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At Clementine, we offer parent-child classes for ages 0-3+…like mommy-and-me, but more. The blog shares thoughts on development, parenting, and Montessori practice that relate to life in and out of the classroom...just the things that might be on your mind as a parent to a baby, toddler, or preschooler.
This is a repost from our private IG group (session families, click to read the 100+ posts over there!), but it never gets old. A simple way to help your child absorb what you are sharing: show, then tell. (Or tell, then show…but not show & tell!) When presenting a new activity to a child, alternate between …
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This is a repost from our private IG group (session families, click to read the 100+ posts over there!), but it feels timely heading into the new year. I bought and wear this shirt as a reminder to myself, but I wonder if it could be a good reminder for all of us? If we’re …
I Promise, You Can Read More »
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(repost from December, 2023, but it never goes out of style!) Especially at this time of year, we read, hear, and think a lot about traditions. It can feel like significant pressure to make childhood as magical as possible by creating new traditions while also keeping up with old ones. A perspective shift to consider …
When the Simplest Means the Most Read More »
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(repost from May, 2023…this has, interestingly, come up multiple times with multiple toddlers in our classes over the last few weeks…there must be some developmental bursts happening!) I wondered a couple of posts ago why kids stick out their tongues while they concentrate, and yes, there is a study! (More than one, actually, with some …
A Concentration Mystery, Solved Read More »
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With arguably the biggest eating holiday we have coming up this week, I’d love to offer a few deep thoughts: > your child may never like green jello salad with cottage cheese > your child may eventually like green jello salad with cottage cheese > your child may eat way too much green jello salad …
Deep Thoughts + Jello Read More »
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I wonder if class adults might think there’s a little bit of magic floating around at Clementine, because I’ll sometimes overhear a conversation about something that’s needed (a paper refill, more apples, a missing tiger) and then just sort of appear beside them with it. (Sometimes I wait for a conversation with the child, too, …
Two (No, Three) Kinds of Magic Read More »
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This past Wednesday in the Montessori classroom, it was time to make the jumping square. The jumping square actually holds up rather well through lots of jumping (and mopping), but I peel it away from time to time because then we can add it back. Kids need to move, and I’m certainly not going to …
Just Some Tape on the Floor Read More »
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Mother’s Day weekend, we had two people to whom to give bouquets, and so I had the excuse to buy double the flowers for arranging. (If I’m honest, more like triple–but still cheaper than a florist, and from the heart!) Arranging flowers is really one of my favorite ways to spend time–when the environment is …
More Than What It Seems Read More »
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I wouldn’t call myself a gardener, more like gardener-adjacent, and either in because or in spite of this, I experience what most would call disproportionate excitement whenever 1) something grows and 2) I can use it. Grape tomatoes, jalapenos, zucchini, basil–all of it tastes better when I grew it, and I’m not ashamed to say …
A Daffodil Epiphany Read More »
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Our multi-age classes are shorter than others, with less time for food prep, so the snacks have to be simple. (During smoothie week, we make it work!) This day, the task was drying the blueberries–something that seems almost like a non-job, and something that you might not even make time for at home. (Haven’t we …
Why Would We Need to Dry the Blueberries? Read More »
Read MoreI’m Jessica Brown, an AMS certified Montessori infant-toddler teacher. At Clementine, we learn and chat about topics like these both in and out of the classroom. If you’re local to Libertyville/northern Lake County, IL and are interested in finding more about our community, I’d love to hear from you!