Maria Montessori started her journey with poor children. Montessori is not about products, it’s about treating your kid as a person, watching him grow and helping them become a wonderful human being! I think our society focuses on products and materials to achieve a goal because it takes less effort to buy something than to change an attitude. They will not “leave you alone” if you buy montessori materials... great video, Montessori would be proud!!!
ugh thank you so much. it sounds silly since we dont even know each other, but I am so beyond grateful for you. thank you so much for sharing your knowledge in such an easily understandable way. youve changed my life. I started implementing montessori & positive discipline around 6 months. because of your videos. shes now 18 months. I cant afford to buy all montessori type toys. she has some plastic toys. I dont have tons of space. we share a room but most of it is dedicated to being her space. recently I joined a montessori facebook group, and everyone seemed so perfect & it made me feel like I wasnt doing good enough. like I was a failure. even though she has cubbys, I rotate her toys, I keep everything very organized, I am very patient with her, etc. Im just really glad I came across this video. it reminded me that its more about the principles than what the toys & activities are made of. I started bawling when you said “it doesnt have to be on a tray to be montessori, thats just absurd.” because Id been looking at those pinterest boards of all the different trays, feeling horrible for not doing those. youre an amazing woman. thank you so much
Hi Abigail! I can relate to your sentiments, having been down that rabbit hole as well of feeling like you have to do everything just right. With tighter finances I was feeling really overwhelmed and wanting to buy all the perfect Montessori toys and trays and furniture but feeling really stressed about it. This channel also inspires me and gives me a lot of peace and inspiration on how to make it work for us!
I too, recently moved into a situation where I am sharing a room with my son in my parents home. I am feeling so lost about my vision for implementing Montessori. If you have any tips from your journey or want to connect I’d love that!
“The essence of Montessauri at home is involving your child in your family’s everyday activities and making them feel like a valued, contributing member regardless of how small they are.” -Ashley
Yes! I love this video. I was a Montessori guide (teacher) for a year and am now raising my two year old and newborn in a small space. I found this information very helpful and, more importantly, encouraging. Thank you so much for this channel. I am sure that it takes quite a bit of time and effort to maintain. I cannot stress enough the importance of the work you are doing here. It has been such a blessing to me and my little family. Keep it up! :)
Could you do a video about how to do Montessori at home when both parents have to work? Like how to get daycare/family to include Montessori methods and if they don't, will Montessori still be effective if only practiced at home when that's not where they spend most of their time?
There is a lady on Instagram called @diycorporatemom who does Montessori and works full time as well as her husband. She is really cool to follow! There’s an interview with her on the Montessori notebook blog as well
the most effective way if you find a Montessori Daycare. you find a Daycare that works for you. the Daycare’s not going to change their entire system just for one child.
I would love to see how the two choose their toys + like 5 min how they go on and play . Do you have footage of that by any chance? The concept sounds so nice.
I’ve seen other channels do this and it might be a good idea or a contentious one but what if people submitted photos of their Montessori set ups with questions and you provided suggestions to help them out?
We live in a one-room tiny house and I've already been doing some of the tips! Staying minimalist in our things really helps free up space for a little cubby unit for the little one.
@@gabihuggins5042 Congratulations!! It's a challenge, for sure (the hardest part for us is trying to be quiet when she's sleeping because we're all literally in the same room 🤣), but totally doable and awesome! P.S. I found you on Instagram!! Not trying to be creepy... I really love following others with similar lifestyles! ❤
Thank you for the tips! One thing we do in our small condo is to make sure there is something at his level that interests him in all areas of the house so that the whole space is used and he’s not always crammed into one small corner of it. For example I have a basket of sensory balls in the hall, a low drawer in the kitchen with wooden foods and utensils, etc.
Other tips: if you don’t have a little stool, make them sit on the floor. A foldable ladder works great as a kitchen stool. Hang their jackets on a door knob if you don’t have a small coat hanger. The important thing is the attitude, not the product!!
I found that just letting my LO (4 months) try something is a good way to approach this as well. Like at the library story time they were passing our little egg shakers and I allowed her to pick her own. She wasn’t great at it, but she did manage to get an egg shaker mostly on her own. It’s little things like that, it really goes a long way. Thanks for the video! As apartment dwellers this really helps and gives insights as to the types of things we can do. When inviting a child to help you, is asking them if they would like to help a good approach to letting them know they have the option?
Love this video that’s for sharing. You really drove home that participation is key not stuff for Montessori. Few things I have done living in a small space is using stuff I already have for my daughter. She uses the 3 bottom drawers of my dresser for clothes, baskets I use my old oxyclean and dishwasher tab containers as baskets. I had old command hooks that didn’t match but they work to hang coats and hoodies at my daughters level. Toys I shops garage sales and thrift shops. Also lots of states have toy libraries to help rotate toys without storing them. Hope these tips help someone else.
I have just realized we are „doing Montessori“ unintentionally. 😀 I think that IS traditional. Involving them, considering them as partners in the everyday. We are also living in a small space and it can totally work well with not every single detail being „Montessoried“. Love your ideas, videos and mindset. Not pushy, yet very inspirational. Just one question. Why are u using a white noise machine? Here in Germany it is not recommended to use any „artifical“ help in the sleeping patterns. Thanks for the answer & take care!
Ive been learnong more about thenew regulations taking affect on you tube on Dec 10th. Ill be praying Ashley because i really enjoy your channel and i hope you can find a way to work throughthe regs and still be successful. ❤💗
Amazing video as always! 😊 any advice for transitioning a 6 and 5 year old to Montessori? They're so used to many toys and being raised differently, however I'd like to change my ways and get my 8 month old on board too.
Great video! That lack of space is absolutely my case. Thanks for the tips! Are you planning to film an update of Kylie's room? I'll love to watch it. ❤️
Found this video 2 years after it's been made but it has made me feel SO much better about my space. I didn't realize that I've (in my own way) did a Montessori-like space thanks to your video. Such great information even if I was 2 years late haha Thank you so much!
I’m obsessed with your videos. I see a huge difference with my daughters since I started watching your videos. I’m having a hard time balancing my focus between the two I have a 15 mo old and a 3 year old when I’m helping one child the other interferes and wants attention if you could please do a video on this.
Have you tried the Montessori way of saying 'excuse me'? We use this at our school, when speaking with someone and a child wants to speak to you or wants your attention they place a hand on your shoulder/side, you acknowledge them and continue your conversation, when done you can begin speaking to the child waiting. It's a great lesson on patience and respect. Have a conversation about it, show them how to do it, and of course give time for practice and learning it. A brief conversation on respect and patience may help your 3 year old to understand better too. If it holds, your younger will pick this up simply by seeing it when they are ready to practice it. Hope this helps!
Hi Ashley, I'm currently binge watching all your videos about montessori and I really like your tips and just the way you speak about that subject is so informative and inspiring! Thank you 😊 Do your kids watch any TV at all? And also I'm wandering about soft toys and board games? Any tips on that please? 🙏🤔
Thanks for reminding me that having Pinterest perfect materials and spaces are not everything. I reorganised the kitchen and play area to simplify the space and now it looks so much more appealing. Hope my daughter loves it tomorrow when she wakes up.
Oh my gosh, I had a good laugh when you said people call teaching a child to do every day tasks "child slave labor"!! So admire you as a mama and love your content.
Hi Ashley, I always love your tips and wondering if you’d consider sharing tips on how to teach your toddler get dressed herself as well as how to handle diaper tantrum before potty training, if you experienced such thing? Many thanks in advance :)
Ivana Ross I “do it behind her back” because it’s part of the Montessori method to prep activities beforehand.. not saying that is the “right” way and how it must be done. Only that I’m not doing it to trick my child, I have no interest in that, it’s merely part of the method. And hand in hand with that goes that she just doesn’t happen to know what I store the other items in.
We're doing some of this, and it can be daunting, but this encouraged me! Also, it reminds me that Mabel doesn't need TONS of toys out to choose from. She regularly goes for the same couple of toys anyway. 🙄
Ashley thanks so much for this. Ive been watching your videos for a few times now (as time permits) and this video absolutely empowered me to push Montessori learning. Thanks for doing this for first time mums like me. God bless you and your family!
I remember as a kid when we would go over my grandmas or my dads uncles house , they always had a few toys for when kids came over. I remember specifically my uncle had some sort of diplo village and castle and I would LOVE to play with that one toy. I remember that toy the most as a child. Less is more.
Any advice on set up in a 1 room studio space? We have our own bathroom but share a kitchen with my parents. Myself my 4.5 year old and my 1 year old live in a bedroom that was converted from a carport area. We are staying with my parents for my dad’s current health reasons. I’m going through a divorce and my dad’s got bad diabetes’s and has been having surgeries for arthritis so I’m just here to keep an eye on him during the day, but there house is NOT kid friendly so I asked for 1 safe yes room for me and my kids where they can safety explore so they turned their car port into a big room for us. But we have to sleep in this room as well, currently on air mattresses on the floor lol but how can I maximize space, give the kids a playing/area. Luckily with air mattresses when not in use I can pick them up and store them away until the next sleep time
Now what do you do when your child is older and knows exactly every single toy you have (even toys put away) and wants toys that are out of rotation. I only have so much toy storage in my closet. Other stuff is kept in a family members garage. So when I do switch some stuff out my son gets mad because he wanted to play with it
Hi - I am curious what do you do if your child finds the bin of stored toys and wants to play with them? This happens all the time, I have a few toys laid out on display but she finds her plastic bins of toys and spends her time rummaging through it :-).
I watch my grandson who is eighteen months old and lives with me and his mother. He puts books into his mouth and tears them into shreds, if he has access to his dishes etc, he takes them all out and scatters them all over the house, and everything goes into his mouth, so any toys that have small parts, crayons, paints, playdough, are out of the question. Needless to say I am totally frustrated trying to implement creative, independent play and spaces. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you
This means he's looking for stimulation, he might just need guidance as to how to use the things he's interested in. If he takes out a plate, show interest and ask if he wants to cook, offer a spoon and ask what he's making. Ask to taste it and whether you can help. Show him what he could be trying to mirror, mom/gran cooking or serving food. Help him to set up a "restaurant" for the family or stuffed animals, etc. He seems to know that he wants to do something like that but maybe isn't 100% sure how or what it is exactly. I know this probably isn't Montessori way but it will help you get an understanding of what he is trying to do and of course he will begin to figure it out with time, so your involvement will gradually become less. Hope this helps!
What do you do about toys that are not Montessori that your child wants/gets as a gift? I want to get rid of so many of my kid’s plastic not open-ended toys but she gets upset when I donate her things without her permission and it feels wrong to do that to her 🙁
I'm going to be so sad when you send your little girls to school :( This is my favorite Montessori channel because I have learned so much from you and your vlogs. My problem is that I don't want to send my baby to regular school but I also don't have a Montessori school near by.
I love your videos! My daughter is three years old now and she starts to remember many things. The toy rotation system starts to falling apart because she constantly ask for stuff that is not on the outside toyshelf. Should I just give to her? She also seems to start to remember where are the places I kept all the hinden ones and try to dig for them as long as she get a chance.
Hii, do you have an suggestions for parents who will share the room with the child and is in a small apartment :/ I’m trying my best to think outside the box
TLDR: Transition my 2 yr old toward a more Montessori style life seems to be working to make her more emotional and needy. I feel like I'm so late in the game finding not only your channel but the whole Montessori way of learning/life. I am working slowly but surely to transform our home to be more Montessori centered and have already implemented practical life skills which my 2 yr old loves. But in this transition I think we are both struggling, for the first few days she was so excited to do self care things herself (instead of me just doing them to get them done). But lately there have been absolute meltdowns if I even ask her to do anything herself. How do you move past them refusing to do things (shoes and the carseat are killing me right now)? She has even started to refuse to do things for herself she normally would have no problem doing and whining for me to do it or do it with her. I'm hoping as we continue she will pick back up wanting to be more independent (or at least ask for or accept minimal help for tasks) but I'm definitely struggling to keep my cool through more moments than I would like right now. I'm trying to take the pressure off for both of us but the pushback of change maybe too much.
Any change at all is often overwhelming for a toddler, and it sounds like the freedom was novel and exciting at first, but that perhaps it was all just too quick of a change for her. Try to go back to basics, and keeps the things you’re asking her to do independently small at first. And if she requests your help (even if it’s something she normally does happily on her own), oblige her and help out. It’s kind of like - as adults, we know how to cook dinner for ourselves, but sometimes it’s just nice to have someone else do it for us, right? It feels the same for our children. Eventually, as she becomes more confident in her newfound independence (and as she grows older), she will truly want to do these things for herself. And any time she offers, always allow her the freedom to do it (even if it takes longer). Let her practice and feel that individual success. In the mean time, if it’s something that needs to be done, then I would use respectful parenting and positive discipline to get the task accomplished. Help her into the carseat while telling her, “It looks like you’re having trouble getting into the carseat on your own today, so I’m going to help you.” And just do it, acknowledging her feelings along the way if necessary. If it’s a situation where you’re actually unsure if she wants/needs your help (like getting dressed), often I will just say simply, “If you need my help, let me know.” And then I’ll sit and wait. Sometimes, she finishes getting a sock onto her foot on her own with a little more perseverance, and other times she just wants my help, and then I help. 🤷🏼♀️😊 Hope this is of some use to you! Hang in there!
@@HapaFamily thank you! That is kind of where I went to I'm definitely still adjusting myself (I'm naturally a very high anxiety person so slowing down can be a struggle for me) and still slowly but surely getting our house in order for a Montessori at home life which is definitely helping. Just a mirror and low basket for her has revolutionized brushing teeth. Side note in one of your videos you said you were a dolphin trainer, I was a sea lion and otter trainer for 10 year, I'm channeling my inner trainer for this transition too.
Love all your videos! Do you think your child's bedroom can act as a playroom as well (if you don't have the space to have a separate playroom)? Or does the bedroom need to function as a sleep-only space?
Hi. I love your videos! My baby started crawling today ( 7mo), I was wondering how to involve him into family life? His play space is in the big living room, but I don't know how else have him around going back and forth to the kitchen. Thanks
This video is SO very helpful! Thank you for making it Ashley! We have been reorganizing and fixing up the house (especially the living room) I have already done a rotation technique with my daughter's toys. Now I am working on the open shelf and basket thing for a few toys she is interested in. I also wanted to say that my daughter (she is almost 20 months) LOVES to help me in the kitchen. So I actually sit her on the counter and have her help me cook. (She doesn't understand that she needs to stand on mommy's step stool to help mommy with cooking lol) But I will definitely be trying these ideas as we start moving stuff around :) Thank you so much!!
Thank you very much, we can't express our gratitude enough. I watched half of your video 2days ago and it motivated me to empty an angle in our smallish kitchen for our 11months old daughter. Rather than a separate space, for which she isn't ready, she got, very inexpensively, a mirror, a pull up bar, and shelf space for her mostly home made few materials. We installed a cork stick on flooring too. She loves, loves her independence and space. I'm thanking you sincerely and came to watch the rest. This video changed how my child is growing up. I'll be a sub 4 life.
Where do you find your trays, bins, and boxes? I find all of those things to be pretty pricey, even at discount stores. Thanks for all of your helpful videos. How did you convince relatives to not give your kids so many toys and to avoid the yappy, I-do-ten-million-different-things toys?
My 10 month old typically just knocks everything off the shelves and then crawls over to me. I’m looking forward to involving him in household activities when he starts walking. Anything I can start showing him now? I’ve been showing him how to wipe the table but he doesn’t get it yet.
Hi Ashley. Loving your videos. Could you please share how a mother and baby can share space in an appointment. We have a 1 bedroom apartment which has a bed,dressing table and cupboard. Do you still suggest a baby mattress being shared in the room?
Ashley you are amazing!! Thank you! We live in a very small rented apartment (which we rented before I knew I was pregnant) and long story short she is almost 14 months old and I am trying to adapt our situation to her age and her needs! Your videos are so clear and helpful! Great job!!! Thanks again!
In another video I watched by you, you mentioned as your second, Mia, gets older you will start to change her in the bathroom. Can you give me a rundown of what that looks like as far as equipment etc. We have a changing table in my son's room but I'd love to transition to bathroom. We don't have room for changing table so I'm curious if you have another method, thanks!
Thank you once again Ashley! I look forward to every new video and learn so much from watching them. Sometimes I watch them more than once to recap what you've said. This is great advice for us in Singapore - we are all living in high rise apartments as space is scarce here. I'm thankful I manage to get a bedroom for my daughter, and majority of the living room is her play area. We don't have a TV nor sofa set so this cleared up some space for us. Looking forward to more new videos!
I started watching your videos about 2yrs ago when my best friend was pregnant with her daughter. I don't get how anyone thinks this is "child slave labour", it's called everyone in the home participates in doing things to contribute to the house through life skills. That has to be taught starting at a young age and allowing them to start learning and participating in activities to help with things. If you start young and work with them on an age-appropriate level they develop a love for doing things and work ethic that goes with them later in life and workplace as an adult. By not having them help and doing everything for them it's actually harmful and setting them up for failure later in life.
This video just helped me so much. I have always loved the montessori approach and I have only recently become pregnant. I am about to be a solo mom to triplets and live in a 2 bedroom condo. I knew I wanted to do montessori from the start. Eventually I know that the work will pay off when the triplets can be more independent. I wound up switch my bedroom to the smaller one and letting the master be the nursery. I can eventually organize it in such a was where there is plenty of space to sleep, play, and get dressed (even though some toys/items will still be in the living room) I had worried about having everything in one space, but this really took the pressure off.
Can you please make a video on how to do perfectly Montessori for a working mom knowing that my toddler is not in a Montessori School ( very expensive in my country) . I do really need help . Thanks
If you don't have a dishwasher, drying the dishes is something we started letting mayson help do at around 18 months with help and now at 2.5 he can rinse too!
Hey ashley grt job ! I want to ask u whether a 8 month old baby should have access to all these activities on the shelves or shud i help him ...plus also i want to ask with all these shelves here doesn mia tend to get hurt while crawling ...i do have a room to get these kind of shelves done at my babys level but then wouldnt the baby get hurt coz he is 8 months old and crawls and v wobbly ..crashes with things
Hi ashley! Love your videos! Sorry if i missed it in the video, but how often do you rotate? And do you choose the new toys or does kylie? Love from Germany!
Hi i love this approach. However my family is asking me what if he climbs alone and mess around the things or hurt himself as things are more accessible to him. How to manage this aspect?
Any tips for working with children that are emotionally attached to their toys and remember them, even when they don't actually ever use them? So that I can make her toy space more minimal, I do see her get overwhelmed by all the choices and she ends up choosing nothing and coming to me all the time
Love your take on shelf rotation and less is more. I have a hard time finding places where the kiddos won’t look for the toys so I need to be better with hiding them/storing them.
J aimerais bien voir les vidéo du pratiquement par ce que je comprend pas anglais Ou bien bien faire la traduction en français Autrement j j'adore tes vidéos Bravo
amazing tips!! right to the point and so simply explained ! thank you Ashly ! (that santa mailbox kept on taking you out of focus lol ) Mia!!! you are so cute!!!!! omg ❤️
I’ve missed so many videos of yours! I just finished student teaching and our Montessori life style fell apart with all the people babysitting our kids! Can’t wait to get back into the routine and continue our Montessori videos! You’re channel is so inspiring! So proud of you!
Thank you for all of your tips. I’ve implemented so many of your suggestions. What do you think about stuffed animals? My daughter loves stuffed animals and I’ve tried to limit how many she has but she somehow always accumulates so many. Any thoughts?
Love Avery looks like a cool subscription of Montessori materials that come in a box for each stage starting $36 a month. Saver especially if you can’t afford all Montessori materials.
You are amazing! These videos have been so helpful. We are just beginning Montessori. This video specifically made it sound so doable no matter the budget or space.
Love this video! Great reminder that less is more. I have been struggling to find some tips for working moms who want to implement Montessori at our home when their babysitter does not do Montessori. Can you provide any tips on most important things to focus on when my son is home with me and how to balance it when he is with the babysitter?
I would focus on keeping things orderly and involvement in practical life. Perhaps have a chat with your babysitter about what level she or he is most comfortable with also doing these things? Perhaps pass on some educational materials to this person, they might be more on board with it than you know. 😊👍🏻
Maria Montessori started her journey with poor children. Montessori is not about products, it’s about treating your kid as a person, watching him grow and helping them become a wonderful human being! I think our society focuses on products and materials to achieve a goal because it takes less effort to buy something than to change an attitude. They will not “leave you alone” if you buy montessori materials... great video, Montessori would be proud!!!
ugh thank you so much. it sounds silly since we dont even know each other, but I am so beyond grateful for you. thank you so much for sharing your knowledge in such an easily understandable way. youve changed my life. I started implementing montessori & positive discipline around 6 months. because of your videos. shes now 18 months. I cant afford to buy all montessori type toys. she has some plastic toys. I dont have tons of space. we share a room but most of it is dedicated to being her space. recently I joined a montessori facebook group, and everyone seemed so perfect & it made me feel like I wasnt doing good enough. like I was a failure. even though she has cubbys, I rotate her toys, I keep everything very organized, I am very patient with her, etc. Im just really glad I came across this video. it reminded me that its more about the principles than what the toys & activities are made of. I started bawling when you said “it doesnt have to be on a tray to be montessori, thats just absurd.” because Id been looking at those pinterest boards of all the different trays, feeling horrible for not doing those. youre an amazing woman. thank you so much
Hi Abigail! I can relate to your sentiments, having been down that rabbit hole as well of feeling like you have to do everything just right. With tighter finances I was feeling really overwhelmed and wanting to buy all the perfect Montessori toys and trays and furniture but feeling really stressed about it. This channel also inspires me and gives me a lot of peace and inspiration on how to make it work for us!
I too, recently moved into a situation where I am sharing a room with my son in my parents home. I am feeling so lost about my vision for implementing Montessori. If you have any tips from your journey or want to connect I’d love that!
“The essence of Montessauri at home is involving your child in your family’s everyday activities and making them feel like a valued, contributing member regardless of how small they are.” -Ashley
Yes! I love this video. I was a Montessori guide (teacher) for a year and am now raising my two year old and newborn in a small space. I found this information very helpful and, more importantly, encouraging.
Thank you so much for this channel. I am sure that it takes quite a bit of time and effort to maintain. I cannot stress enough the importance of the work you are doing here. It has been such a blessing to me and my little family.
Keep it up! :)
Could you do a video about how to do Montessori at home when both parents have to work? Like how to get daycare/family to include Montessori methods and if they don't, will Montessori still be effective if only practiced at home when that's not where they spend most of their time?
There is a lady on Instagram called @diycorporatemom who does Montessori and works full time as well as her husband. She is really cool to follow! There’s an interview with her on the Montessori notebook blog as well
@@TherealHRHMarissa Thank you!
the most effective way if you find a Montessori Daycare. you find a Daycare that works for you. the Daycare’s not going to change their entire system just for one child.
I would love to see how the two choose their toys + like 5 min how they go on and play . Do you have footage of that by any chance?
The concept sounds so nice.
Anna M I like this idea. Real time Montessori!
I’ve seen other channels do this and it might be a good idea or a contentious one but what if people submitted photos of their Montessori set ups with questions and you provided suggestions to help them out?
That's a good idea!
We live in a one-room tiny house and I've already been doing some of the tips! Staying minimalist in our things really helps free up space for a little cubby unit for the little one.
Ariel Chadwick just subscribed! I’m also moving into a tiny home so I’d love to see your journey
My husband and I live in a tiny house and are expecting our first child in May! 😁
@@annievargas2832 Thank you!!
@@gabihuggins5042 Congratulations!! It's a challenge, for sure (the hardest part for us is trying to be quiet when she's sleeping because we're all literally in the same room 🤣), but totally doable and awesome!
P.S. I found you on Instagram!! Not trying to be creepy... I really love following others with similar lifestyles! ❤
Thank you for the tips! One thing we do in our small condo is to make sure there is something at his level that interests him in all areas of the house so that the whole space is used and he’s not always crammed into one small corner of it. For example I have a basket of sensory balls in the hall, a low drawer in the kitchen with wooden foods and utensils, etc.
I love your videos!
If Kylie wants to play with a toy that's not on the shelf, do you just give it to her?
Typically, yes.
Other tips: if you don’t have a little stool, make them sit on the floor. A foldable ladder works great as a kitchen stool. Hang their jackets on a door knob if you don’t have a small coat hanger. The important thing is the attitude, not the product!!
Yes, yes, yes!! Thanks for adding this!
I would love to see your closet you keep the “extra” toys out of rotation! I need some inspiration for organizing the toy rotation.
It is in Kylie's bedroom. Here you have the bedroom tour, the closet is at minute 8.30 :) th-cam.com/video/n1w2wUgnsMA/w-d-xo.html
Thanks, Anna!! You rock!!
Thank you so much for remembering us what Montessori is really about!!!
You learn about Montessori in high school? That's so cool!
I found that just letting my LO (4 months) try something is a good way to approach this as well. Like at the library story time they were passing our little egg shakers and I allowed her to pick her own. She wasn’t great at it, but she did manage to get an egg shaker mostly on her own. It’s little things like that, it really goes a long way.
Thanks for the video! As apartment dwellers this really helps and gives insights as to the types of things we can do. When inviting a child to help you, is asking them if they would like to help a good approach to letting them know they have the option?
I would say so, yes! Great tips, too! Thanks for sharing!
Love this video that’s for sharing. You really drove home that participation is key not stuff for Montessori.
Few things I have done living in a small space is using stuff I already have for my daughter. She uses the 3 bottom drawers of my dresser for clothes, baskets I use my old oxyclean and dishwasher tab containers as baskets. I had old command hooks that didn’t match but they work to hang coats and hoodies at my daughters level. Toys I shops garage sales and thrift shops. Also lots of states have toy libraries to help rotate toys without storing them. Hope these tips help someone else.
I have just realized we are „doing Montessori“ unintentionally. 😀 I think that IS traditional. Involving them, considering them as partners in the everyday. We are also living in a small space and it can totally work well with not every single detail being „Montessoried“.
Love your ideas, videos and mindset. Not pushy, yet very inspirational.
Just one question. Why are u using a white noise machine? Here in Germany it is not recommended to use any „artifical“ help in the sleeping patterns. Thanks for the answer & take care!
Ive been learnong more about thenew regulations taking affect on you tube on Dec 10th. Ill be praying Ashley because i really enjoy your channel and i hope you can find a way to work throughthe regs and still be successful. ❤💗
Me too, thank you. 💕
I was looking forward to this video :) Thanks for the ideas :) Hello from the Balkans :)
Amazing video as always! 😊 any advice for transitioning a 6 and 5 year old to Montessori? They're so used to many toys and being raised differently, however I'd like to change my ways and get my 8 month old on board too.
I have similar concerns, please advise us Ashley, thanks for the great videos!
Great video! That lack of space is absolutely my case. Thanks for the tips!
Are you planning to film an update of Kylie's room? I'll love to watch it. ❤️
Kylie’s room hasn’t changed since the last tour, so there isn’t a need for an update! 🥰👍🏻
Found this video 2 years after it's been made but it has made me feel SO much better about my space. I didn't realize that I've (in my own way) did a Montessori-like space thanks to your video. Such great information even if I was 2 years late haha Thank you so much!
I’m obsessed with your videos. I see a huge difference with my daughters since I started watching your videos. I’m having a hard time balancing my focus between the two I have a 15 mo old and a 3 year old when I’m helping one child the other interferes and wants attention if you could please do a video on this.
Have you tried the Montessori way of saying 'excuse me'? We use this at our school, when speaking with someone and a child wants to speak to you or wants your attention they place a hand on your shoulder/side, you acknowledge them and continue your conversation, when done you can begin speaking to the child waiting. It's a great lesson on patience and respect. Have a conversation about it, show them how to do it, and of course give time for practice and learning it. A brief conversation on respect and patience may help your 3 year old to understand better too. If it holds, your younger will pick this up simply by seeing it when they are ready to practice it. Hope this helps!
Hi Ashley, I'm currently binge watching all your videos about montessori and I really like your tips and just the way you speak about that subject is so informative and inspiring! Thank you 😊
Do your kids watch any TV at all? And also I'm wandering about soft toys and board games? Any tips on that please? 🙏🤔
Would also like to know this..
Could you talk about screentime in kids
Thanks for reminding me that having Pinterest perfect materials and spaces are not everything. I reorganised the kitchen and play area to simplify the space and now it looks so much more appealing. Hope my daughter loves it tomorrow when she wakes up.
How did the big reveal go??
Oh my gosh, I had a good laugh when you said people call teaching a child to do every day tasks "child slave labor"!! So admire you as a mama and love your content.
Hi Ashley, I always love your tips and wondering if you’d consider sharing tips on how to teach your toddler get dressed herself as well as how to handle diaper tantrum before potty training, if you experienced such thing? Many thanks in advance :)
What should I do when the toddler knows exactly where the rotation toys are and constantly wants do see those boxes? :s
inês can you move them? I switch out when my daughter isn’t around so she wouldn’t see where the boxes are, what they look like, etc.
Ivana Ross I “do it behind her back” because it’s part of the Montessori method to prep activities beforehand.. not saying that is the “right” way and how it must be done. Only that I’m not doing it to trick my child, I have no interest in that, it’s merely part of the method. And hand in hand with that goes that she just doesn’t happen to know what I store the other items in.
C R G they enjoy coming into the room and finding things in a different way, you are doing it right
Susana González Codina that’s my favourite part 👏🏼😻
We're doing some of this, and it can be daunting, but this encouraged me! Also, it reminds me that Mabel doesn't need TONS of toys out to choose from. She regularly goes for the same couple of toys anyway. 🙄
The lowest two shelves of each bookshelf could be used for your child!! Amazing idea!!!!
Grateful for this too!
Ashley thanks so much for this. Ive been watching your videos for a few times now (as time permits) and this video absolutely empowered me to push Montessori learning. Thanks for doing this for first time mums like me. God bless you and your family!
I remember as a kid when we would go over my grandmas or my dads uncles house , they always had a few toys for when kids came over. I remember specifically my uncle had some sort of diplo village and castle and I would LOVE to play with that one toy. I remember that toy the most as a child. Less is more.
You totally could open a Montessori school yourself
I have no doubt you'd have more requests than space in that school
Any advice on set up in a 1 room studio space? We have our own bathroom but share a kitchen with my parents. Myself my 4.5 year old and my 1 year old live in a bedroom that was converted from a carport area. We are staying with my parents for my dad’s current health reasons. I’m going through a divorce and my dad’s got bad diabetes’s and has been having surgeries for arthritis so I’m just here to keep an eye on him during the day, but there house is NOT kid friendly so I asked for 1 safe yes room for me and my kids where they can safety explore so they turned their car port into a big room for us. But we have to sleep in this room as well, currently on air mattresses on the floor lol but how can I maximize space, give the kids a playing/area. Luckily with air mattresses when not in use I can pick them up and store them away until the next sleep time
Thank you helpful video . I really thought Montessori was for rich people , but I was wrong .
Now what do you do when your child is older and knows exactly every single toy you have (even toys put away) and wants toys that are out of rotation. I only have so much toy storage in my closet. Other stuff is kept in a family members garage. So when I do switch some stuff out my son gets mad because he wanted to play with it
Hi - I am curious what do you do if your child finds the bin of stored toys and wants to play with them? This happens all the time, I have a few toys laid out on display but she finds her plastic bins of toys and spends her time rummaging through it :-).
Question... How do you keep a 10month old safe from banging on the walls and floor?
I watch my grandson who is eighteen months old and lives with me and his mother. He puts books into his mouth and tears them into shreds, if he has access to his dishes etc, he takes them all out and scatters them all over the house, and everything goes into his mouth, so any toys that have small parts, crayons, paints, playdough, are out of the question. Needless to say I am totally frustrated trying to implement creative, independent play and spaces. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you
This means he's looking for stimulation, he might just need guidance as to how to use the things he's interested in. If he takes out a plate, show interest and ask if he wants to cook, offer a spoon and ask what he's making. Ask to taste it and whether you can help. Show him what he could be trying to mirror, mom/gran cooking or serving food. Help him to set up a "restaurant" for the family or stuffed animals, etc. He seems to know that he wants to do something like that but maybe isn't 100% sure how or what it is exactly. I know this probably isn't Montessori way but it will help you get an understanding of what he is trying to do and of course he will begin to figure it out with time, so your involvement will gradually become less. Hope this helps!
This was so thorough and so practical. You articulate concepts in such an accessible way. Thank you for your efforts!
What do you do about toys that are not Montessori that your child wants/gets as a gift? I want to get rid of so many of my kid’s plastic not open-ended toys but she gets upset when I donate her things without her permission and it feels wrong to do that to her 🙁
I'm going to be so sad when you send your little girls to school :( This is my favorite Montessori channel because I have learned so much from you and your vlogs. My problem is that I don't want to send my baby to regular school but I also don't have a Montessori school near by.
Pixky Pix my school is not montessori, but it embraces the Montessori filosophy! Respect to the child, apropriate materials...
Susana González Codina whats your school or channel?
Pixky Pix sorry, I meant the school my kids attend. It’s in Spain. They use many methods: Montessori, waldorf, pikler...
my little one at 15 months would start pushing the adult sized broom around the house because she sees us using it. it is so cute
I would love to have you at my house to help me organize everything.🤭
I love your videos!
My daughter is three years old now and she starts to remember many things. The toy rotation system starts to falling apart because she constantly ask for stuff that is not on the outside toyshelf. Should I just give to her? She also seems to start to remember where are the places I kept all the hinden ones and try to dig for them as long as she get a chance.
Maybe tell her to trade Something? Just something that works for me. Might for you as well.
omg, I cracked so hard with the child labor comment 😂
Can you let us know where you got your white book shelf?
Hii, do you have an suggestions for parents who will share the room with the child and is in a small apartment :/ I’m trying my best to think outside the box
TLDR: Transition my 2 yr old toward a more Montessori style life seems to be working to make her more emotional and needy.
I feel like I'm so late in the game finding not only your channel but the whole Montessori way of learning/life. I am working slowly but surely to transform our home to be more Montessori centered and have already implemented practical life skills which my 2 yr old loves.
But in this transition I think we are both struggling, for the first few days she was so excited to do self care things herself (instead of me just doing them to get them done). But lately there have been absolute meltdowns if I even ask her to do anything herself. How do you move past them refusing to do things (shoes and the carseat are killing me right now)? She has even started to refuse to do things for herself she normally would have no problem doing and whining for me to do it or do it with her.
I'm hoping as we continue she will pick back up wanting to be more independent (or at least ask for or accept minimal help for tasks) but I'm definitely struggling to keep my cool through more moments than I would like right now. I'm trying to take the pressure off for both of us but the pushback of change maybe too much.
Any change at all is often overwhelming for a toddler, and it sounds like the freedom was novel and exciting at first, but that perhaps it was all just too quick of a change for her. Try to go back to basics, and keeps the things you’re asking her to do independently small at first. And if she requests your help (even if it’s something she normally does happily on her own), oblige her and help out. It’s kind of like - as adults, we know how to cook dinner for ourselves, but sometimes it’s just nice to have someone else do it for us, right? It feels the same for our children. Eventually, as she becomes more confident in her newfound independence (and as she grows older), she will truly want to do these things for herself. And any time she offers, always allow her the freedom to do it (even if it takes longer). Let her practice and feel that individual success. In the mean time, if it’s something that needs to be done, then I would use respectful parenting and positive discipline to get the task accomplished. Help her into the carseat while telling her, “It looks like you’re having trouble getting into the carseat on your own today, so I’m going to help you.” And just do it, acknowledging her feelings along the way if necessary. If it’s a situation where you’re actually unsure if she wants/needs your help (like getting dressed), often I will just say simply, “If you need my help, let me know.” And then I’ll sit and wait. Sometimes, she finishes getting a sock onto her foot on her own with a little more perseverance, and other times she just wants my help, and then I help. 🤷🏼♀️😊 Hope this is of some use to you! Hang in there!
@@HapaFamily thank you! That is kind of where I went to I'm definitely still adjusting myself (I'm naturally a very high anxiety person so slowing down can be a struggle for me) and still slowly but surely getting our house in order for a Montessori at home life which is definitely helping. Just a mirror and low basket for her has revolutionized brushing teeth.
Side note in one of your videos you said you were a dolphin trainer, I was a sea lion and otter trainer for 10 year, I'm channeling my inner trainer for this transition too.
How often do you rotate the toys
I try to follow my child’s interests. So if she’s not playing with something, I try to rotate it out.
Love all your videos! Do you think your child's bedroom can act as a playroom as well (if you don't have the space to have a separate playroom)? Or does the bedroom need to function as a sleep-only space?
New suscriber ! I love your Channel! And perfect video for my little flat 😛 kisses from Paris, France 🥰
You are amazing 💞
Hi.
I love your videos! My baby started crawling today ( 7mo), I was wondering how to involve him into family life? His play space is in the big living room, but I don't know how else have him around going back and forth to the kitchen. Thanks
This video is SO very helpful! Thank you for making it Ashley! We have been reorganizing and fixing up the house (especially the living room) I have already done a rotation technique with my daughter's toys. Now I am working on the open shelf and basket thing for a few toys she is interested in. I also wanted to say that my daughter (she is almost 20 months) LOVES to help me in the kitchen. So I actually sit her on the counter and have her help me cook. (She doesn't understand that she needs to stand on mommy's step stool to help mommy with cooking lol) But I will definitely be trying these ideas as we start moving stuff around :) Thank you so much!!
Thank you very much, we can't express our gratitude enough. I watched half of your video 2days ago and it motivated me to empty an angle in our smallish kitchen for our 11months old daughter. Rather than a separate space, for which she isn't ready, she got, very inexpensively, a mirror, a pull up bar, and shelf space for her mostly home made few materials. We installed a cork stick on flooring too. She loves, loves her independence and space. I'm thanking you sincerely and came to watch the rest. This video changed how my child is growing up. I'll be a sub 4 life.
Where do you find your trays, bins, and boxes? I find all of those things to be pretty pricey, even at discount stores. Thanks for all of your helpful videos. How did you convince relatives to not give your kids so many toys and to avoid the yappy, I-do-ten-million-different-things toys?
My 10 month old typically just knocks everything off the shelves and then crawls over to me. I’m looking forward to involving him in household activities when he starts walking. Anything I can start showing him now? I’ve been showing him how to wipe the table but he doesn’t get it yet.
Hi Ashley. Loving your videos. Could you please share how a mother and baby can share space in an appointment. We have a 1 bedroom apartment which has a bed,dressing table and cupboard. Do you still suggest a baby mattress being shared in the room?
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏👏👏
Ashley you are amazing!! Thank you! We live in a very small rented apartment (which we rented before I knew I was pregnant) and long story short she is almost 14 months old and I am trying to adapt our situation to her age and her needs! Your videos are so clear and helpful! Great job!!! Thanks again!
In another video I watched by you, you mentioned as your second, Mia, gets older you will start to change her in the bathroom. Can you give me a rundown of what that looks like as far as equipment etc. We have a changing table in my son's room but I'd love to transition to bathroom. We don't have room for changing table so I'm curious if you have another method, thanks!
Thank you once again Ashley! I look forward to every new video and learn so much from watching them. Sometimes I watch them more than once to recap what you've said. This is great advice for us in Singapore - we are all living in high rise apartments as space is scarce here. I'm thankful I manage to get a bedroom for my daughter, and majority of the living room is her play area. We don't have a TV nor sofa set so this cleared up some space for us. Looking forward to more new videos!
I started watching your videos about 2yrs ago when my best friend was pregnant with her daughter. I don't get how anyone thinks this is "child slave labour", it's called everyone in the home participates in doing things to contribute to the house through life skills. That has to be taught starting at a young age and allowing them to start learning and participating in activities to help with things. If you start young and work with them on an age-appropriate level they develop a love for doing things and work ethic that goes with them later in life and workplace as an adult. By not having them help and doing everything for them it's actually harmful and setting them up for failure later in life.
I almost never leave comments BUT I love how passionate you are about montessori. You are so inspiring! So happy I found your channel. Thank you!
Thrifting FTW! Another great video. Thanks so much!
This video just helped me so much. I have always loved the montessori approach and I have only recently become pregnant.
I am about to be a solo mom to triplets and live in a 2 bedroom condo. I knew I wanted to do montessori from the start. Eventually I know that the work will pay off when the triplets can be more independent.
I wound up switch my bedroom to the smaller one and letting the master be the nursery. I can eventually organize it in such a was where there is plenty of space to sleep, play, and get dressed (even though some toys/items will still be in the living room)
I had worried about having everything in one space, but this really took the pressure off.
Can you please make a video on how to do perfectly Montessori for a working mom knowing that my toddler is not in a Montessori School ( very expensive in my country) . I do really need help . Thanks
You're such a lovely parents, i adore you so much Mommy Ashley. Greetings from Indonesia :)
If you don't have a dishwasher, drying the dishes is something we started letting mayson help do at around 18 months with help and now at 2.5 he can rinse too!
Hey ashley grt job ! I want to ask u whether a 8 month old baby should have access to all these activities on the shelves or shud i help him ...plus also i want to ask with all these shelves here doesn mia tend to get hurt while crawling ...i do have a room to get these kind of shelves done at my babys level but then wouldnt the baby get hurt coz he is 8 months old and crawls and v wobbly ..crashes with things
Hi ashley! Love your videos! Sorry if i missed it in the video, but how often do you rotate? And do you choose the new toys or does kylie? Love from Germany!
Hi i love this approach. However my family is asking me what if he climbs alone and mess around the things or hurt himself as things are more accessible to him. How to manage this aspect?
Any tips for working with children that are emotionally attached to their toys and remember them, even when they don't actually ever use them? So that I can make her toy space more minimal, I do see her get overwhelmed by all the choices and she ends up choosing nothing and coming to me all the time
Love your take on shelf rotation and less is more. I have a hard time finding places where the kiddos won’t look for the toys so I need to be better with hiding them/storing them.
This video is so inspiring! I have 12 months old baby named Joan very similar to Mia’s age
Hi Ashley I’m wondering where you got your bookshelf ? 😊
J aimerais bien voir les vidéo du pratiquement par ce que je comprend pas anglais
Ou bien bien faire la traduction en français
Autrement j j'adore tes vidéos
Bravo
Do you have a video explaining why natural materials vs plastic or anything else? Id love to hear your take on it
Thank you 🙏🏻💜
Thank you so much for such a brilliant and informative video 😍
my baby keep biting his toys and books and not interested so much on really reading or using some toys, what can I do?
Can you please share a long video of all the activities you do with your kids?!
Thankyou so so much for this video. We are confined to one room and this has helped so much! :)
I needed this.
You’re my hero. Thank you for your videos
Thank you so much!!! This helps me feel better about the small things we are trying to do for our daughter!
amazing tips!! right to the point and so simply explained ! thank you Ashly ! (that santa mailbox kept on taking you out of focus lol ) Mia!!! you are so cute!!!!! omg ❤️
I know, I was so bugged by it while I was editing!!! Lol thanks for watching
It would have been nice to see some more visual examples like the title page.
Another great video- I love how you explains things! ❤️
I’ve missed so many videos of yours! I just finished student teaching and our Montessori life style fell apart with all the people babysitting our kids! Can’t wait to get back into the routine and continue our Montessori videos! You’re channel is so inspiring! So proud of you!
I'm about to start student teaching!
Katie Alexander good luck! It’s hard but worth it! You’ll love it.
Where did u gt ur bookshelf from?
Mike made it for Kylie’s first birthday!
This was very encouraging, thank you.
Thank you for all of your tips. I’ve implemented so many of your suggestions. What do you think about stuffed animals? My daughter loves stuffed animals and I’ve tried to limit how many she has but she somehow always accumulates so many. Any thoughts?
We have the same problem.. 😂
where can we order these kinds of toys?
Amazon, etsy, even stores like Target have some. There's also specialty websites like Alison's Montessori or Montessori Services
Love Avery looks like a cool subscription of Montessori materials that come in a box for each stage starting $36 a month. Saver especially if you can’t afford all Montessori materials.
I’ve heard of them, but never looked into it. I’ll have to have a look! Thanks for sharing.
You are amazing! These videos have been so helpful. We are just beginning Montessori. This video specifically made it sound so doable no matter the budget or space.
That’s because it really is!! 🥰💕
Love this video! Great reminder that less is more. I have been struggling to find some tips for working moms who want to implement Montessori at our home when their babysitter does not do Montessori. Can you provide any tips on most important things to focus on when my son is home with me and how to balance it when he is with the babysitter?
I would focus on keeping things orderly and involvement in practical life. Perhaps have a chat with your babysitter about what level she or he is most comfortable with also doing these things? Perhaps pass on some educational materials to this person, they might be more on board with it than you know. 😊👍🏻
Do you plan for your children to do chores? At what age will you start to have expectations around doing chores?
Do you mean practical life activities?
Wow subs are blowing up congrats!!!