Montessori for Every Family: A Practical Parenting Guide to Living, Loving and Learning

by DK

Overview

This parenting book shows you how to make magical Montessori memories — every day.

This beautiful, modern Montessori book for parents outlines the key principles of this parenting approach and shows you how you can easily apply this at home. It provides a valuable starting point for parents to help them create a family life inspired by the ethos of Montessori.

This practical parenting guide ​makes Montessori accessible to every parent and child, regardless of time pressures and resources. It includes:


   • Outlines of the Montessori principles clearly and succinctly: respect, freedom, curiosity, creativity, responsibility and independence.
   • Examples on how to apply these principles to everyday life – with sections on breakfast time, school/daycare drop off, school/daycare pick up, playtime, meal times, homework time, bath time and bedtime.
   • Demonstrations of how to apply Montessori techniques to an older child new to Montessori and how to flex and build on the techniques as your child grows up.
Montessori is a unique educational philosophy created by Maria Montessori that fosters the growth of the whole child. From enjoying nature together to free time and weekends, every aspect of family life is an opportunity for meaningful engagement with your child. Montessori For Every Family offers you pragmatic, real-life advice, suitable for children of all ages, showing you how easy and natural it is to create a nourishing and empowering environment at home for everyone.

Even if your child won’t go to a Montessori school, a Montessori home can still be an invaluable bridge to reinforcing your child’s natural curiosity and setting the foundation for lifelong learning. This is the only Montessori book that recognizes that most parents don’t have the time and resources to overhaul their lives to fully embrace a parenting philosophy, but instead need practical, immediate guidance that is effective. 

"You will want to refer to this book again and again." Paul Epstein, PhD, Designs of Lifelong Learning

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780744033748
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	09/07/2021
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	126,660
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

We believe in the power of discovery. That's why we create books for everyone that explore ideas and nurture curiosity about the world we live in.
 
From first words to the Big Bang, from the wonders of nature to city adventures, you will find expert knowledge, hours of fun and endless inspiration in the pages of our books. 

https://www.dk.com/

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Chapter 1 What Is Montessori?

Montessori philosophy 10

Key Montessori principles 14

Chapter 2 Montessori Family Life

Montessori for all families 18

Family values 20

Family culture 22

A parenting partnership 24

Looking after your relationship 26

Challenging your perceptions 28

Seeing the world through your child's eyes 30

An emotionally safe environment 32

Talking to your child 34

A home for all ages 36

Misbehavior is communication 38

Rethinking discipline 40

Responding instead of reacting 42

Minimizing conflict 44

Being fully present 46

Encouragement vs. praise 48

Helping your child be independent 50

Everyday Strategies

Family meetings 64

Natural consequences 82

Disarming squabbles 108

Making agreements 148

A quiet space 156

Refocusing misbehavior 168

Chapter 3 Family Life Through a Montessori Lens

A stimulating home environment 54

The bedroom 56

The kitchen 58

Eating areas 60

Family rooms and playrooms 62

Messy spaces 68

Outdoor spaces 70

Daily routines 72

Getting ready for the day 74

Mealtimes 78

Leaving for the day 86

Free time and weekends 88

Managing screen time 92

House rules for screen time 96

Bedtime 98

Helping at home 102

Cooking 104

Cleaning and family chores 106

Gardening 112

Pets 114

Learning at home 116

Making learning fun 118

Stimulating your child's mind 120

Investigation and discovery 124

Games and activities to stimulate the mind 126

Action games and activities 128

Sharing books 130

Enjoying art 132

Learning about money management 134

Homework 138

Helping with projects 142

Spending time together 144

Sharing family stories 146

Playing together 152

Family projects 154

Enjoying nature together 160

Out and about 162

Special outings 166

The birth of a child 172

When families change 174

Guiding siblings 176

Family traditions and celebrations 178

Everyday traditions in family life 180

Celebrating the seasons 182

Celebratory family gatherings 184

Index 186

References, further reading, and acknowledgments 190

About the authors 191