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It is normal for toddlers to have a lot of feelings. Sometimes they experience extreme joy, and other times it's frustration, anger, and sadness. In this Montessori parenting podcast, Amy and Nicole talk specifically about toddler tantrums. As the prepared adult, we need to respond to tantrums with respect and love. In this episode, we discuss how to address your child's emotions, how to approach an upset child, and the role that our environment plays in causing tantrums.  Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/05/MontessoriParentingPodcastToddlerTantrums.html 

For Nicole and Amy, spring is here and so is nicer weather. So they are getting outside with their Montessori kids as much as possible. In this week's mini-episode, Nicole and Amy share their top three favorite outdoor activities. These Montessori friendly choices are fun for kids of all ages and can be done in a variety of spaces to work for your climate and space.  Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/05/MontessoriHomeOurOutdoorFavoritesPodcast.html

It is our 100th episode of our Montessori parenting podcast! We want to thank all of you that have been with us over these last three years and celebrate with a listener Q&A! In this episode Nicole and Amy answer a variety of your Montessori parenting questions. We chat about everything from toddler mealtimes to swearing and our thoughts on the Montessori IG community.  Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/04/100EpisodesMontessoriPodcast.html 

Lets play a game: Montessori this or that! On this week's Montessori parenting podcast, Nicole and Amy make some choices! Do we pick a weaning cup or a child's knife? A little kitchen or the adult height? A wooden rainbow or unit blocks? A Nugget or a Pikler Triangle? Come listen and find out some hot takes on some popular Montessori friendly topics and products!  Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/04/MontessoriPodcastThisorThat.html 

Maria Montessori calls on parents to trust their children with their own development. But, in practice, that is really hard to do, especially with how much we love our children. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy unpack a Montessori quote about love, fault-finding, trust, and redirection. We talk about some of our success with trust and some of the areas where we are challenged to truly follow our children.    Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/04/LoveTrustMontessoriParentingPodcast.html

Elementary-aged children have big plans and big ideas! It is the work of the second plane child to act on these ideas and as Montessori parents we need to scaffold their success. In this week's episode Nicole and Amy share some of their joy and frustration in supporting their second plane, upper elementary kids when those big ideas come up at the last minute.  Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/03/ElementaryProjectandPlanningPodcast.html 

In this week's episode, Nicole is chatting with her husband, Morgan, about Montessori parenting. As parents we share how we believe Montessori has influenced our parenting styles, our relationships, and how we have grown together alongside our children. This week, we answer some listener questions and talk about everything from children's sports, to colicky babies and how we make time for date night. 

There are so many things to think about, decide, and hold in our heads as a parent. This week Nicole and Amy are shedding some light on the invisible labor of being a Montessori parent. We explore some general examples along with some Montessori specific examples of this work.  We also discuss how this mental load effects us and how we balance this labor with meeting our own needs.    Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/03/MontessoriParentingMentalLoadPodcast.html 

Using a Montessori floor bed with an infant is one unique feature to Montessori parenting. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy deep dive into Montessori floor beds. We discuss Dr. Montessori's own words about floor beds and our own "whys" for using floor beds. Plus we'll share some practical tips on how to use a floor bed or transition to a floor bed in your Montessori home.    Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/02/MontessoriFloorBedsPodcast.html 

We love being Montessori parents, but that doesn't mean our views on certain Montessori topics, materials, or "rules" hasn't changed over time. There's no one way that Montessori at home needs to look. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy explore how we have been flexible in some areas of our Montessori parenting and our Montessori homes, how we may have changed over time, and how to let go of the guilt around being a "perfect" Montessori parent.    Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/02/FlexibleMontessoriParentingPodcast.html 

Parents love their children intensely and that love often leads us to question our children's behavior, intentions, and interests. This week, Nicole and Amy discuss a Montessori quote about probing a child for their "secret." As Montessori parents, we explore some of the secrets that children hold - from babies through elementary years - and how we can approach children in a way that honors the secrets of their development.   Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/01/SecretChildPodcast.html 

Often we think about parenting as joyful, busy, and interesting but the truth is that parenting can be just down right boring. On this week's episode, Nicole and Amy are talking about the boredom that they sometimes feel as Montessori parents. We shed light on this important topic and discuss some of the reasons why prepared adults might feel bored and some of the ways that we try to combat those feelings in our own lives.  Show Notes...https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2023/01/MontessoriParentingBoredom.html

In our last episode for 2022, Nicole and Amy reflect on 2022 and their unique relationships with using Montessori at home. We share how Montessori has supported, changed, and challenged us this year. Plus, a look at how we hope to move forward into 2023. Happy New Year and we will be back in January. Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2022/12/ReflectingMontessoriYear2022.html

Come make a Waldorf star with us while we chat about preparing our homes for the holidays! In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy are sharing practical ways that they prepare their homes for practical life work, extra toys, new experiences, and all the busyness that happens around the holidays. Holidays looks different for everyone, but with a little preparation it can be a much easier, less stressful, and more joyful experience for everyone.  Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2022/12/PreparedEvironmentHolidays.html 

This episode contains the anatomical names of human bodies and a discussion about sexual education. In this week's episode we continue our conversation on body learning with our children. We discuss how we approach sex, pregnancy, and other aspects of body learning in our Montessori homes. From birth we are using real language, concrete examples to teach our children about human bodies in order to make these conversations points of connection and learning with our children. Show notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2022/11/Learningaboutbodiespodcast.html 

Teaching consent and bodily autonomy is extremely important to keep our children safe. In this episode, Nicole and Amy discuss how we, as Montessori parents, approach consent from birth and how that changes as our children grow older. Our discussions include how we approach grandparents, strangers, and why it is so important to lean into the uncomfortable feeling that this can bring up.  Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2022/11/TeachingConsentPodcast.html 

It's officially the holiday season! With the upcoming holidays, Nicole and Amy are sharing their processes for thinking about gifts in their Montessori homes. We discuss how we observe our children, determine what types of materials might fit their needs and interests, and share some secrets to creating our own gift lists. Plus, we share some fun resources for inspiration on your own, and how this process evolves as children reach the second plane of development.  Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2022/10/Montessoriholidaygiftingpodcast.html

In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy discuss how chores look in their Montessori homes, particularly in the second plane of development. With a focus on connection, empathy, and consistent expectations we can invite our children to participate practically in our home lives. We include practical tips on how our children to learn how to participate in family life while building executive functioning skills. Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2022/10/ChoresInTheSecondPlanePodcast.html

After a sudden break in our Montessori parenting podcast after a life altering summer, Amy and Nicole are back! In this week's episode we are reintroducing ourselves. Come learn about Nicole and Amy and catch up on their lives over the last few months. We are very excited to be back and to share all about Montessori parenting with you!    Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2022/10/Season3ShelfHelp.html 

Amy and Nicole have been dealing with sick children the last few weeks. In this week's episode, we talk about how we approach sick children as Montessori parents. This conversation includes how we relax our parenting expectations, how we prepare our child's environment, and how we give medication when children struggle to take it.  Show Notes: https://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2022/07/SickChildrenMontessoriHomes.html