The Montessori Toddler — Book Review

A Parent’s Guide to Raising A Curious and Responsible Human Being by Simone Davies

This book by Simone Davies is an extensive resource for parents looking to model the Montessori methods in their home with their toddlers. It is full of great lists and visuals and can be opened to any section and read for tips in that area. You can also read it cover to cover if you are starving for toddler related advice.

I think there are a lot of great tips here for helping you see and treat your toddler as a person.

One caution is to keep it simple. While you can buy a special stool costing over a hundred dollars so your toddler can be counter-height helping you in the kitchen, you can also just take a sturdy chair, turn the back of the chair towards the counter, and save yourself money and space. (If the toddler is especially young use a chair with arms to keep them from falling off the edge.)

In the Montessori approach, the environment is very important. It is filled with everyday things that are smaller so the child can safely handle and use them themselves. Such as a small glass, a small broom, a small spray bottle filled with just water for cleaning. You want to pull them into life, guiding them in how to take care of themselves and others.