken glass protocol. Cleaning up glass is a collaborative activity. One adult stays near the area of the glass and prevents children from picking it up or stepping on it. Provide a clear boundary of year to stand such as everyone stand behind me, or stand by that plant (at a distance). One child gets the wastebasket (you will have to empty the glass from it immediately) and another child gets the hand broom and the second adult brings wet wipes to detail clean the floor of splinters. I would encourage you to bring in a few glass pieces and as you gain confidence with the addition add more items. Of course the classroom must be set up so that it is easy to observe all children and that there is always one adult not fully engaged with other children so that the classroom can be monitored. As far as knives with toddlers, I use spreaders and potato crinkle cutters. Children can scrape themselves with them and I have had a few knuckle scratches with those. This happens with improper use of the material so again, especially with toddlers, supervision is important. With a spreader or butter knife children can cut many things, bananas, peeled cucumbers, as well as cooked potatoes, zucchini and more. If someone does get injured we care for them in the usual way, cleaning, bandage and comfort. Hope that helps. I too was a little suspicious when first exposed to this idea but it has so many benefits for the children and the earth!

Thank you. I can definitely do that!

It really was a bummer and I never made another. But I have a grandchild arriving this year so maybe I will give it another go and make sure that it is never in the vicinity of my current dog! I am not sure of the infant environmental design course plans, but you can always put in a request for mobile making if there is time!

Yikes, it does sound like some very firm boundaries need to be set! I hope you gleaned some helpful tips at least. Relationships are hard, indeed.

Really anything that is safe enough for those who are still mouthing objects frequently and that doesn't pose a choking hazard. Some of my students' favorites are shells and other natural artifacts like pits from fruits. Little wooden cutouts that are sold at craft stores are great. Also take a look at toys you may already have and how they can be sorted such as sorting blocks by shapes or anything else that you have at least two of the same items.

Thank you. Thanks for watching and commenting!

So glad to hear it. Thanks for letting me know!

I would say that depends on the age of the toddler. Children over 18 months can definitely learn to wait until someone is done doing an activity, for example wait until the child is done doing a puzzle or slicing a banana before they do that activity. With loose toys boundaries are not so clear so taking a block away from another child in a play situation might not be such a big deal as there are plenty more blocks. Possessiveness does not develop, rather it disappears, with my students because they learn that everything is ours and we all get a chance to use it. And toddlers can be very patient, especially when there are other activity options for them.

Yay, I.have been waiting for a semi-first hand testimony regarding ruggables!

Thanks for watching and for the question. Firstly, make sure all the children understand what constitutes "in use". It is an abstract thing when the other child is not holding an object but is indeed still "using it". This is especially true with young children who have not yet developed theory of mind. If it is a group setting/learning experience where children are all at a table at once, designate a spot children put the tools when they are finished, such as a tray or other container. Then it will be clearer what is still being used when a child has to leave a table to get something else. Expect new habits like this to take time to learn. When a child takes something that is being used by another and the children are unable to resolve it peacefully I ask, "Do you want help talking to Rose about that?" Then I say "Rose, Luca is still using that. Would you like to give it back or shall I. " 97% of the time the child will give it back themselves. If not then I put out my open hand to receive the item and say "Okay then I will give it back." If the child will not release it (which is very rare) then I gently take it from the child. At this point the child has been given two acceptable choices and needs support making one, indeed their behavior is making the choice. When these situations are consistently handled this way then the children will come to expect this outcome and be very likely to just give the item back. If we spend a lot of time trying to convince/cajole a child into just giving it back themselves, without those choices, then things are more likely to escalate and result in the tears and hurt feelings. The key is to remain calm. This behavior should be expected when children are learning how to share and we must answer the question their behavior is asking in a firm yet loving way. Also, coach the children in resolving conflicts themselves, empower them to stand up and speak for themselves and ask for things back with an open hand rather than grabbing at people to retrieve the item, which can activate that reptile brain and make things worse. Hope that helps! You didn't mention the age you teach but I have found this approach effective with toddlers and preschoolers.

Oh dear, I hope not really horrible - but I think I know what you mean! Hope it was helpful!

It is definitely worth the investment for classroom use!

Thanks! Maybe you will find this video on sharing helpful: th-cam.com/video/0apW9pMfz8o/w-d-xo.html . Communal items can be difficult. At school what I do is gently help the child off the equipment and then say "You can go back on when you are ready to invite other people on with you ." or ready to share, or whatever words work for that particular child. Thanks for watching!

@@MissJuliesMontessoriMinutes thanks so much for the help :) yea that's pretty much what we try to do. i've also tried to let them work it out for themselves a few times and just seen how it plays out without any intervention, but I always end up feeling bad for the other kids haha. It seems like we're doing the right things, it's gotten to the point that if it happens a few times in a row we say "alright, we're going to have to go home if we can't be nice to the other kids" then calmly explain why we've got to be kind/share etc. I don't know if there are better ways to approach it, other than setting an expectation and then following through if they keep the behavior up. it can just get so exhausting when it seems like weeks and months go by saying the same things to my little one but still having the same issues lol. I know they're still tiny and learning how the world works, so i try my best to be patient. nobody said it was easy, i suppose haha. Well thanks for reading my rant and more importantly thanks so much for the great content :)

@@ThePinnacleSFA Terrific, yes often times children can work things out in their toddler ways without things escalating, they are so capable Cheers!

Thank you, thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!

But you miss the humor before that

Oh yes those Ticonderogas, I'm a believer too. Thanks for watching!

Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching and Merry Christmas!

In that case the adult of the two year old really needs to set the expectations for sharing toys ahead of time. "When our friends (including cousins!) come over we let them use our toys." This is a family expectation. A two year old should not be expected to give up a toy they are actively using but rather let the one year old use any toys they are not. If there are very special items the two year old should be allowed to put them up high if there is fear that they could actually be broken by a younger child. When the two year old becomes upset they need to be reminded that "Our family lets guests use our toys." Depending on the exact age of the two year old the cousins might more be playing next to each other than playing "with" each other. Hope that helps!

Thanks for taking the time to comment! I'm glad you found my channel and are finding it helpful. Please let me know if you ever have suggestions for videos!

Yes, absolutely! Or if your living room is full of alligators or sharks!!!

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm grateful for your wonderful channel!

aww thank you and same to you!@@MissJuliesMontessoriMinutes

@@BudgetingTheBacon Hey you are invited to drop a link to your Etsy shop as well - definitely helpful products for young families! Happy Small Business Saturday to you!

@@MissJuliesMontessoriMinutes thank you! I don’t have my Etsy shop anymore as I’m trying to get my own products up on my website. I appreciate the offer so much💜.

@@BudgetingTheBacon Wow, congrats I look forward to your launch!

Great question! My response would depend on how the child initially holding the toy responded. If the child trying to hang onto the toy and making unhappy noises while looking around for help, I would say something like "Oh would you like help getting your toy back?" and then say to the other child, very gently "Oh you like that toy, ____ is still playing with that, I will help you find another toy." Next retrieve the toy as gently as possible, return to first child and help other child find a different toy to play with. Often times babies will just move on or even enjoy the interaction and then no intervention is necessary. We only intervene to help a child solve the problem if the child behaves as if they have a problem! More important than what happens with the toy is to remember that the children are absorbing how we the adults deal with unpleasant situations! Thanks for watching, hope that helps!

Thanks. Yes I like to remember that adults are just toddlers who grew up!

@budgetingTheBacon this playlist has a lot of good videos on that topic! th-cam.com/play/PL6LKYvnqxtSuU_dQQGuhYHKzebmUZGAVZ.html. Yes, those "difficult" toddlers grow into amazing adolescents and adults!

@@MissJuliesMontessoriMinutes thank you so much! My youngest is strong willed, but I do know he won’t allow anyone to push him over in life, at all with his personality, lol.

My school is built on my residential property so the license is for family home provider. In the state I live in, licensing requirements for centers and in-home have few differences. It is a lot of work but so worth it, I say go for it!

Wow, thank you that is the highest compliment a Montessori guide can receive. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thanks for watching and asking! Glad you found this video. My advice is when this happens, take a deep breath. Parenting in public is so hard sometimes! Then, calmly and in an even tone say something like "Oh you really like that book" (or whatever it is). That book is the library's, (everyone's, ours, theirs, etc) and this child is using it right now. When they are done we can have a turn. If your child grabs an item say "would you like to give it back or should I" and if you child doesn't choose then you say "okay I'll choose" and return the item. Remember it takes children a while to learn everything and all behavior is communication! Your child is asking "I like that, can I just take it?" Answer the question clearly and consistently and neural pathways will form in your child's brain and your child will learn about the concept of "public property" or property that belongs to someone else, etc. Sorry for the delayed response, please let me know if this helps!

@@MissJuliesMontessoriMinutes Thanks so much for the reponse. I can appreciate the importance of word choice! "choosing" to give the item back but giving them the oppurtunity first. I've found a lot of the times that after a brief explanation she really will choose to give the item back on her own 😅 Man i feel like as much as my little one is learning about the world; i'm still learning myself lol. Thank you so much again for your detailed response and all your great work on the channel!

@@ThePinnacleSFA Cheers! Yes for educators and parents (the most important educators) learning/growing ourself is the most important step!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Yay, thank you for watching and commenting. Let me know how your students respond!

"Snatching" is pretty common among toddlers and young preschoolers. The two common reasons are A. the child simply really wants the item and is learning impulse control or B. they want to interact with the other child and "snatching" is a way to get interaction. When a child takes a toy from another and the child is looking to the adult to help I ask "would you like help talking to______"? If they say yes then I give the child words such as "I'm using that" and show how to put their open hand out to receive the item. I also point out the child's facial expression so the other child can see it is not a fun game to snatch things. If the child doesn't listen I say "would you like to give it back to ___or should I". About 95% of the time the child chooses to give it back on their own. I do wait until a child looks to the adult for help and ask if they want help because often a child giving a firm strong response without adult intervention is more memorable for the child who is snatching. We also want to teach children how to speak up for themselves. Sorry for the late reply! Thanks for watching.

It is never too late! Though some things are learned more easily at a younger age a 5 year old is still in the sensitive period for language and for social behavior and in the period of the absorbent mind. Modeling standing up for our own boundaries is also very important, they watch our example more than they listen to our words!

Thanks for saying so and thanks for taking the time to comment!

Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment!

Oh probably, sadly we have the old fashioned kind at school!

Oh yes that would really add some excitement and gross motor fun.