We all understand that children may go through periods of more and less comfort with less-familiar people–no big surprise–but in the moment, it can feel exhausting, stressful, and even embarrassing. (First thing: distinguishing stranger anxiety from separation anxiety–which is really my jam!–we’ll talk about this related-but-distinct happening another day.) Stranger anxiety is a typical developmental […]
Smoothing Stranger Anxiety Read More »
Not sure whose work this is, but whomever: I hope you never stop loving glue sticks. Scroll Instagram or Pinterest or search “toddler art projects” on google, and you’ll find a lot of traced hands, painty footprints, and googly eyes. Please know: I have nothing against any of these individually or even, occasionally, together, but:
I Hope You Never Stop Loving Glue Sticks Read More »
You might have been here before (I know I have):
You ask or tell your toddler to do something, and instead…
But What Do I Do Instead (of a Time Out)? Read More »
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
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 »
(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 »
(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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
just a few spots left for fall!
