How many influencers do you have? How many incredible people do you know? I will share the top influencers in the Early Childhood and Montessori at home blogging world that have helped me on my journey.
By the end of this article, you will realize that all of them have one overall message in common.
Ready? Here they are in no particular order. Let’s check them out!
Influencer #1: How We Montessori
Kylie of How We Montessori writes a beautiful “Montessori in the home” blog with all kinds of activities you can do with your children at home; from cooking in the kitchen, to outdoor gardening and nature exploration, to hands-on art exploration. She lives in Australia and has three boys. Her youngest boys have been featured on the blog since birth, capturing their development and Montessori-inspired activities they have tried.
I really like how the blog is categorized by the ages of her youngest two sons, from two months to 36 months old, and from two years to six years old. When my daughter was an infant and young toddler, I found these age-by-month categories to be extremely helpful with searching for ideas that would be suitable for her to try at home.
The aesthetics of the Montessori-inspired materials on this blog are stunning! In my Montessori training, we were taught to “use only the best” and “most natural” materials when designing an activity for children. This concept is beautifully illustrated on the How We Montessori blog. Everyone cannot recreate all of these stunningly beautiful activities at home nor should they would want to if it is too expensive. I believe that it’s more meaningful to use them as inspiration to create similar activities with what you already have at home, personalized in their own way.
Influencer #2: Hapa Family
Ashley is a mom of two young girls and has a YouTube channel, Hapa Family, about Montessori parenting at home. She has super helpful videos from pregnancy to at-home family vlogs, Montessori-inspired infant and toddler activities you can do at home. She also recommends ways to set up your home to make it Montessori friendly. Ashley is an experienced teacher and her passion for Montessori in the home shines through in her videos!
Ashley’s videos were a lifesaver for me when I was brainstorming ideas to engage my daughter when she was between ten and sixteen months old. This was around the time she first started walking. With a very active child, I needed Montessori-friendly activities that she would love. I found Ashley’s videos about self care (getting dressed, brushing teeth) very helpful. I also found her tips for independent sleep and potty training very useful.
Influencer #3: The Montessori Notebook
Simone Davies’ book, The Montessori Toddler, has been my number one guide book since my daughter turned one year old. I love Simone’s take on toddlers and how they are often misunderstood. Reading her book helped me to remember to be compassionate and patient when I’m challenged or frustrated.
I was so excited to learn that Simone also has a blog and a podcast on her website, The Montessori Notebook. You can find inspiration for Montessori activities as well as books and parenting tips on her website. I love her message of peace and positive connection with our children.
Influencer #4: Our Montessori Life
Beth Wood has two boys and is trained in Montessori Infant/Toddler (0-3) and Early Childhood (3-6). She is currently a Montessori teacher and consultant. Beth’s inspirational and helpful Blog, Our Montessori Life, is just that; real-life Montessori at home. This Blog is a recent find for me. I loved Beth’s online workshop on what Montessori looks like in the home I attended a few months ago. This workshop was like finding the missing puzzle piece I needed in order to move forward with my personal homeschooling journey.
Beth has a nice collection of Montessori-inspired activities on her blog, categorized by age and topic (kitchen, nature, books) which is helpful in finding what you’re looking for. I really like the toddler kitchen section of her blog. The activities suggested are fun and unique, such as juicing, food prep, baking, and kitchen work such as washing dishes.
Influencer #5: The Kavanaugh Report
Nicole Kavanaugh’s website, The Kavanaugh Report, is a Montessori parenting website. Nicole has four children of different age ranges. She shares her Montessori journey on her blog, including activities, projects, and materials for different age groups. I really like Nicole’s online workshop I attended recently about practical life in the home. I found it helpful because practical life looks a bit different in the home than it does in the Montessori classroom.
Nicole also has a podcast called Shelf Help which discusses parenting tips and advice for dealing with parenting challenges you may face. As the mom of a toddler, I found her episode on Handling Big Emotions to be helpful. It reminded that while empathy and acknowledgment of your child’s emotions are important, you must also be strong enough to maintain parental limits.
Concluding Thoughts
Just like every child and parent, each of my influencers is unique. They each have their own “spin” and their individual personalities are expressed through their blogs. Yet, they are similar in that each lifts up and inspires their readers.
What did you think of this article? Have you explored any of these blogs? Leave a comment!
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