tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3611402508310627502024-03-13T03:03:20.554-07:00Montessori MessyA fifty-something mother of six incorporates Montessori principles into REAL life.Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-61591743078808663022021-04-01T05:46:00.002-07:002021-04-01T05:46:31.371-07:00I Started a New Blog! Head on Over<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj073VSWH2MRFzujVTewt43vFHoaqx2No03t41RAQeuIzlG2jpg0aPOX4eSMaBuxtTWXBjWkEUUNIn15xBMcwGT0-3Tzzdj2msuBdYyESMYlzJqEjVH-CnvjoIWWQ0hyphenhyphensHDunnMpWDdsis/s2048/25anniversary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj073VSWH2MRFzujVTewt43vFHoaqx2No03t41RAQeuIzlG2jpg0aPOX4eSMaBuxtTWXBjWkEUUNIn15xBMcwGT0-3Tzzdj2msuBdYyESMYlzJqEjVH-CnvjoIWWQ0hyphenhyphensHDunnMpWDdsis/w640-h480/25anniversary.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><a href="https://marriedlongerthannot.wordpress.com/2021/03/31/everything-i-needed-to-know-about-marriage-i-learned-in-the-convent/">Married Longer Than Not</a></p>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-85224164623296814032021-03-03T15:29:00.002-08:002021-03-03T16:11:17.863-08:00Part 2 of Pride and Anger: Accepting Yourself<h1 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: "bookman old style"; text-align: -webkit-center;">"God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: "bookman old style"; text-align: -webkit-center;">courage to change the things we can, </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: "bookman old style"; font-size: xx-large; text-align: -webkit-center;">and wisdom to know the difference."</span></h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">This post is Part 2 on parenting exceptional kids. <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2021/03/a-montessorians-examination-of.html">Click here</a> to read Part 1. </h2><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Lord, make me humble but not yet.</span></span></h3><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6flwfH_9Y2-GDkD3sVbUCFulgNZoCzaAkqoIkO1i8rjZf92o4JmXS4yEYEq3yoidrMQ4ImLHJXVZfc1JqhGqRfwJx1PMAn5Ni4z-r55iyMQc5m4QKkPzPnHI-RfLXGzV3gCw-Bmi2bg/s128/fullsizeoutput_1cfd.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="93" data-original-width="128" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6flwfH_9Y2-GDkD3sVbUCFulgNZoCzaAkqoIkO1i8rjZf92o4JmXS4yEYEq3yoidrMQ4ImLHJXVZfc1JqhGqRfwJx1PMAn5Ni4z-r55iyMQc5m4QKkPzPnHI-RfLXGzV3gCw-Bmi2bg/w200-h145/fullsizeoutput_1cfd.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marriage and motherhood can force us to see ourselves as we really are. It's hard to accept yourself!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A recent thread on the Facebook group "Not So Formulaic" discussed how we can cultivate love for our difficult child. One mom, Julie, commented that it's all very humbling when you didn't expect being a mom to be so hard. She wrote:</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><blockquote>"...before I became a mother, I was fairly successful at most things I had tried. Motherhood has brought out things in me that I didn't even know were there. I had always been taught that being a parent helps you to grow in holiness, but I don't think I was prepared for what that really meant. Even though the blackness of my heart is not what I wanted or even thought was in there, I think God has used it to reveal and prune things in me I didn't even think I struggled with."</blockquote></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It can be jarring when the focus on "fixing things" turns from fixing your child's behavior to fixing your mindset. I remember wanting to scream to one of my kids who was dawdling as we were piling into the car, "GET WITH THE PROGRAM!" when in reality I was the one who needed to chill and adopt some reasonable expectations. Ginny, of the Facebook group "Not So Formulaic," wrote:</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><blockquote>"There was a time that I spent a lot of effort wallowing in my despair, feeling like things were never going to get better and becoming increasingly more convinced that I was raising menaces to society (I'm being dramatic but you get the drift). I was very angry, and my kids knew it. When I had a massive fit and collapsed in a heap of tears only to have my 5-year-old kneel down next to me and beg God to save her mommy, that's when I finally resolved to get help."</blockquote></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She writes about this <a href="https://notsoformulaic.com/on-the-other-side-of-the-fall?fbclid=IwAR1m3kT1f78mLaUHOsfE0NMFbtYqlGBRObRqT-twTebJd4XGNOxkXa2p9O0">here</a>. Since then she has developed a treasure chest full of resources for parents having some of the same struggles. For many of us it takes hitting some kind of rock bottom to let go of our pride and get the help we desperately need.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Getting help may mean a parenting class, counseling or medical consultation for you along with a professional evaluation, diagnosis, and therapies for your child. It may also mean a big change in lifestyle, job, or schooling choices. Since anxiety and depression can make parenting even harder than it already is, getting holistic help and re-setting family dynamics are crucial. Be prepared: your marriage may improve. And that's where you can begin to see the hard work and long-suffering pay off. You are becoming a better person (even if some days you'd be happier to go back to who you used to be). You are being stretched to the limit and that's when you can grow in humility.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's refreshing when your struggles lead to a sudden "Eureka!" moment, like one mom, Jessica, describes after finding herself resentful of her son's repeated misbehavior: </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><blockquote>"Wow, how unfathomable is the love and mercy of God. Because how many times have I sinned the SAME sin a thousand times again and again? God probably has the same exasperations when I do what He's 'told me not to' over and over...He forgives me as many times as it takes. He never resents me, He is always completely willing to welcome me back with open arms, even knowing I'll screw up again. And I realize I'm called to have this kind of love and mercy for my son. As the Father loves me, so am I called to love my own son."</blockquote><div>And that's when you realize that by accepting yourself, embracing humility and asking for God's grace everyday, you are in a much better place than you were before. Oftentimes it is by accepting your child, and then yourself that your faith life grows by leaps and bounds. Your marriage and all of your personal relationships can only improve, and you have that difficult child to thank for it.</div></span></span></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-60273530716956671592021-03-03T15:28:00.002-08:002021-03-03T19:15:55.889-08:00A Montessorian's Examination of Conscience: Pride and Anger<h1 style="text-align: left;">“There are two sins, in particular, which tend to distort our true vision of the child. They are pride and anger. Hence, humility and patience – their opposites – are the virtues most needed by the would-be directress.” E.M. Standing</h1><div>The above quote could just as easily apply to a parent, especially one in a constant state of anxiety over her child. But our anger, anxiety and frustration can get all mixed up. Sometimes what looks like our anger is really fear--that our quirky child will never make friends--or sometimes it's our shame or frustration with his behavior--ohmygoodness, would you PLEASE stop screaming because everyone in the checkout line is staring at us! We may not always realize that our desire to be respected by those around us--at church, at a family reunion, at a work-related barbeque--has slowly eclipsed our desire to love and nurture, and our drive to responsibly raise the child God has given us has lost out to our drive to impress. </div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone's children embarrass them at some point. In response we may giggle or we may get angry and harshly correct them. Or maybe we calmly correct in the moment and laugh about it later. Which response is for the child's best interest? Which is just the result of our pride? </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">A child's behavior can cause us to question his future, our sanity, or our own parenting.</h2><div><br /></div><div>In this<a href="https://notsoformulaic.com/to-the-catholic-mom-raising-that-kid?fbclid=IwAR2-Zra-zh2AeW2i7BKe62JoB45e5dlJPrjHNy0sAdzWW--cmS-VNOFUtBo"> recent post </a> "To the Catholic Mom Raising 'That Kid'" Ginny Kochis writes eloquently about her frustrations as her then 3-year-old daughter throws a tantrum in a diner. She assumes she's doing something wrong as a mother. She feels judged. She compares her daughter's behavior to that of children at church and the homeschool co-op. Later, long after her daughter's diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, she came to some import<span style="font-family: inherit;">ant realizations, <span>such as: "<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Your child’s struggles are not a result of poor parenting."</span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBfdscTXlAxUGsrsNbd3UZjxxJ04uMqkNrKtt5iXOab3_HyohjizfQozJ-jS_EvwHgJG9YLgP79Vm45waVYa4yv60iqhcndpROgjQOLsJe3yWfVomY7aFqESmQVYv-oX7a8U8aTs7q90/s1514/Screen+Shot+2021-03-03+at+2.15.51+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="1514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBfdscTXlAxUGsrsNbd3UZjxxJ04uMqkNrKtt5iXOab3_HyohjizfQozJ-jS_EvwHgJG9YLgP79Vm45waVYa4yv60iqhcndpROgjQOLsJe3yWfVomY7aFqESmQVYv-oX7a8U8aTs7q90/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-03-03+at+2.15.51+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;">Parents can feel alone in the trenches when their child is different. Ginny Kochis</span> writes a blog for parents of differently-wired kids called <a href="https://notsoformulaic.com">"Not So Formulaic: Raising Exceptional Kids Rooted in Extraordinary Love"</a> in which she gives suggestions on educating your children with a mixture of flexibility, ingenuity, and advocacy. She also started a Facebook group and a members-only community called <a href="https://notsoformulaic.com/thezeliesociety">The Zelie Society</a> to support families with exceptional children. It's a blessing to have that kind of support, but what about the parent who isn't there yet? Who has brushed aside suggestions their child may be more than just "quirky," or "SO sensitive," or "intense," or "hyper"? There's a world of difference before and after diagnosis, with many parents relieved when the results of evaluations finally come in. When an objective observer and a "childhood milestones" checklist or a genetic test tells it like it is, we can finally start on the road to acceptance.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;"> </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a watershed moment in our materialistic culture to realize that <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2013/05/for-mothers-day-everything-is-grace.html">our children are not our own.</a> Yes, we have a sacred responsibility to raise them the best we know how. To teach them to know their creator, to have concern and self-less love for others, to control their own base impulses and to use the brain God gave them and His gifts to follow some kind of vocation in life. But mostly we need to remember ourselves that <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2013/05/seeing-each-other-as-gift-new.html">each child is a gift from God</a>, no matter whether Grandma can't stand the way your daughter chews her nails or the neighbor thinks it's weird your son spends hours spinning upside down on the swings. It may be really, really hard to raise your child with special needs--whether those needs are visible or invisible--but your struggles are part of your path to Heaven.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cold comfort when you are exhausted from the latest meltdown or resentful that you can't socialize or entertain like you used to. Maybe you feel guilty again because she's just pushed all of your buttons and you lost it, or maybe because he's just SO HARD TO LOVE. Extra guilt if you have other children who are perfect angels and you find yourself wondering why he can't be more like them. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When you don't feel up to the task of loving your child, ask God for the grace to. Beg Him for humility, humor and patience. Do little things, like one mom, </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Anne--mother to a boy on the autism spectrum. She wrote:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><blockquote>"My ASD boy was so, so difficult, and I felt my heart hardening to him, resenting him, etc. I made a conscious effort to spend time with him when he was calm, to look at his face and think of God's love for him, and to actively be kind to him. I thought a lot about St. Therese and how she went out of her way to be kind to the nun she didn't like. Gradually, it became easier."</blockquote></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">Taking practical steps helps. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">When Standing used the word "patience" above I think he meant putting our own timetable aside, but not ignoring issues (</span><a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2015/11/labels-and-patience-and-denial-oh-my.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">see this post </a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">to learn what I mean by that). And I agree with those who say we need to try to help our child be agreeable and sociable--that's part of our job as parents and teachers. We just need to do the hard work of learning what reasonable expectations are for our child. If your child were blind, there are many things you would not expect him to do. But you would also make sure he had special classes in reading Braille, how to use a walking cane, and maybe get a guide dog. You also, as a parent, would seek out support groups or agencies to help you on your journey. The support, information and encouragement you would receive would be critical!</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the same way, parents of children with other kinds of special needs have to let go of unreasonable expectations and find support. The key may be their moment of "annunciation," where parents are fully aware and can embrace the special calling to which they've been invited. It may not be what they expected at all, but many special needs parents will tell you that they wouldn't change their circumstances--despite the crosses, toils and disappointments they may endure.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">You are not alone if you pray for the grace to accept your child. Read about the next step, accepting yourself, <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2021/03/part-2-of-pride-and-anger-accepting.html">in Part 2, here</a>. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even once we accept our children for who they are we may still worry about them being misunderstood or bullied for being different. This is a song my sister wrote after watching her own child bullied by the neighborhood kids (click for music):<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CVA6ghGI-jE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href=" https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=lKhZ1kOn5aI&list=RDAMVMlKhZ1kOn5aI">I Have Watched You</a> <br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><p style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0.8em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>I Have Watched You</strong><br />© Marie Bellet, Ordinary Time Music, 2001</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0.8em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have watched you standing there<br />Acting like you just don’t care<br />While others laugh and point and stare<br />And oh, how I love you</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0.8em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have watched your hopeful grin<br />Get back up and try again<br />Right back in the lion’s den<br />And oh, how I love you</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0.8em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have watched you from afar<br />Can it be that you don’t know how beautiful you are?</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0.8em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have watched you and I see<br />All you suffer patiently<br />And the wonder of a heart that’s free<br />And oh, how I love you</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0.8em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have watched you from afar<br />Can it be that you don’t know how beautiful you are?</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0.8em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gentle child, now, don’t despair<br />For I have counted every hair<br />If you could know what I’ve prepared<br />And oh, How I love you<br />Oh, how I love you</span></p></h3><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-68556442459282817172021-02-26T20:00:00.005-08:002021-02-27T15:54:27.749-08:00Montessori at Home: Work in the Kitchen Can Be Math, Sensorial, Practical Life and Science All at Once<h1 style="text-align: left;">Your Kitchen Can Be Your Learning Hub</h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="This lovely "Fruits and Seeds" printable matches together some of our favorite fruits with their seeds. I created this printable to be a conversation starter with the child. The fruit and the seeds are the beginning and ending of the plant life-cycle. - www.mamashappyhive.com" class="aligncenter wp-image-8079" height="750" src="https://www.mamashappyhive.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Fruits-Seeds-667x1000.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(For a free download go to <a href="https://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-inspired-seed-study/">website.</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left;">From Smells and Taste to Botany, Chemistry, and Physics</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Outgrown Beginning Practical Life Works? Level Up!</h3><p>During this past year, many of us are spending more time at home than in years previous. You or your spouse may be working from home; your children may be schooling from home; or your normal circuit of volunteering, errands and socializing may be severely curtailed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="k4urcfbm bixrwtb6 datstx6m q9uorilb" height="400" src="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/p720x720/153008218_883199429186570_7876524041823479512_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=3&_nc_sid=58c789&_nc_ohc=yulSDMFmSGIAX9Bgmme&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_ht=scontent.xx&tp=6&oh=ff26fc0261527f35171642e8d8188e2e&oe=605DC314" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 18px; border-bottom-right-radius: 18px; border-top-left-radius: 18px; border-top-right-radius: 18px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-height: 200px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 24px; width: auto;" width="298" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner burnt. Again. My friend lost her sense of smell recently due to Covid-19 and has burned dinner every night for the past week! Montessori Sensorial works include the smelling bottles (easy to DIY), and stopping to smell spices, ingredients, and dinner while it cooks can "count" as school, too!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For all of these reasons, plus the fact that your favorite restaurants may be closed, you may be spending more time in the kitchen than ever before. I know I have! I am grateful that, unlike some of my friends with Covid-19, I still have a sense of smell (see photo above of my sick friend's burnt casserole) and to still have decent hearing so that I can still hear the oven timer going off, the pot of water boiling and the sizzle of fresh veggies in hot oil. I'm actually pretty new to cooking on a regular basis so I need to use all of my sense to navigate novel recipes.</p><p>If your children are learning to cook alongside you, they'll have lots of opportunities to learn more than the culinary arts in the kitchen. As mentioned in <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2021/02/montessori-at-home-practical-skills-in.html">this previous post</a>, there's lots of math involved in cooking. Let's consider also the obvious sensorial components to cooking (the sense of smell, taste, and hearing) and higher level concepts, such as botany, chemistry and physics.</p><h4 allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" iframe="" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nhRXlujpxrw" style="text-align: left;" width="560"></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;">Sensorial</h4><div>All Montessori classrooms include Sensorial materials, which help a child from age 3 and up to classify his sense impressions by noticing similarities and differences. Exercises such as the Smelling Bottles help fine tune a child's sense of smell; the Color Boxes help the child distinguish between different colors; the Taste Bottles help a child discriminate between different tastes; and so on. (Sometimes you hear about <a href="https://www.sensoryintegration.org.uk/What-is-SI">our eight senses</a>, which include the proprioception, interoception, and vestibular senses.) These works are sometimes called the Keys to the Universe because they help a child make sense of the world he's been absorbing since even before birth!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Next time you are in the kitchen with your child, stop to smell your ingredients together. Sniff the yogurt to see if it's gone bad. Or smell the difference between a vine ripe tomato that's room temperature and a grape tomato that's been in the fridge. Get a whiff of each spice as you measure them out. Or just enjoy the smell of a cake as it bakes.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's not hard to imagine using taste as you go. One example: if you aren't sure if a white crystals are salt or sugar, taste it. Another: taste a soup as it cooks to determine if it needs more salt.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCH0lt4YKZgm9NBGLPKHiHpKFZrwZ8-f2qnIn7jSPFbfUN1I3LV1XyVrEigs19IHmNkVfTUFUwgoOOCrbavZN4MxkMHiLISYhE2QWy4VusPRcm00V2pzskqeonins92-BCmA7SaqAf8o/s2048/IMG_1550.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCH0lt4YKZgm9NBGLPKHiHpKFZrwZ8-f2qnIn7jSPFbfUN1I3LV1XyVrEigs19IHmNkVfTUFUwgoOOCrbavZN4MxkMHiLISYhE2QWy4VusPRcm00V2pzskqeonins92-BCmA7SaqAf8o/w300-h400/IMG_1550.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What about hearing? The sizzle in the pan, the buzz of the timer, the rolling boil of the water all can be indicators. There was even recently a contestant on The Great British Baking Show who claimed he could tell when his cakes were done baking by listening carefully to a slight bubbling!</div><div><br /></div><div>The sense of touch can indicate if a fruit is ripe, unripe or overripe. And it can guesstimate whether your water is "warm" for proofing yeast. Or tell you if your eggs and butter have come to room temperature. You can even determine whether your pasta is ready by doing the "al dente" test.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, you can use an eagle eye to spot mold on the tortillas, pick out a banana that's just right for baking banana bread, or determining whether the tomatoes you're roasting are just brown enough to begin adding to your soup pot.</div><div><br /></div><div>You get the idea. All of these can be part of further training the senses. It's interesting to note that practicing can really improve your ability to make distinctions. For instance, I learned that Covid-19 sufferers who have lost their sense of smell can actually regain that sense through <a href="https://youtu.be/-0sg3zUFjtw">Olfactory training</a>. (There is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t9i6Hq8JGM">second video</a> as well.) For a demo of how to use the Montessori Smelling Bottles and how to DIY your own, check out <a href="<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ymzepNeNs6o" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>">At home</a>. </div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Botany</h4><div>All Montessori classrooms have a Botany Cabinet (sometimes called a Leaf Cabinet) as part of their Sensorial area. While the leaf shapes are the main focus, you could easily "branch out" (pun intended!) in other directions. Just this week I used fresh basil leaves, oregano, thyme and a dry bay leaf while cooking. A child could identify what sort of leaf shapes spices have, as well as looking up what continent they come from. Here's some background: <a href="https://montessoriacademy.com.au/montessori-botany-cabinet/">Botany Cabinet</a>. And here's a resource: <a href="https://www.thewiseowlfactory.com/leaves-shapes-botany-3-part-cards-free-pdf/">Leaf Shape Chart</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some veggies, such as parsnips and scallions, are easy to propagate from cuttings. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDTUWmCImxKyF068-ffPr_VHjgN0AWg9OdDKb1Ig3IyNuz8EnGmNzNzXH2Joshe3uczV3z3vY57RT3qySjrYLjer94ZlExcOGYp8Npj3SmM33poX8wpHgryoN2PCycXhjOqUduEePMw8/s2048/IMG_1118.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDTUWmCImxKyF068-ffPr_VHjgN0AWg9OdDKb1Ig3IyNuz8EnGmNzNzXH2Joshe3uczV3z3vY57RT3qySjrYLjer94ZlExcOGYp8Npj3SmM33poX8wpHgryoN2PCycXhjOqUduEePMw8/s320/IMG_1118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Chemistry</h4><div>"Please pass the NaCl," said no one, ever, at the dinner table. But you could teach your child the chemical symbol for salt as well as "H<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>O." Another chemistry-related topic came up just this week in our fifth-grader's science homework: when you cook an egg, is the change a chemical one or a physical one? (Answer: although there are physical changes, it's considered a chemical change because, once cooked, you cannot change the egg back into its original state.). Carmelization and burning are also chemical changes. Also, <a href="https://www.science-sparks.com/what-is-the-maillard-reaction/">the Maillard reaction</a> (or browning) is easily shown. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you save, rinse and dry eggshells for <a href="<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9Ljc0PDrS2U" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>">pounding with a mortar and pestle</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUYwfRmruLM">crushing up by hand</a>, the children can add the calcium carbonate to plants. If you save scraps and eggshells for composting, look up a little about the <a href="http://compost.css.cornell.edu/chemistry.html">chemistry of that</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>If the kids really seem to be interested, <a href="https://www.bettertogetherbc.ca/blog/single/all-the-solutions-teach-your-kids-about-science-through-cooking">check out this page</a>! Or for a lesson plan for a simple experiment of how the taste of a cracker changes in your mouth over time, see <a href="https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/starch-sugar/">this page.</a></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Physics</h4><div>My husband the physicist is constantly nerding out about simple machines in the kitchen. It turns out there are some good videos about this, relating knives, graters and can openers to these simple machines. <a href="<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9npdijCLbYI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>">Simple machines in the kitchen</a> in one and here is <a href="<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ToH4BF2C76U" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>">another</a>. If you really want to delve into this topic, the creator of the first video goes into <a href="<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/No5Df2231YA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>">more detail here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>You might wonder out loud why the baking times for a cake are different if the pan is glass rather than metal (they conduct heat differently) or point out that the boiling water on the stove is evaporating (two states of matter). Another simple heat demonstration is to show that a wooden trivet under a hot pot protects the dining table or countertop better than, say, a thin sheet of aluminum foil (don't ruin the table or countertop, though!). </div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Books for YOU</h4><div>If you are really getting interested in this topic, there are several good books for adult food geeks out there. Here are just two:</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1465463690&asins=1465463690&linkId=ce9cab46901817c243bee09353871ffc&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0393081087&asins=0393081087&linkId=f39f65dc794ca5ef31aee4cad060799a&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>EDITED TO ADD: Just for fun, <a href="<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=317&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FChefJacquesPepin%2Fvideos%2F1135263650306064%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="317" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>">try this</a>---maybe it could even work with a plastic knife that's safe?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nhRXlujpxrw" width="320" youtube-src-id="nhRXlujpxrw"></iframe></div><br />Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-86674622243472629302021-02-23T19:43:00.001-08:002021-02-23T19:43:29.308-08:00Montessori Book Review: One Mom's Journey to Her Son's Autism Diagnosis and Treatment<h1 style="text-align: left;">As a Doctor, She Saw the Signs but Nobody Would Listen</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">At First Her Baby Boy Was Developing Normally</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">From Feeling Helpless to Recognizing a Special Connection and Later a Miracle</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWWz5F7Fa-waif1mBI3bKFzIkpxFhz7zNLBLdCPFm0kqA0clGO0JmWcX5fYXeGDFR9SqN2ruClv6yClZ9J72qXC4ooR5yVOJ6fkVOgxAQWWtRW7yFq8JddRt9GP5TOAPx2AwjSHQIlvM/s200/artworks-000110022285-y4vh0b-t200x200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWWz5F7Fa-waif1mBI3bKFzIkpxFhz7zNLBLdCPFm0kqA0clGO0JmWcX5fYXeGDFR9SqN2ruClv6yClZ9J72qXC4ooR5yVOJ6fkVOgxAQWWtRW7yFq8JddRt9GP5TOAPx2AwjSHQIlvM/w200-h200/artworks-000110022285-y4vh0b-t200x200.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children with special needs can benefit from therapeutic horseback riding.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Years before opening her first school in San Lorenzo, Dr. Maria Montessori studied and worked with children with special needs. She spent two years training teachers in her unique way of observing and educating, always experimenting with what methods were the best at helping the children develop.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today careful observation and a thorough knowledge of child development are foundational to the Montessori method. That's one reason why trained teachers will often spot atypical development very early on--long before others will pick up on it.</div><p style="text-align: left;">Autism, or Autism Sp<span style="font-family: inherit;">ectrum Disorder (ASD), is a great example of a condition that a keen observer may suspect at an early age.</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(95, 99, 104); font-family: inherit;"> A person with ASD</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"> has challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, all of which may be observed while a child is a baby or toddler. That's what mother and author Suzanne S. Cleland-Zamudio, M.D., described in her book, </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"><a href="https://amzn.to/3dJjUwG">Evolution</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"><a href="https://amzn.to/3dJjUwG"> of a Miracle: A Medical Family's Journey Through Autism</a>. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">In it, Cleland-Zamudio described her son Antonio, who went from hitting all of his neurological milestones at 1 year old to regressing by 18 months. Her concerns grew and grew as he developed, but the specialists she took him to reassured her that he was fine. The fact that he was non-verbal, had big tantrums, and rocked back and forth worried her, so she persisted in getting a diagnosis. He was extremely sensitive to any change in his routine, he screamed when she washed his hair, he insisted on wearing the same clothes.....the list went on and on. As a doctor, she knew this wasn't normal development.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">Luckily, Antonio was finally diagnosed, getting the therapy and interventions he </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">needed </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">to improve his chances of progress. Eventually the horseback riding his mother did as a hobby became a wonderful outlet for him, too, and Cleland-Zamudio and her husband founded a therapeutic riding center for people of all sorts of abilities.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo1ULGSeKMpUKpwpfEQ_qXi35I_Fq5eNwzvxw4Dy3Ch8Y5-EoHutWQprKf-LkygzA9BrJH7cYE83IXgguPVpGQZ3b5P2T92dI07lV6wtM-nxvJ0G8sSYuAHQfdG2BJqCOes7DiLBrbhY/s1632/1217998309.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1632" data-original-width="1060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo1ULGSeKMpUKpwpfEQ_qXi35I_Fq5eNwzvxw4Dy3Ch8Y5-EoHutWQprKf-LkygzA9BrJH7cYE83IXgguPVpGQZ3b5P2T92dI07lV6wtM-nxvJ0G8sSYuAHQfdG2BJqCOes7DiLBrbhY/s320/1217998309.jpeg" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"><br /></span></span></p>I am not a doctor, but as a mom and a </span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">part-time </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">teacher I can count several families I know of whose child has been diagnosed with ASD and other families on the journey to diagnosis. That doesn't include acquaintances who have been diagnosed as adults (which is more common in women), families whose child has a developmental disorder </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">which share some overlapping traits </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">with autism, or those families who, I suspect, have at least one child on the spectrum but who are not seeking diagnosis. That's a lot. </span></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">It's important to add that some individuals with ASD are diagnosed later, either because their symptoms are less obvious and/or intrusive, or because they are very good at </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">mimicking</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"> their typically developing peers in order to blend in (this is called masking). If they make eye contact, have acquired typical language skills and don't have any outwards behaviors like hand flapping or spinning, their neurological differences may not be as apparent. They also may not regress. But they can still struggle to fit in at school, work, and with peers, and are at risk of much higher rates of anxiety and depression than their typically developing peers. Sometimes their sensory sensitivities make everyday background noise distractingly loud or irritating, or the gentle breeze on an uncovered arm excruciatingly painful. You can imagine how activities we take for granted--relaxed chitchat in a restaurant, playful wrestling on the playground--may be draining and overwhelming.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">I think this topic is important for Montessorians three reasons:</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">Montessori preschools begin at age 2.5, a good age for observing a child's development and assessing critical areas, such as language, social skills, and self-regulation.</span></li><li><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">There is a growing interest in Montessori homeschooling. Parents need to recognize red flags when their child's development is atypical so that diagnosis and early intervention can help the child early on. Resources <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.html">such as this one</a> are important to share.</span></li><li><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">Parents oftentimes cannot see their own child's development objectively and may need to hear concerns from an outside source. Among teachers, Montessorians are particularly well-trained in observation and in child development, making us important people in a child's life.</span></li></ol><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">In some ways a Montessori classroom can be a very supportive environment for those on the spectrum (for instance, there are lessons in Grace and Courtesy similar to social stories and scripting they may otherwise be practicing in therapy); in other ways the Montessori approach may not provide some of the supports some children thrive with, such as behavior charts and rewards or a highly-structured schedule. How to best accommodate special needs students is definitely a hot topic on professional discussion groups and public forums right now.</span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"><br /></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">Thanks to the internet and social media:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">there are TONS of Youtube channels now produced by families with children on the Autism Spectrum, many of which share early videos of their child's behaviors--the very ones that lead to diagnosis. </span></li><li><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">even though the pandemic has kept some concerned families home instead of seeking an evaluation in person, there are Telehealth sessions in many places. Both evaluations and therapies may be available right from your own living room.</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">If you are concerned your child may be on the spectrum, </span><a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/does-my-child-have-autism.htm" style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">this guide</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"> gives suggestions about what you can do about it. Careful observation and sticking to the facts of typical development will be your best guides.</span></div><p></p>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-61759865240896596552021-02-23T08:01:00.005-08:002021-02-23T08:04:29.729-08:00Montessori at Home: Practical Skills in the Kitchen--Opening Cans, Measuring Spices, Equivalencies<h1 style="text-align: left;">Pantry Full of Canned Goods, But Can You Open Them?</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">And How Do You Shove a Tablespoon into the Chili Powder Jar?</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Problem Solving, Occupational Therapy and Executive Function Skills in the Kitchen</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnwxXEklULBdHV7v2ovoOEWDkA-muFaLKiMpvDxfcKRjPJzNunsKXNhspxcfiKo0lMHUV_uc-68_rOpogYNsIn6ZgbjBhW5SMGoPI2o2NHVwO-vQKrjtxS7EGY27YEwE-hBdA1Eycrjs/s1280/IMG_1490.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnwxXEklULBdHV7v2ovoOEWDkA-muFaLKiMpvDxfcKRjPJzNunsKXNhspxcfiKo0lMHUV_uc-68_rOpogYNsIn6ZgbjBhW5SMGoPI2o2NHVwO-vQKrjtxS7EGY27YEwE-hBdA1Eycrjs/w480-h640/IMG_1490.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does your child know how to open the can of kidney beans?</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>It was September 1977, an autumn day on Princeton University's campus. My husband, a new freshman early to his dorm before most students arrived, was thirsty, so he bought a grape soda (that's what they call fizzy drinks in the Midwest). But he was used to pull tabs and didn't recognize the new stay-tab opening at the top! ARGH! Eventually this physics major at an Ivy League college did figure out how to open the drink. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drink_can">Here's how</a>.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Fast-forward to the current pandemic. My "Armageddon Closet" is full of canned goods, from garbanzo beans and tuna to V8 and coconut milk. But do my children know how to open any of them? Should the power go out (ahem--Texas Snowmageddon 2021), could they still whip up some chili and heat it over a fire in the backyard?</div><div><br /></div><div>Silly as it sounds, I've discovered over the years that this stuff matters. There are <a href="https://www.homestratosphere.com/types-of-can-openers/">ten different can openers</a> out there (not counting the screw driver on your Swiss Army Knife) and your kids may be hard- pressed to use some of them unless they've been taught. Add to that, if they are easily frustrated or weak in executive function skills, there are lots of little problems that can be hard to solve in the kitchen. As I mentioned in my <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2021/02/montessori-at-home-practical-life_16.html">previous post</a>, this <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/how-cooking-helped-my-kid-with-executive-function-245353">mother to a son with cerebral palsy</a> wrote about how many smaller steps go into even simple recipes. If this is something interesting to you, check out <a href="https://cphs.wayne.edu/occupational-therapy/resources/nutrition_-_a_simple_guide_to_meal_prep_for_older_adults.pdf">occupational therapy articles on helping the elderly</a>, who can have a lot of the same struggles with the skills of daily living.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzs7qB9xJbd3_QBXwTTncWKWzl2fI9LIwWQTspNCWRLnPgHrvXayHrEeYZPXbEvdHTmZ7TKK0Cr8Juec5chpIPiHlQ-pMn7t6DIBgu_BUVJdY3q2aprssDW-25Eu5Fk7J6ZeYZIih576E/s2048/IMG_1507.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzs7qB9xJbd3_QBXwTTncWKWzl2fI9LIwWQTspNCWRLnPgHrvXayHrEeYZPXbEvdHTmZ7TKK0Cr8Juec5chpIPiHlQ-pMn7t6DIBgu_BUVJdY3q2aprssDW-25Eu5Fk7J6ZeYZIih576E/s320/IMG_1507.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In America, 1 T = 3 t</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Yesterday I made a new chili recipe from one of my new favorite cookbooks, <a href="https://amzn.to/3uq32RC">The Honeysuckle Cookbook</a>, by Dzung Lewis. I paid close attention to small "issues" that cropped up as I cooked--things I could imagine a young child would ask for help with:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>how do you measure out a tablespoon of chili powder when the tablespoon won't fit into the jar? </li><li>how do you unwrap the plastic off of this new jar of smoked paprika?</li><li>how can I scoop out this garlic powder when there's this plastic grill thing on the shaker?</li><li>how do you use a church key?</li><li>etc.</li></ul><div>(For the record, my husband's answer to these questions is usually, "Easy! Just dump out the spices and measure what you need." But that's wasteful and messy, so .....). Not only are these good life skills to teach your kids before they leave for college, but you can easily <a href="https://www.fess.ie/images/stories/ResourcesForTutors/KitchenMathWrkbk.pdf?fbclid=IwAR01VQL6XRFFfTpE9Jfr92Fo-dveaRez_B2dpq9fHtX26go6vmgihy5OiNU">incorporate math</a> and tons of other subjects while cooking (chemistry, geography, etc).</div></div><div><br /></div><div>So enjoy this video of how to make Smoky Slow-Cooker Chili!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XisKl8sfKbg" width="320" youtube-src-id="XisKl8sfKbg"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-4649996166807302362021-02-20T15:07:00.005-08:002021-02-27T15:57:18.212-08:00Montessori at Home: Sourdough Hacks<h1 style="text-align: left;">Five Sourdough Tips</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">To Overcome Epic Fails</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Don't Give Up!</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKdA3oE3I_RVBEkCoDdcikq17XLMvDKoMkEL5L4Dq8WJgfbEowhP0C6gXS2JNhHJycwQzATRJ2WhCXUv-TvQ_Z1AdMLyAmZ_fSBhgHaG83BGl3Du5rrap3DhmydBrMhyphenhyphenrRkD8RRpQxac/s2048/IMG_1453.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKdA3oE3I_RVBEkCoDdcikq17XLMvDKoMkEL5L4Dq8WJgfbEowhP0C6gXS2JNhHJycwQzATRJ2WhCXUv-TvQ_Z1AdMLyAmZ_fSBhgHaG83BGl3Du5rrap3DhmydBrMhyphenhyphenrRkD8RRpQxac/w640-h480/IMG_1453.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">omg this smells so amazing....</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><div>One of my most vivid memories from Montessori school as a child was of making whole wheat bread in tiny little loaves. The smell was TANTALIZING and filled the whole classroom for hours. I had never eaten homemade, warm, fresh bread before, but it wasn't until fifty years later (during the pandemic!) that I've had it again on any kind of regular basis. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to Youtube and Facebook I've learned a lot of trouble-shooting tips--things I normally wouldn't have the time or patience to learn. So I'm passing these along to you!</div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>During the winter, when the house may be very dry, oil some plastic wrap and place on top of dough before the bulk rise. I also covered with damp towel (probably overkill) and then covered the bowl with a snug-fitting <a href="https://amzn.to/3qJvMCA">shower cap</a>.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2OcEGbiAkNi4o0DnfWL4Y0Fa0qibM4jGidTXl_zR34NZDqIZm9Bh5Vi4t0gYNEovYvjwSZdHdJxSo1zZumOS3u8Am8FaLwwYAb2a5fYoEoxpMjO-E0bfYLYCo61zy4Twgw9z84XGqgI/s2048/IMG_1409.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2OcEGbiAkNi4o0DnfWL4Y0Fa0qibM4jGidTXl_zR34NZDqIZm9Bh5Vi4t0gYNEovYvjwSZdHdJxSo1zZumOS3u8Am8FaLwwYAb2a5fYoEoxpMjO-E0bfYLYCo61zy4Twgw9z84XGqgI/w200-h150/IMG_1409.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Put a cookie sheet on the lower rack under the rack you're baking on.</li><li>Preheat your dutch oven and lid.</li><li>Use a <a href="https://amzn.to/3qGxsN0">spray bottle of water</a> to mist the top of dough right before baking.</li><li>This last tip is tricky. Normally you are supposed to bake this bread for 20 minutes in the dutch oven with the lid on, 30 minutes with the lid off, and an additional 10 minutes without the dutch oven, where the loaf sits directly on the rack. But this can sometimes lead to overbaking. I recommend using a digital thermometer <a href="https://amzn.to/3bjQMJG">like this</a> or <a href="https://amzn.to/2ZzKNLl">this</a> to check the bread's temperature right before the last step. If it's at 208 degrees Fahrenheit, it's ready. Especially if you'll be reheating or toasting slices of this bread later, this temp will keep if from being too dried out. Of course it's fine to leave it in for the last 10 minutes, but keep an eye on it. You want it crispy but not crazy crispy!</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMmOUcWhVeCutd2TsA1IY-uGCgOKRuq4iil8c9NZOWeaUJhbvo8-ksrASiMbbTBASIk_BYkthZU7B5I5KELYrg-SugYv5lhW6iO-KJtW9ZPsF9MdMwKn_DDYl-CnjqfNtrS0bOtmo1Qw/s2048/IMG_1437.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMmOUcWhVeCutd2TsA1IY-uGCgOKRuq4iil8c9NZOWeaUJhbvo8-ksrASiMbbTBASIk_BYkthZU7B5I5KELYrg-SugYv5lhW6iO-KJtW9ZPsF9MdMwKn_DDYl-CnjqfNtrS0bOtmo1Qw/s320/IMG_1437.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voila!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I used a recipe for <a href="https://amzn.to/3ka0li8">Everyday Sourdough from Artisan Sourdough Made Simple by Emilie Raffa.</a> And while you can use a sharp knife or razor to score the dough, my Mother's Day gift last year was <a href="https://amzn.to/3pCJ3eP">this lame. </a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a video recapping some of these tips, starting with the morning after you've done an 8-10 hour bulk rise.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ptQm02F-K4" width="500" youtube-src-id="8ptQm02F-K4"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-7896416243164473842021-02-16T15:33:00.004-08:002021-02-16T16:19:14.056-08:00Montessori at Home: Practical Life, the Kitchen and Preparing Food<h1 style="text-align: left;">Kitchens invite and unite</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Purposeful, repetitive activity with adult supervision</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Child and adult have a different pace, cleaning up spills can be "bonus" lesson</h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2L4zYPpcQT1w6-1nSmZU_HJhEK5eTPQ_LAY4UVaa7cA07XAPr7JHO8cHDeySJamQ088ozlRq7QgTPZIV82hWCOEGnhquL3_Gzjtkw532proBll2Ku4aIvdvJ40QpMGXpZ0GJr1IFUjLI/s2048/IMG_0047.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2L4zYPpcQT1w6-1nSmZU_HJhEK5eTPQ_LAY4UVaa7cA07XAPr7JHO8cHDeySJamQ088ozlRq7QgTPZIV82hWCOEGnhquL3_Gzjtkw532proBll2Ku4aIvdvJ40QpMGXpZ0GJr1IFUjLI/w480-h640/IMG_0047.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By age 4, a child can already do a lot in the kitchen. Having an apron can help signal the start of important work with Mom or Dad. </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The first Montessori schools were mixed-aged communities of small children in a home-like environment. Students were given demonstrations in many Practical Life activities, from washing their hands and brushing their hair to washing dishes and polishing shoes. These "works" had many steps with a logical order to them, and they assisted the students in many ways: they helped them fit into a community while growing in independence, they helped them become more coordinated and more dexterous, and they formed the foundation for more complex works to come.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The building blocks for Montessori are something I wager everyone reading this already has: a kitchen (or hotplate with water source, at least); an appetite (probably at least three times per day); and some ingredients, whether they be donations from the food bank, veggies from the garden, staples purchased with your eWIC card, or the groceries you ordered via Instacart.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Especially if you are "stuck at home" these days, find ways to include young children in some part of food prep at your house. Maybe it's just humble Hamburger Helper, but start somewhere. I've noticed that, as the kids get older, they are more and more motivated by complicated and especially delicious recipes, so I'll include one example video below. In the meantime, you might find <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/how-cooking-helped-my-kid-with-executive-function-245353">this article</a>, written by a cookbook author, interesting. It's about how making a complicated French dessert with her son, who has cerebral palsy, may have helped him develop executive function.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It makes sense to me that, by following a logical, ordered sequence of steps (a "recipe") a child is practicing many skills. But think of all of the other benefits: yummy food, the pride of helping make dinner, a family member who will be a little more likely to eat what's served tonight. And there will be a lot of language exchanged between you and your child while cooking together. ("Why can't we eat the peel of a banana?") And problem solving. ("That measuring spoon is dirty but maybe we can use another?"). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If there's a spill, all the better! Stop to clean it up together, or show your child where the supplies are to do so. Consider it a bonus lesson.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Don't limit yourself to a kids' cookbook or dumbed down recipes. Yesterday I made a Salmon Corn Chowder from <u><a href="https://amzn.to/3qrmT0d">The Honeysuckle Cookbook</a></u>. Making it entailed planning ahead (ordering the groceries we needed and checking to see that we had enough of the spices called for); doing the exhausting physical work of peeling, chopping, dicing in the morning while I was fresh; and putting it together late in the day, just in time for dinner. That kind of "adulting" is an example of the kind of executive function we hope our children will develop one day. But planning, multitasking, working through frustrations towards a goal and problem solving develop over time and through practice.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">While I wouldn't want a small child around sharp knives, there are many alternatives. Children can peel, and then they can use a crinkle cutter. You can make some tasks (such as dicing) easier for them by flattening out some veggies (such as carrots) and showing them how crinkle cutting a semi-circle of carrot can be the same as dicing.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Also, if you have many children, none of whom have cooked before, don't try to do this all together. Begin by taking one child at a time and get a feel for what sort of safety hazards may be a concern for his or her age and personality.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PpVIX-x2XNc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PpVIX-x2XNc" width="320" youtube-src-id="PpVIX-x2XNc"></iframe></div><br />Check out this video of the steps for this soup. It's delicious and will last us at least two nights!</span></div></h3><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B082ZR3RDV&asins=B082ZR3RDV&linkId=fb6464c450f75cf7c0d7f2839b077e5a&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-39974607744037050142021-02-10T11:26:00.002-08:002021-02-10T11:29:18.146-08:00Montessori Practical Life at Home: Using Tools in the Kitchen to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies<h1 style="text-align: left;">Look for Ways to Use Various Tools in the Kitchen</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">This Recipe Uses Your Brown Bananas AND Employs 3 Tools</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Develops Hand Strength, Dexterity and Results in Yummy Snack</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qodE7WDR4zt5tpOAgsEfSYFGtL-a-pH7inG3LfTeg7HLZEax_Wl-bNYaBSrdtoIhxYVXnuPmxuCzzAXuMBDpORjW4PiKbb4VFgMz8Qf8o2fm2xNO2FDJWj2OoKNdeYoSww91WpABYWk/s2048/IMG_0851.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qodE7WDR4zt5tpOAgsEfSYFGtL-a-pH7inG3LfTeg7HLZEax_Wl-bNYaBSrdtoIhxYVXnuPmxuCzzAXuMBDpORjW4PiKbb4VFgMz8Qf8o2fm2xNO2FDJWj2OoKNdeYoSww91WpABYWk/w640-h480/IMG_0851.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When I ran my small in-home Montessori school many years ago we made banana bread and pancakes a lot. Although my daughter doesn't remember it, I'm sure it contributed to her skill and knowledge in the kitchen today, as a teen. If you can find a complicated recipe that involves many steps and at least a couple of tools, you can a) involve more than one helper, and b) employ more than one tool. The Moosewood Cookbook (see below) banana bread recipe was plenty complicated, and delicious! But back to today's recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies.<div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Kids Love the First Step: Mashing</h4><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PlRxM2GBNO9skodZfUta8B9jCEryuUg2HX3a0kSp1_i8qVIEXpRB7DLrav6hqAkXm_gDJy84RJXfBSA0nKXKCKBwlpTNHQYFgKtiN71Iezpo-zpedPm11gr6KuDxF-pxkzqe29vyKaU/s2048/IMG_0830.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PlRxM2GBNO9skodZfUta8B9jCEryuUg2HX3a0kSp1_i8qVIEXpRB7DLrav6hqAkXm_gDJy84RJXfBSA0nKXKCKBwlpTNHQYFgKtiN71Iezpo-zpedPm11gr6KuDxF-pxkzqe29vyKaU/s320/IMG_0830.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I think this book is out of print, but let me know in the comments if you'd like the recipe.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHNK0vsbK8zW-AWlf1xOucsDGr7AvZOjQP9zY5dp8RcjNRR2CDW3JPQT7kig3iJWz2g-KnJswxRBj0mHHvi6SQiqHhVrkPSi3pvx9XirzRIb-UMYHbMouqIkJJ6JVTXRXudxiAEEmM88/s2048/IMG_0832.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHNK0vsbK8zW-AWlf1xOucsDGr7AvZOjQP9zY5dp8RcjNRR2CDW3JPQT7kig3iJWz2g-KnJswxRBj0mHHvi6SQiqHhVrkPSi3pvx9XirzRIb-UMYHbMouqIkJJ6JVTXRXudxiAEEmM88/s320/IMG_0832.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The potato masher requires a sort of cave man grip.</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">For Whisking Teach Them to Hold the Bowl with One Hand</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GiXK3Q2-9WXVeyhOtMJN00vYV3-YtAbH23oZAwOmeerGORv7UH-SEOlscsxoRND0Lx2AM6UdfHEq5nc1BOARoNCdJMOSrJzg7Q7-kGnxslY-8JdI0ZHzQPyt0pLr4wH9d8K82FMIj_U/s2048/IMG_0833.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GiXK3Q2-9WXVeyhOtMJN00vYV3-YtAbH23oZAwOmeerGORv7UH-SEOlscsxoRND0Lx2AM6UdfHEq5nc1BOARoNCdJMOSrJzg7Q7-kGnxslY-8JdI0ZHzQPyt0pLr4wH9d8K82FMIj_U/s320/IMG_0833.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A whisk is held in a different way (sorry I couldn't hold it and take photos at the same time!).</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Using a Manual Hand Mixer is Fun</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlW1uF039LqGxnNl7sxRg5i6FdzhqQZurmxISHlJscmffxcQlwl8fiODZo1m4l60jqsMjm5hPyJZk1fatRxj43O5l65N1jYK77H5g8p-qkwWPQZ8zluDAyNT0CkqgFc-jjThLBbpr5S4/s2048/IMG_0835.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlW1uF039LqGxnNl7sxRg5i6FdzhqQZurmxISHlJscmffxcQlwl8fiODZo1m4l60jqsMjm5hPyJZk1fatRxj43O5l65N1jYK77H5g8p-qkwWPQZ8zluDAyNT0CkqgFc-jjThLBbpr5S4/s320/IMG_0835.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And using this hand mixer uses both hands.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44GLneINag3b1Pp5dhyphenhyphenPRprdtHc0B14r7iPKon7pL06Kx9frWyGemHFTu3bbqshRf07CggOQPrTWayt6iIl_QuBumQOQj_OA2SrhVPbtjsjDZoLYDEjEHPidOQhLYdOvcIu_RnEb4bRU/s2048/IMG_0838.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44GLneINag3b1Pp5dhyphenhyphenPRprdtHc0B14r7iPKon7pL06Kx9frWyGemHFTu3bbqshRf07CggOQPrTWayt6iIl_QuBumQOQj_OA2SrhVPbtjsjDZoLYDEjEHPidOQhLYdOvcIu_RnEb4bRU/s320/IMG_0838.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxENqkmoNNnpwW06qjUeTPkoZ2fZa_3S2qKa61oe5EY1UUmoHW9aK2LPnipvHlxddEdiP-24UgtiXb6zGh-0WnmtqSY3sK81GlZ_gBYn8xzqOS6Ll-uggMguoXWZJ0G5LWzawDf_Mseaw/s2048/IMG_0840.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxENqkmoNNnpwW06qjUeTPkoZ2fZa_3S2qKa61oe5EY1UUmoHW9aK2LPnipvHlxddEdiP-24UgtiXb6zGh-0WnmtqSY3sK81GlZ_gBYn8xzqOS6Ll-uggMguoXWZJ0G5LWzawDf_Mseaw/s320/IMG_0840.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">I ran out of hands to use the mixer AND photograph, so here's a video clip of my husband helping. It's actually really hard to use this mixer once you add the flour!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxS2Jks1sj-rlgtaxMLLogaqI3cKbzhvNnCa5PPETLlFsIxyGtM8HppMjwbLtXrnp375027Y7lB87LLPGDqNA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Scooping and Arranging the Dough</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp72_tvPXgVMJ6WsTcYHf8lhtZmqGHwPpwxbmQ6aR-QdOiEO6kcJRSBlIl5BvMTFS36SRXlh_Ssrwokh_Cio63WpH_60wi9rNXxvApKvZEv2JU5L1mtBF_U0Jurzu9VgAw7DO5OIwB_k/s2048/IMG_0847.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp72_tvPXgVMJ6WsTcYHf8lhtZmqGHwPpwxbmQ6aR-QdOiEO6kcJRSBlIl5BvMTFS36SRXlh_Ssrwokh_Cio63WpH_60wi9rNXxvApKvZEv2JU5L1mtBF_U0Jurzu9VgAw7DO5OIwB_k/s320/IMG_0847.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This could become a lesson in math I guess? Multiplication.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLai6HR4wRlNRFzPmEQFkAZugSrf_eMDJPQL3W3DRuzLOWnOV39Ya0hAfPEGGiJJqb7MqxQnZUokJZM8rzM-q3fnKrPbnc6KPu8B8UbGXMO2EvgiGGOPXWeHHWHuwOx9D5FCrXxvU7nI/s2048/IMG_0855.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLai6HR4wRlNRFzPmEQFkAZugSrf_eMDJPQL3W3DRuzLOWnOV39Ya0hAfPEGGiJJqb7MqxQnZUokJZM8rzM-q3fnKrPbnc6KPu8B8UbGXMO2EvgiGGOPXWeHHWHuwOx9D5FCrXxvU7nI/s320/IMG_0855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And once you start eating the cookies, it's a lesson in subtraction!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>If you'd like to read more about activities that can develop hand strength and dexterity, <a href="https://earlylearningsuccess.net/child-development-fine-motor-skills/">here is just one example</a> of an article with ideas.</div><div><div><br /></div></div></div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1607747391&asins=1607747391&linkId=9fa4e2b0c6689b2910e91a1834881ba4&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-79167269631912765012021-02-10T09:11:00.000-08:002021-02-10T09:11:15.059-08:00Montessori at Home: Practical Life--Oiling Wood<h1 style="text-align: left;">Wooden Cutting Boards, Utensils Need TLC</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">An Easy Way a Small Child Can Maintain Wooden Tools at Home</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">I Saved a Cracked Cutting Board in Order to Show How Bad Drying Out Can Get</h3><p>Among the gazillion little jobs around the house that you may be doing seasonally, oiling your wooden cutting boards and kitchen utensils ranks up there among some of the safer, easier ones to delegate to young'uns. If your child has already been introduced to Wood Polishing (a Practical Life work in the Montessori classroom), this work will feel familiar. But there's an added utility to presenting this work: family members who've had this lesson may think twice before throwing your wooden spoons and bowls in the dishwasher. If this becomes a popular work in your home, go out of your way to pick up more wooden items that you might use (confession: I guess we don't actually use our crepe batter spreader that much, but everything else gets a workout). When I went about looking for wooden utensils in my kitchen I was surprised how many I had, and actually keep finding more in the drawers! </p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxIfp8eWTGikb_kGcz7S7cBC60jTLxCJLIgOwKyGqj54LakIwn7JUvb3EYuXBnN-qd10tLr053a3bUvlVp3sg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Wood bowls, utensils and cutting boards are beautiful to have in the home kitchen, and teaching children how to care for these materials is something that may not occur to you. If there is a dramatic difference in the condition of the wood before and after oiling, all the better! So if your wooden objects are already in great shape, keep your eyes peeled the next time you are at an estate sale or thrift shop. The worse the condition, the more satisfying it will be for the child to restore it.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKRLB1daKg0SU9o9sVHCfnFKm77OcBQ4b2rxuxwczClS4aksWP1s_-ufMIoYZuK-9djis3suUNVrdZVh1GQX9MWtxY61l2W_GbZVuctlxawOG6N-2pAMET7627SY7U1JxG6iVw05mXVA/s2048/fullsizeoutput_1be3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKRLB1daKg0SU9o9sVHCfnFKm77OcBQ4b2rxuxwczClS4aksWP1s_-ufMIoYZuK-9djis3suUNVrdZVh1GQX9MWtxY61l2W_GbZVuctlxawOG6N-2pAMET7627SY7U1JxG6iVw05mXVA/s320/fullsizeoutput_1be3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This can be fun to work on because you need to get into all of those grooves. Also, many children won't know the name of this tool (it's a citrus reamer), so you can incorporate simple language work into this activity. Look for reamers that aren't pointy or plan on sanding down the tip in advance.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHgjFGMuDHdyH9pn7jPWqmg1l8a90szgkNuASPAtWMVKp3Hy0Rvlk5TQzweyL4D5fodQqJUAuramglHDe_Z5Yu1981jqcMUdREFzLhnyxxOS9a_hipbYm9zhxp_HjvcmgbcRnDwwBD7A/s2048/IMG_0728.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHgjFGMuDHdyH9pn7jPWqmg1l8a90szgkNuASPAtWMVKp3Hy0Rvlk5TQzweyL4D5fodQqJUAuramglHDe_Z5Yu1981jqcMUdREFzLhnyxxOS9a_hipbYm9zhxp_HjvcmgbcRnDwwBD7A/s320/IMG_0728.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This oil is food safe, odorless and tasteless. </td></tr></tbody></table><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B0000CFSV9&asins=B0000CFSV9&linkId=1ce5e66884f0591b40a9d87716b06f53&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSWG16wCGBVqdTk9ppi6e6R5adQKCN3dTDaC0ZLW5D7GYLuKkGsieQ7q4oPSsMd0BhU5hhuWdCr0Vpm1ED1JemCUqIo-igFTCQMMkc3tYeu1DVE3R39OcZp6sBqcUPacJAsuHXXed6Sc/s2048/IMG_0813.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSWG16wCGBVqdTk9ppi6e6R5adQKCN3dTDaC0ZLW5D7GYLuKkGsieQ7q4oPSsMd0BhU5hhuWdCr0Vpm1ED1JemCUqIo-igFTCQMMkc3tYeu1DVE3R39OcZp6sBqcUPacJAsuHXXed6Sc/s320/IMG_0813.JPG" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgMDfKHKSoDhoHaE-MQCffqzZrq8EBQ991fzvRmees04vMoKg3h9fNC8OdmXjhCGSjIZrzL7lXfmmP0zDlFh9de1XWaoyX6j7caWDQrZhH3y7rEGFteyAsb4p86Gs7mluyigy6bNrWuI/s2048/IMG_0822.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgMDfKHKSoDhoHaE-MQCffqzZrq8EBQ991fzvRmees04vMoKg3h9fNC8OdmXjhCGSjIZrzL7lXfmmP0zDlFh9de1XWaoyX6j7caWDQrZhH3y7rEGFteyAsb4p86Gs7mluyigy6bNrWuI/s320/IMG_0822.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">"Ouch! See what can happen when the wood dries out!"</div><br /><br /></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-14318233989865787312021-02-10T08:20:00.002-08:002021-02-10T08:20:29.753-08:00Montessori Practical Life at Home--Two Ways to Make Banana Pudding<h1 style="text-align: left;">Food Prep: Bananas Two Ways</h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSuBzGQcNc2z80VF_hMUcDdgqLMDiaaSRWljqH3rXRsj-YFHzPpqckXgAESovPIRiOujD7cfANAFoo1L4mHXBRDHtJSgmMboT-rBuVvSJdg3HoCM2uCfV4eFMGKMsfoTbyKvuX2brBLA/s2048/fullsizeoutput_1c0d.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSuBzGQcNc2z80VF_hMUcDdgqLMDiaaSRWljqH3rXRsj-YFHzPpqckXgAESovPIRiOujD7cfANAFoo1L4mHXBRDHtJSgmMboT-rBuVvSJdg3HoCM2uCfV4eFMGKMsfoTbyKvuX2brBLA/s2048/fullsizeoutput_1c0d.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDsLEbU1aiJ2B-Cv-gDlGpRRgP_Jv4coxU421-oVTJ2BIkkX11lbzXFcRxAllMmkW_uocaTbzBS5ITzPzFw-KiQUP3H2c3GuF0qjSLo3joYg08g2ClzHYyu427WMK9BYA6vccCE7dPUs/s2048/fullsizeoutput_1c0a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDsLEbU1aiJ2B-Cv-gDlGpRRgP_Jv4coxU421-oVTJ2BIkkX11lbzXFcRxAllMmkW_uocaTbzBS5ITzPzFw-KiQUP3H2c3GuF0qjSLo3joYg08g2ClzHYyu427WMK9BYA6vccCE7dPUs/w300-h400/fullsizeoutput_1c0a.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h2>Both Begin with Banana Slicing, Which Toddlers Can Do!</h2><h3 style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Find Ways Children Can Be Independent at Snack Time or Help You Make Dessert</h3><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Both of these banana dishes came from cookbooks from the nineties, so they may be hard to find (but see below if you want to buy used copies). The first is a simple and straightforward snack that would be great for mid-morning or the afternoon munchies. I used a small applesauce that's in our "school lunch" stash, but you could easily have a child use some from a larger jar of store-bought applesauce or make your own (that's another video on another day!). Be aware: peeling open these containers may be tricky, so I would suggest starting the opening process when setting up your snack area in the early morning.</div><div><br /></div></div><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1689" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSuBzGQcNc2z80VF_hMUcDdgqLMDiaaSRWljqH3rXRsj-YFHzPpqckXgAESovPIRiOujD7cfANAFoo1L4mHXBRDHtJSgmMboT-rBuVvSJdg3HoCM2uCfV4eFMGKMsfoTbyKvuX2brBLA/w140-h169/fullsizeoutput_1c0d.jpeg" width="140" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XbIyRxylQM-Bp0lP4LXyGFAUOVMy7ikJmoyFY-Imx6LJWVaB2mIdCUjX7nk-oM1FtWvOGbwXohU0J0u04RiN8PlL9Ww-3UHtIuwB6UwJ9nAyiMotU9QafxmsonZLrKdwiEhaUA6hAaM/s2048/fullsizeoutput_1c0e.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1680" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XbIyRxylQM-Bp0lP4LXyGFAUOVMy7ikJmoyFY-Imx6LJWVaB2mIdCUjX7nk-oM1FtWvOGbwXohU0J0u04RiN8PlL9Ww-3UHtIuwB6UwJ9nAyiMotU9QafxmsonZLrKdwiEhaUA6hAaM/w140-h170/fullsizeoutput_1c0e.jpeg" width="140" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS5Xedq99L8EiV4n151YEIkQCqTNy-8YTyU7JvJB7mI7d0ENKfb_MCDet27W7UYr5G25hBwP9YjUt69r6AQG9YaO1G-Uelod0BNfCRpvMfvONVpxB3H_jHsnYFRXJsOG9m2q3P4diflc/s2048/fullsizeoutput_1c0f.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1678" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS5Xedq99L8EiV4n151YEIkQCqTNy-8YTyU7JvJB7mI7d0ENKfb_MCDet27W7UYr5G25hBwP9YjUt69r6AQG9YaO1G-Uelod0BNfCRpvMfvONVpxB3H_jHsnYFRXJsOG9m2q3P4diflc/w137-h167/fullsizeoutput_1c0f.jpeg" width="137" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are the steps laid out as index cards. You can create these easily for any snack.</div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Banana Yogurt Pudding Sequence</h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotMIIovP0-gWWfsJ8rsoQJ6wx1AW9I0_JED5lE61K3H-69r0pc6jfL_ulV4FEQwpb5hBTeItTrEnuUj1QbEAD_09QKH7hKOB0R90h7lg4ZpzEpsGRqFREvaCxi4BliU3_74pgwY69-pc/s4608/P1040088.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotMIIovP0-gWWfsJ8rsoQJ6wx1AW9I0_JED5lE61K3H-69r0pc6jfL_ulV4FEQwpb5hBTeItTrEnuUj1QbEAD_09QKH7hKOB0R90h7lg4ZpzEpsGRqFREvaCxi4BliU3_74pgwY69-pc/s320/P1040088.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Applesauce lid already "started" a bit, two sizes of measuring spoons out, fork and grapefruit knife ready to go. Any safe serrated knife will do, even a disposable one. The knife is not pointy, so that's not a safety concern, but you should point out the teeth, explaining that the back-and-forth motion can really cut--even a finger! (Oops I forgot the yogurt. Set that out, too, unless it's going to spoil in a heat. You could try setting the yogurt in a bowl of ice.) </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwE2rQLax3RpSZHi6vsm4BJtjBNOMLmgpE6gMVn1iDlApC_dvYLCNaSfMzdKWzApy4VaFfiVkCrS1PSP0cc97WkrosGQapcSXZlge6B_Ydu_K5Fb4kUaL-ScRrmyr_vPJ82p2XBl-12XI/s4608/P1040091.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwE2rQLax3RpSZHi6vsm4BJtjBNOMLmgpE6gMVn1iDlApC_dvYLCNaSfMzdKWzApy4VaFfiVkCrS1PSP0cc97WkrosGQapcSXZlge6B_Ydu_K5Fb4kUaL-ScRrmyr_vPJ82p2XBl-12XI/s320/P1040091.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slice in half. You could also just provide a banana half to begin with.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW7fsvgP_7qNZVGU32ERMNblPk3jWA5QYfCJ19lleOARBZPJyh6FQ4OEjoOPYRlej5xc8vV414BDcgu22riGc4RGKGQGOqlMlvpIcnyV2hLDwoFyoJKlBOfQmZ9EU6nS7yz7ehosf67M/s4608/P1040092.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW7fsvgP_7qNZVGU32ERMNblPk3jWA5QYfCJ19lleOARBZPJyh6FQ4OEjoOPYRlej5xc8vV414BDcgu22riGc4RGKGQGOqlMlvpIcnyV2hLDwoFyoJKlBOfQmZ9EU6nS7yz7ehosf67M/s320/P1040092.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mash with fork.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ99tR4ju7KQ8-yE5b_hOzd1G4eXSQ-U0qtUFDydYfAkGaGyHxXdJJOSxmB4dyU6MJmK4UzQ_3oEYCMLA4NEbLUYyFWxq1a84gFRN8e4WmXgQEeQNUzEhpA2SMuxy9vZymb9BctcIdPqI/s4608/P1040094.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ99tR4ju7KQ8-yE5b_hOzd1G4eXSQ-U0qtUFDydYfAkGaGyHxXdJJOSxmB4dyU6MJmK4UzQ_3oEYCMLA4NEbLUYyFWxq1a84gFRN8e4WmXgQEeQNUzEhpA2SMuxy9vZymb9BctcIdPqI/s320/P1040094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measure and add applesauce.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_dZ4y9yomXkZPu-LSQWPyYD8s5jDlvEr-sEC5Eyd49sot7_IfQ-TsfAn6HaGYhgH2LzJTZmO4y_-TIFI71Z44lfIJQZn8NG9c1L4UPs_Ty7E8N26eB-si4AS9QTNUKEFQp9LaVHRce0/s4608/P1040096.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_dZ4y9yomXkZPu-LSQWPyYD8s5jDlvEr-sEC5Eyd49sot7_IfQ-TsfAn6HaGYhgH2LzJTZmO4y_-TIFI71Z44lfIJQZn8NG9c1L4UPs_Ty7E8N26eB-si4AS9QTNUKEFQp9LaVHRce0/s320/P1040096.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stir together with fork.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvyU-I1Xx6by3lbQ_7YQSqgkB8ZHSVCZyO1B0aOrXrwgNYnls-Pqs4D_DWulk6jpgd7vFh435kfuqNZju6mDjIwnZeOL9sXvIr2ZqbmASwEg86dByTevwyS8HrVVy7FjvtPNH9Ne8K78/s4608/P1040099.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvyU-I1Xx6by3lbQ_7YQSqgkB8ZHSVCZyO1B0aOrXrwgNYnls-Pqs4D_DWulk6jpgd7vFh435kfuqNZju6mDjIwnZeOL9sXvIr2ZqbmASwEg86dByTevwyS8HrVVy7FjvtPNH9Ne8K78/s320/P1040099.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measure and add yogurt.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHatdV8QOIDmYUoRiDMkpIqQk77sw4ZGMzJa1n3SzZxqu1yFcagSdBgasb-CugEdKWTCe_KZPz0j7YQLupf_9y8uOPncIv9SCFzGn1gsWxRy7D4B9aBhV4ug9vOGLZ3YCFz1VaHyk1NU/s4608/P1040102.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHatdV8QOIDmYUoRiDMkpIqQk77sw4ZGMzJa1n3SzZxqu1yFcagSdBgasb-CugEdKWTCe_KZPz0j7YQLupf_9y8uOPncIv9SCFzGn1gsWxRy7D4B9aBhV4ug9vOGLZ3YCFz1VaHyk1NU/s320/P1040102.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mix together and eat! This was surprisingly sweet and yummy.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B000GP6QJS&asins=B000GP6QJS&linkId=e58e76f24e8981a2520d49b5337aba45&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=9996700305&asins=9996700305&linkId=f80ee4f273544e94d43862fad88eb1d7&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Banana Chocolate Chip Pudding</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Oopsie--This Was Supposed to Be Banana Bread (See Video)</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">But it Was Delicious and Gluten-Free Without the Flour, as a Pudding!</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm46mhqbuhX-B1G78iWbkG7bFe03dkYlo4LvGK-C3hZwT2OYrYTs8CKD2w9GkBpLi1AzKW5YgrcjPyC7MNB93tVkI2hJx1Fze8_8nGIe2JREWloaMjGbOh5ANYm2Io_hiq9wOR98JD404/s2048/fullsizeoutput_1c09.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm46mhqbuhX-B1G78iWbkG7bFe03dkYlo4LvGK-C3hZwT2OYrYTs8CKD2w9GkBpLi1AzKW5YgrcjPyC7MNB93tVkI2hJx1Fze8_8nGIe2JREWloaMjGbOh5ANYm2Io_hiq9wOR98JD404/s320/fullsizeoutput_1c09.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Apparently learning how to film while baking was a bit too much for me, so I forgot a very important ingredient to the banana bread. But no worries--it came out delicious as banana pudding! We enjoyed eating it straight, as a dessert, and also put it on top of ice cream. A good lesson in "happy accidents"! Also, in order to mash the banana I used two different kitchen tools: the potato masher and the pastry knife. It's always nice to find an excuse to introduce new tools and for the child to have to use various grips.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/rgWgGyj--I0" width="480"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-46975644114217480952021-02-06T19:21:00.005-08:002021-02-07T04:23:17.488-08:00What Happened to Common Sense? What Happened to Boundaries?<h1 style="text-align: left;">It's Time to Say No</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Who's in charge here?!</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Toddlers need boundaries and consistency, firmness and warmth, clarity and authority</h3><div><br /></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7h7_uxOj2FAJc_JpHGK3FLpCwFG1GZb_cIWJbMBYGUiM_27H16R0Ry4qQO0oOnS6nDNXQWojaddJ71vmircs0Vyn_74VlhjYr281i7yQ4aK24WSmaHjx4t328OqXCLsnFpJGQPvBkD5A/s1528/No-iStock_000008339842_Small_0_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7h7_uxOj2FAJc_JpHGK3FLpCwFG1GZb_cIWJbMBYGUiM_27H16R0Ry4qQO0oOnS6nDNXQWojaddJ71vmircs0Vyn_74VlhjYr281i7yQ4aK24WSmaHjx4t328OqXCLsnFpJGQPvBkD5A/s320/No-iStock_000008339842_Small_0_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Several years ago--when our town still had large, open bookstores big enough to have multiple floors, an elevator, and a cafe--I witnessed a parenting goof (not my own, this time!) that felt like a perfect illustration of how dangerous it can be when adults forget how to say no to very small children. A lady with a newborn in a bulky stroller and a toddler in tow was making her way to the elevator on the basement level of the store, trying to walk with this small boy but not able to both hold his hand and simultaneously steer the stroller. As she tried to walk past the large set of stairs going up to the main street level, the little boy began to balk, saying he wanted to climb the stairs and NOT ride the elevator. She lukewarmly seemed to be negotiating or haggling with him. I was too far away to offer to help and it happened so fast--I was paying attention largely because we had experienced a scary elevator separation thingy with our impulsive toddler once!--the mom got onto the elevator with the huge stroller and doors began to close while the toddler bolted up the stairs, stairs that led to the first floor and automatic doors that opened out to cars and traffic. </p><p>So the lady was torn between grabbing the stroller, already tucked into an otherwise empty elevator, doors closing now, or dashing over and snatching the renegade, who was swiftly scrambling upwards. It seemed like time slowed down, everyone in the vicinity held their breath, and watched in speechless horror.</p><p>I don't remember who saved the day, but some kind stranger closeby helped unite the three of them, much to the lady's relief (and mine). Lesson taken: toddlers don't recognize danger and can be VERY FAST when they want to be, so gird yourself with vigilance, firmness and authority next time you go out with one! </p><p>Fast forward to today. It has become even harder for parents to say no, thanks to the swing of the parenting pendulum from "dictatorial"/authoritative to "pushover"/permissive. For the past several years it has been considered SO MEAN to say no to children, both for teachers and parents. We bend over backwards to find alternatives to no, much to the detriment of common sense. Sometimes new teachers are even coached to never say no.</p><p>Back in 2016 I wrote<a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2016/11/no-is-not-four-letter-word.html"> this short piece</a> about this phenomenon, <span style="font-family: inherit;">but there is </span>a brand new <a href="https://youtu.be/uLQJJf6tBvA">Youtube video called, "It's Time to Say No"</a> that's well worth checking out. This is a conversation w<span style="font-family: inherit;">ith <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; caret-color: rgb(3, 3, 3); color: #030303; white-space: pre-wrap;">Claudia Alvarez, a Montessori guide of more than 25 years. The </span></span>main take aways are to be ready to say no authoritatively whenever safety is at stake, and whenever a toddler is a new member of the classroom. In a class, for the first four to six weeks be ready to dole out plenty of no's in order to establish clear, consistent boundaries so that the young child knows what's acceptable and NOT acceptable. Keep words to a minimum and save long-winded explanations and discussions of emotions for older children.</p><p>Alvarez also gave an example of when she was a young mother attending a parenting class with her small daughter. When her daughter cried and carried on about something insignificant, the teacher trainer said something that was hard to hear: "This is an <b>adult</b> problem." In other words, as the mother Alvarez had to learn to say no to her daughter, providing clear, consistent boundaries. </p><p>The host of this program, Jesse McCarthy, echoed many of his guest's sentiments, adding that he has never been a big fan of Positive Discipline, an approach to disciplining young children often recently touted by many in the Montessori community. In an upcoming blog post I'll review a book I admire that shares McCarthy's dim view of Positive Discipline. </p><iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=0578678543&asins=0578678543&linkId=6369fccf4373ff7519e7e14a593ae8cf&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe><p>It's refreshing to see hear some common sense coming from this community!</p>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-47745452180163231042021-02-03T06:34:00.001-08:002021-02-03T06:45:04.708-08:00Montessori at Home: Making Up Novel Works <h1 style="text-align: left;">Reframe Your Everyday Tasks</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Put on Your "Montessori Practical Life" Glasses</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Break Tasks into Discrete Steps</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACWqIARU1588leE7qBbUPFabk3HZSUnJNgRFLh0eqRTYdLR9gBFIA1K-A5tllxltzmcBBMW3ccc5c-YfhaoFwrm6xAgsSQII3-MOjDuISuZNmzLGOLWcCuwgdOMQUE6PYaFiy3AF0An4/s2048/1891ECC6-B2CB-4C25-B6C9-5F9A2ED39A3C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACWqIARU1588leE7qBbUPFabk3HZSUnJNgRFLh0eqRTYdLR9gBFIA1K-A5tllxltzmcBBMW3ccc5c-YfhaoFwrm6xAgsSQII3-MOjDuISuZNmzLGOLWcCuwgdOMQUE6PYaFiy3AF0An4/s320/1891ECC6-B2CB-4C25-B6C9-5F9A2ED39A3C.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>It's muddy here during the winter. We have a ginormous indoor dog, Moses. He goes out two or three times per day in the backyard and would track mud into the house if we let him. Instead, we've taken this empty Clorox wipes container, filled it with water, and when he's done his business he sits so that we can dip and wipe his paws. We've also used a small tub and poured water out of a pitcher to accomplish the same thing, but this is easier and faster. It's also less prone to big spills (just little spills).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxLBK5S31vcFcyhtXevnmFX_tud76xW98uKtwhcMFeyOaFOBg2JFc0YPcTkXnpEtcAOhhE6HFszJrwSZSh2Ug' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>(Yes, he's wearing the Cone of Shame due to recent hot spots.)</p><p>What are some everyday tasks that you do almost automatically? Can you break them into simple steps so that anyone in the house can do them?</p><br />Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-23288003222814080922021-01-29T08:47:00.002-08:002021-01-29T08:57:00.143-08:00More Board Games to Play with Your Older Kids<p></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Something to Get You Through </h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwA08FKzabSngDSg2DRjOCQUyuMIn4SXBrDMgBRiyTl0eh9U0xnvTlLb3SR1WbEmgN4W1tCnB2ixxMfFIwMO724QhyOAfeEhXOWOfxxPG79wJ5s7MZSrhRL1kbJa9cEVm6VaQfvNV9Mw/s2048/IMG_0621.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwA08FKzabSngDSg2DRjOCQUyuMIn4SXBrDMgBRiyTl0eh9U0xnvTlLb3SR1WbEmgN4W1tCnB2ixxMfFIwMO724QhyOAfeEhXOWOfxxPG79wJ5s7MZSrhRL1kbJa9cEVm6VaQfvNV9Mw/w480-h640/IMG_0621.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Updating the Board Game List from 2012</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">It's About Time</h3><div>With more of us at home, some for months at a time, and with college kids confined to tiny groups while on campus, it's time to update <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2012/06/10-board-games-to-play-with-your-older.html">our board game list</a>! Beware: some of these innocent board games have "adult" or "after dark" versions. Some wonderful games have several versions (such as "ungame"), so read the reviews before buying. Finally, there are tons of expansion packs, so if you like a game, try those out, too!</div><p><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00363B5FC&asins=B00363B5FC&linkId=d0eeda6ab661222ec6038f6ea33167d1&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /></p><p>Quick thinking card game for middle schoolers and above.</p><p><br /></p><p><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B001SN8GF4&asins=B001SN8GF4&linkId=087eb07fe9218597ed2170a681081e7b&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /></p><p>Sort of like the old-fashioned "Telephone Game" you played as a kid, but with pictures. Multiple ages can play. Refill of dry erase markers available (we needed these because we played this so much!). Also comes in party pack size. Sometimes so hilarious you'll laugh-snort.</p><p><br /></p><p><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B014TNZ4EA&asins=B014TNZ4EA&linkId=5d0fdc115053262114f3a2a404f46759&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /></p><p>Like a mix of Trivial Pursuit and a word game. Team-based card game that requires you to think fast!</p><p><br /></p><p><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00D4NJSBW&asins=B00D4NJSBW&linkId=028a9a42474948be60d38cce1e538679&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /></p><p>Family friendly--not racy or smutty (despite the title). Clever word game for middle school and above.</p><p><br /></p>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B085JYYWJV&asins=B085JYYWJV&linkId=5a57a83d30f543d01e74ac3f2be89ef4&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Animal hero card game (D&D influenced): slay monsters, collect heroes. Adorable illustrations.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B07MHD8QJ5&asins=B07MHD8QJ5&linkId=07732a6274d92f0e8692bde536965232&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Our middle-schooler liked this but Daddy didn't appreciate how easy it was to die! A card game re-make of a classic computer game.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B07PXSJMHF&asins=B07PXSJMHF&linkId=f4340f1fac12ef3d83ca3a7435aad6d9&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> </div><div><br /></div><div>We tried this and the card game version (below) because the computer game was a wee bit addictive. Simplified re-make of the insanely popular computer game where you build your own world.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B0119J9VMI&asins=B0119J9VMI&linkId=4c6ad1c44daade814b9250f38978cb74&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Same as above but very portable--can take in backpack or purse easily.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01KVXZ71W&asins=B01KVXZ71W&linkId=17b001828cf218a1cfefa1c632d49fa7&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Therapists use this to encourage conversation. Also great for those who love to talk! Many versions. Good way to get to know one another better.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B07YQ641NQ&asins=B07YQ641NQ&linkId=2f9f88a13740249bbd56ff8e4eb2bde0&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> </div><div>Teaches you about birds but "isn't a boring educational game." Clever and cute.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00HLQUETS&asins=B00HLQUETS&linkId=a1d72acc366b9eebd6827abc4ec4b038&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Build your own theme park for robots.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B013FAC4VO&asins=B013FAC4VO&linkId=3bda49caebde2b9f321c1ac6851cf330&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Dwarves! Cooperative mining game where one bad guy lurks to sabotage all of your hard work.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01LZXVN4P&asins=B01LZXVN4P&linkId=4cd3eb9d90f24b2f0a9b106085811d43&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><div>Expensive, exceptionally elaborate adventure game. Needs lots of real estate where it can be left up for a while. "More a lifestyle than a game!" An alternative to D&D. Follows a script. GOT US THROUGH A LONG SUMMER OF LOCKDOWN!!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B003BLQIQK&asins=B003BLQIQK&linkId=f9a2d146f17b2e377b52193c189f73d4&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><div>Trivia-based estimation game. You'll learn a lot while having fun.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=montemessy-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01HH0NTOE&asins=B01HH0NTOE&linkId=0e45a0fbb40e04b0a6f1a9f5311f29c7&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Recommended by a good friend. Next on our list to try!</div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-52330486011282876672021-01-27T09:34:00.002-08:002021-01-27T09:41:51.046-08:00Montessori Practical Life at Home: Nail Care<h1 style="text-align: left;">Care of the Self: Trimming Fingernails</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Easy Does It!</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Model Patience and Care</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQclFGzbctYCKQhgFWOTy7V9y_pGOlbt1F_pNaAkZsN1wAfhOQ01Rzmi3AF75B6tXa9VtxCz54xKKF4VxY2WQRhp2CEvTVicvUUFays71wbHEepBZW6TmxdN6AYhTJlhKnqyW1WDZvco8/s2048/fullsizeoutput_1bdf.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQclFGzbctYCKQhgFWOTy7V9y_pGOlbt1F_pNaAkZsN1wAfhOQ01Rzmi3AF75B6tXa9VtxCz54xKKF4VxY2WQRhp2CEvTVicvUUFays71wbHEepBZW6TmxdN6AYhTJlhKnqyW1WDZvco8/w640-h480/fullsizeoutput_1bdf.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Instead of trimming your child's fingernails for him, why not teach him how to do it himself? This simple setup is just a tray with child-sized fingernail clippers and a tiny broom (see video below for how to use that). Show him how the trimmers work and where the sharp parts are. Model patience and great care, so that you don't nick yourself. Also demonstrate how to tidy up afterwards.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GFORqv9QpOU" width="320" youtube-src-id="GFORqv9QpOU"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxVmgYeEkvLHVxy7atm_3qiIF7SkKQbDjaXicy9DjOdWEMw1h2rjHxDTyDVLBgasSZ6zGBL2YWefu5cI9QCQg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-56106447131219898532021-01-27T07:00:00.001-08:002021-01-27T08:47:50.592-08:00Montessori Practical Life at Home: Peeling a Potato<h1 style="text-align: left;">Food Prep: How to Peel a Potato</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Montessori Hack--Remember a Non-Slip Mat</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">A Grapefruit Knife Wouldn't Hurt, Either</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7pIHJ2R2QuSimtp51zdYCLfashesKwBSn8outq43PyTUiN-Jq8CEfux1kiwduMwKV9l2ylFLfcCknJ7ne9On0KY56EYookCk84xZ9F3IUIicg2DFLHbBozDhAOBBwCpHdhlF4rltCsU/s4608/P1040083.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7pIHJ2R2QuSimtp51zdYCLfashesKwBSn8outq43PyTUiN-Jq8CEfux1kiwduMwKV9l2ylFLfcCknJ7ne9On0KY56EYookCk84xZ9F3IUIicg2DFLHbBozDhAOBBwCpHdhlF4rltCsU/w640-h480/P1040083.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We're having Cream of Potato Soup tonight and it calls for four peeled, diced potatoes. Dinners that require a lot of steps are great for involving children and teaching or practicing discrete skills like peeling. Just remember: when you introduce the peeler for the first time, point out the sharp parts! </div><div><br /></div><div>It's always good to model a seated position, using a quality peeler with slow, deliberate movements, and taking the time to do the work almost meditatively. There are smells and sounds associated with this work, as well as graceful movements. When done, demonstrate how you discard the peelings into the compost or trash. Important hack: use a damp towel, a non-skip mat, or a silicone baking mat under the tray to keep things from jiggling around.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0urqRwY9Dz4" width="320" youtube-src-id="0urqRwY9Dz4"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-18723202013608838502021-01-26T06:36:00.001-08:002021-01-26T06:36:51.130-08:00Montessori Practical Life at Home: Food Prep--Peeling an Egg<h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokHnFYWBYT9Y9Dxq3oXBO_LB2fIxefE1OEYdG4Pr1qz6p2_U-QLu7QHk-B7IQGI__XAvxDaQANo2aqzqTblam3dTLmwzat7J1PMNRx-fXCYC8k6LKPcvuyDnNLiKZd_ESRDRGUonu1mk/s4608/P1040070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokHnFYWBYT9Y9Dxq3oXBO_LB2fIxefE1OEYdG4Pr1qz6p2_U-QLu7QHk-B7IQGI__XAvxDaQANo2aqzqTblam3dTLmwzat7J1PMNRx-fXCYC8k6LKPcvuyDnNLiKZd_ESRDRGUonu1mk/w640-h480/P1040070.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></h1><h1 style="text-align: left;">Food Prep: Peeling a Hard-Boiled Egg</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Easy, Healthy Snack</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Egg Slicer Makes it Fun and Pretty</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Vn5qKKC-S04Vd71Xo1ykNupFsVYA1LqdEMxkz32I40csw2twK3rY0BxsxyI6OGqsWpcUjxMttlkUIWS5FXfjpLIi3VCj86-ZMlViryPV3ezNAC1mmJx263U_c7dm0-JE40Dg6Ifv-0Y/s4608/P1040075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Vn5qKKC-S04Vd71Xo1ykNupFsVYA1LqdEMxkz32I40csw2twK3rY0BxsxyI6OGqsWpcUjxMttlkUIWS5FXfjpLIi3VCj86-ZMlViryPV3ezNAC1mmJx263U_c7dm0-JE40Dg6Ifv-0Y/s320/P1040075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>It's easy to cook several eggs in advance and keep them on hand for snacks, salads, or deviled eggs. In this Practical Life Food Prep work, a child has what he needs to prepare his own simple, healthy snack. If you compost or use eggshells for an <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2012/04/crushing-eggshells.html">Eggshell Crushing work</a> (to amend soil), show the child where you want the eggshells to go after his snack, as he cleans up.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyzt3EH6DDSCuPNccdM_ck4ZLOAv1VH78j_AD42O5jFkCYICHBDHGywKgXnq3Pc1BshgqvAdJ8HVUaSDUxeDw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-58395788446608008552021-01-25T07:54:00.002-08:002021-01-25T07:54:47.065-08:00Use This, Not That<h1 style="text-align: left;">Misconceptions About How to Get Started</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Montessori Mindset Trumps "The Stuff"</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Resist the Urge to Put It All in Your Cart</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGhQGmz6WP_rUmTif3reJv3NsnHbO17vxG8n01AAdwUFsiSqsBdkSJRvQZNKFDByDtsGhafIQRncgCsk541LlPJs_64vcqqTzFeyWCOtMLNxyDVP6YD-zETrar9SBgpPxri_SagpsPKs/s2048/IMG_0794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGhQGmz6WP_rUmTif3reJv3NsnHbO17vxG8n01AAdwUFsiSqsBdkSJRvQZNKFDByDtsGhafIQRncgCsk541LlPJs_64vcqqTzFeyWCOtMLNxyDVP6YD-zETrar9SBgpPxri_SagpsPKs/s320/IMG_0794.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't need all of the expensive, specialized Montessori equipment that takes up SO much real estate when you are FIRST starting out with Montessori.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I get it. You've got your mind set on teaching your toddlers and young children at home (at least for now) using the Montessori method. You freak out about clearing out the dining room or guest room or a bedroom, just to make space for all of The Stuff. You research Billy and Kallax, you scour the online marketplaces, you stalk thrift stores, you bookmark DIY plans and free printables. Been there, done that!</div><div><br /></div><div>But if you are just getting started, you should truly take the time to understand the lifestyle and philosophy of the method, and you'll realize that--especially for toddlers and young children--you can spend just a little bit of money and sacrifice a little bit of space to begin. A house that's full of Montessori materials but whose parents still do everything for the child--brush the hair, pour the milk, wipe the spill, sweep the floor, clip the fingernails, fold the laundry, mash the potatoes, tie the shoes, zip the pants, button the coat, set the table, feed the dog, water the plants, wipe the nose, peel the carrots--is not following one of the basic tenets: Promote independence when you can; otherwise, your "help" is an obstacle to the child's growth, confidence, and learning.</div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQni8YrHjQYnqX06seyprOLjiwh0iGRDTsgET8rv2MUyE3oH5ncks-u2Zhx77dRhhHPwEVwxgw4G9HGRVQ0HS1DQQy_ZaQ4xtnjRcLNP0r-w2tZk0ngtGsAvJXUjucWpJ2USIenc1Tf8/s2048/IMG_0796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQni8YrHjQYnqX06seyprOLjiwh0iGRDTsgET8rv2MUyE3oH5ncks-u2Zhx77dRhhHPwEVwxgw4G9HGRVQ0HS1DQQy_ZaQ4xtnjRcLNP0r-w2tZk0ngtGsAvJXUjucWpJ2USIenc1Tf8/s320/IMG_0796.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find some child-sized kitchen tools instead.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExpXdRzG4qr3cyFGoPi0h9u5TlrWC3yTBDubE-zXasvv6mymNgBCh8CYWeFXuC6WnIamSyv50P_BvNI2eaK_8yad9bilG7Kp9wXej1M_-RmttTKF40TOGvan402Gfib-fq_uXPP9qpFQ/s2048/IMG_0799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExpXdRzG4qr3cyFGoPi0h9u5TlrWC3yTBDubE-zXasvv6mymNgBCh8CYWeFXuC6WnIamSyv50P_BvNI2eaK_8yad9bilG7Kp9wXej1M_-RmttTKF40TOGvan402Gfib-fq_uXPP9qpFQ/s320/IMG_0799.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TJMaxx has an amazing selection.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>That long sentence packs a HUGE punch, mostly because actually following that advice is a ginormous shift for most of us. How in the world do we get out the door when we have to patiently wait for our child to tie his own shoes, put on his jacket by himself, or clear and wash his breakfast dishes? (Not to mention dealing with a child who won't cooperate!). But THIS is where the learning and development is so important, not in the rushing around. </div><div><br /></div><div>Allowing space in your life and schedule can also be transformative for a family. If you are not a patient person (Ahem--me!), then re-fashioning your life around your child's independence is a big deal. It will be almost painful to watch your child take FOREVER to serve herself Goldfish crackers, carry the plate to her table, stop to sweep up the ones she spilled, and have a snack. The same is true if you've ever been to a rehab facility for adults working to regain lost skills. It requires us to stop and marvel at the amazing progress and growth of which humans are capable, if given the time, encouragement, and support.</div><div><br /></div><div>Re-think your beginning steps. Instead of buying the Pink Tower, you may need to replace your daughter's hand-me-down coat with the broken zipper so that she can learn to zip it up herself. Or you may need to spend a little to buy child-size kitchen tools so that your son can <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2012/04/complicated-cooking.html">peel the carrots and potatoes for borscht. </a> Why not? You're making dinner anyway. Let him work alongside you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a list of ideas of Montessori Practical Life activities you can teach your child at home:</div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Pouring (first dry, then wet)</li><li>Washing hands</li><li><a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2013/09/washing-table-phd-of-care-of.html">Washing the tabletop</a></li><li>Washing dishes</li><li>Cleaning windows</li><li><a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2021/01/montessori-practical-life-care-of-plants.html">Watering plants</a></li><li>Carrying things without bonking into the wall or other people</li><li>Setting and clearing the table</li><li><a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2012/11/shoe-polishing-spiff-up-for-holidays.html">Polishing stuff--shoes, wood, metal</a></li><li>Opening and shutting doors, drawers, cupboards, boxes, all sorts of bottles, etc.</li><li>Folding napkins, towels, clothes</li><li>Peeling fruits and vegetables</li><li>Spreading something on bread or toast</li></ul></div><div>The list goes on and on. You should also include lessons in Grace and Courtesy, such as:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>How to greet someone</li><li>How to offer something (like a snack) to someone</li><li>Inviting a person in</li><li>Saying "Excuse me."</li><li>How to interrupt</li><li><a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2013/08/montessori-snack-saving-civilization.html">How to chat or carry on a conversation</a></li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div>We want our children to develop <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2012/04/freedom-and-inner-discipline.html">self-control and an inner discipline</a>. In order to do that we need to give them freedom within boundaries, which requires our planning, our patience, and our own self-control.</div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-1411871604690887452021-01-24T05:55:00.004-08:002021-01-24T06:08:17.307-08:00Montessori Practical Life at Home--Independence at Breakfast<h1 style="text-align: left;">Self-Serve Cold Breakfast Sequence</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Practical Life at Home</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Food Prep: Dry Cereal with Milk, Orange Juice</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIYfoMwtjgq7f7hkAXZIoCQ9GsUJGPPHotK631PC-UEoDsyqjPWao8Y9c8bJwi2WuqbfFuk4tUhm-f5Rtz9KBcLivAmTVPvxsJflsF6BWktSgcrmGTfI0XYB3Pac7_FZXwf5DdQG7qI0/s2048/fullsizeoutput_1b39.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIYfoMwtjgq7f7hkAXZIoCQ9GsUJGPPHotK631PC-UEoDsyqjPWao8Y9c8bJwi2WuqbfFuk4tUhm-f5Rtz9KBcLivAmTVPvxsJflsF6BWktSgcrmGTfI0XYB3Pac7_FZXwf5DdQG7qI0/w640-h480/fullsizeoutput_1b39.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our tiny workstation has a cereal dispenser and this nifty cereal bowl, complete with built-in straw for drinking the leftover milk. The tray, which was on sale at Michael's, is smaller than a typical fast food restaurant tray, so it's ideal for young children to use when carrying heavy objects. You can buy small glasses, similar to this one, at TJMaxx or Marshall's. They're actually shot glasses, but they are the perfect size for petite hands.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwiTYOR_ONm9xBvEJaPJNIyALixgBZIuFxeWDJx_Jnc-zRpluPhiW_o3hDCABc4FrOCDN-Ak9kfzl_xMDku3A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-80986412317621924252021-01-23T08:03:00.000-08:002021-01-23T08:03:59.715-08:00Montessori Practical Life at Home--Independence at Breakfast <h1 style="text-align: left;"> Self-Serve Hot Breakfast Sequence</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Practical Life at Home</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Food Prep: Oatmeal with Milk, Fruit and Honey Sequence</h3><div>If you have a tiny workstation set up in your kitchen/classroom, it's easy to teach children to be more independent at breakfast. Here, I've already cooked and spooned the oatmeal into a bowl. As your child grows, he or she can learn to cook it, but this is a good starting point for beginners.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPHAxbruhtVBO9ZZzfkisPp8XXbDDAb3BTvCYiGZadnZ7SvbWxHEf3Vgfr7oTu5tkq8gDt63IPcO_cWALodqSVpdeFxr9FnuzOFebqbs9G7jb9IRswFn6sR7TxhilrHbIiLdlWHLLh-s/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPHAxbruhtVBO9ZZzfkisPp8XXbDDAb3BTvCYiGZadnZ7SvbWxHEf3Vgfr7oTu5tkq8gDt63IPcO_cWALodqSVpdeFxr9FnuzOFebqbs9G7jb9IRswFn6sR7TxhilrHbIiLdlWHLLh-s/w400-h300/DSC00077+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start with the bowl of cooked oatmeal, a spoon, a pitcher of milk, some fruit (already washed and cut in small container at left), and honey.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIm3HMYk1JzIF6Q37KqHJtftG1p0Q3bxO9wutUJOGV0dD8tJsZMGyeMllBl5hShkidv-jWsGwftl2yV19iQBcc7c_XWmZR6Xabyd7ZNQMw7Laj2Pvs4jb5-C_5nR687kQ8h-VahOCcbc/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIm3HMYk1JzIF6Q37KqHJtftG1p0Q3bxO9wutUJOGV0dD8tJsZMGyeMllBl5hShkidv-jWsGwftl2yV19iQBcc7c_XWmZR6Xabyd7ZNQMw7Laj2Pvs4jb5-C_5nR687kQ8h-VahOCcbc/" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another reason for lots of previous practice in pouring!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMfrCYaG2ntu-JpCp-SGWGImagk_gB3H8kzTGnkw47IRtpwUO0_rVo_UIFCMRlTfvh0l2NiW_3lWcyzDYHzf4B_fjvUhKm_TpYt2TZyqQTa5gNYj101lg8CQwJBKcLdR4VW07Ka24ChQ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMfrCYaG2ntu-JpCp-SGWGImagk_gB3H8kzTGnkw47IRtpwUO0_rVo_UIFCMRlTfvh0l2NiW_3lWcyzDYHzf4B_fjvUhKm_TpYt2TZyqQTa5gNYj101lg8CQwJBKcLdR4VW07Ka24ChQ/" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening this container, which has a screw-top, requires previous practice and some dexterity. The Montessori Open-Close Basket helps children practice. <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2013/07/mobile-montessori.html">See previous post.</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInRJx7_ZAyhNZexwVzNhgM4EOCAnB9nT0K448Ua9Am_ZDsiN_A8R9M3hlQzszT9FENahW-X06QDx6aB331ZgTO-z_SZ6t5lKlyUSq4Yl8btYpwu5oLzmDQlxOrposWjw23hqlQq6naPs/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInRJx7_ZAyhNZexwVzNhgM4EOCAnB9nT0K448Ua9Am_ZDsiN_A8R9M3hlQzszT9FENahW-X06QDx6aB331ZgTO-z_SZ6t5lKlyUSq4Yl8btYpwu5oLzmDQlxOrposWjw23hqlQq6naPs/" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The honey container has another kind of lid.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>I hope by now you can see how a child's mastery of simple Montessori works (like pouring, opening and closing various containers, etc.) add up to independence at home and in the classroom. </div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-34041306686765345902021-01-22T12:17:00.003-08:002021-01-25T07:47:56.859-08:00Montessori Practical Life: Care of Plants<h1 style="text-align: left;">Taking Care of Your Environment, Inside and Out</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Caring for the Plants Around the House or Classroom</h2><div style="text-align: left;">It's natural for children to want to do real work: polishing shoes, cutting and arranging flowers, folding napkins, peeling potatoes, sewing on a button, .... the list goes on and on. These are all things a young child is likely to see older people (older children and adults) doing. In order to take part in the same work a young child has to first master the simpler components of these jobs. For instance, a child has to practice pouring in order to pour his own milk and prepare his cereal at breakfast. Or a child needs to be able to walk while carrying a tray if she is to be able to carry a food prep work from the shelf to a table.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This work, Care of Plants, is no different. Many of us have indoor plants at home or in the classroom (Aldi's has a great selection!), and they need regular care. In this first video, I demonstrate how to check the soil to see if the plant needs to be watered and then I trim off and remove dead leaves.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6X5EQvap5yY" width="320" youtube-src-id="6X5EQvap5yY"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>In this second video I demonstrate how to use a cotton ball to wipe dust off of the leaves. Then I mist the plants leaves with water.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n10Q4VRswxE" width="320" youtube-src-id="n10Q4VRswxE"></iframe></div><br /><p>It would be easy for this work to lead into a simple science lesson, but it also important on its own. Please be careful: some plants are toxic to children and to pets!</p></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-28673044989834649582021-01-19T12:11:00.003-08:002021-01-19T12:19:39.599-08:00Self Serve Fruit Salad Snack Sequence<h1 style="text-align: left;">Practical Life at Home</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Food Prep: Self Serve Fruit Salad</h2><p>Whether at home or in a classroom setting, Montessori snack is set up so that children can be independent. Utensils should be the right size for a child's hand, and the working surface (table or counters) should either be reachable with a safe step stool or be just the right height (here, a table 20 inches off of the floor).</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEN2bB1WCXtmQd_mRvP4hYowtBWOwc_FZcTJm_YXiDPogAJbpBBG2YtkBep_JANYCK_tfJXJe6ZOz3-2jRiRHUHkQvRHJQFcn7bUASJjZT-rteaCozJSGm5e0ZI96GUING2N3PEFjXrI/s5152/MMfruitsalad1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEN2bB1WCXtmQd_mRvP4hYowtBWOwc_FZcTJm_YXiDPogAJbpBBG2YtkBep_JANYCK_tfJXJe6ZOz3-2jRiRHUHkQvRHJQFcn7bUASJjZT-rteaCozJSGm5e0ZI96GUING2N3PEFjXrI/s320/MMfruitsalad1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start with an empty bowl, pre-washed fruit, serving spoons and a spoon.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpM4X3crd5wyn4j-o9-ZR35oI1DEBo9s4Qppxtkwe1yKHCDJ_KmViClL5nVnt3mdyCpjWgeFR8DjPVZHWUUrESlHNCwt7uCxgXjS5jxxsbmPHlATZN6g-hgrRs3VNxkpfKRnjzIfbHftc/s5152/MMfruitsalad2JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpM4X3crd5wyn4j-o9-ZR35oI1DEBo9s4Qppxtkwe1yKHCDJ_KmViClL5nVnt3mdyCpjWgeFR8DjPVZHWUUrESlHNCwt7uCxgXjS5jxxsbmPHlATZN6g-hgrRs3VNxkpfKRnjzIfbHftc/s320/MMfruitsalad2JPG.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scoop first fruit into bowl.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtxWSTM0uauE_oHmwxgrbp8PgiUs-fHa9DY_e0cHUjwExQjdOut_wxG9LrdiMXboSXxvHGcMH_YQ0rX1234n_LkRwckrpF86mS-2JwlBw6TZhXiH09auj8iXXQ2LgB3g_yuP5jjVieHE/s5152/MMfruitsalad3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtxWSTM0uauE_oHmwxgrbp8PgiUs-fHa9DY_e0cHUjwExQjdOut_wxG9LrdiMXboSXxvHGcMH_YQ0rX1234n_LkRwckrpF86mS-2JwlBw6TZhXiH09auj8iXXQ2LgB3g_yuP5jjVieHE/s320/MMfruitsalad3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(It may even make a nice "plunk" sound!)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Vx_ky5EkVaa-kl_IiBQmAeRRq7UPUaFLSsgCozD0piTmNo2Xjskjfe32g4_yOVEWuGFFfhuPI75GpeXOj0EgXUbNuBakWOkRyvGMj9rjt_vDYFi3crGpz74FJmVfmca4u7_6jYWorkk/s5152/MMfruitsaladpenultimate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Vx_ky5EkVaa-kl_IiBQmAeRRq7UPUaFLSsgCozD0piTmNo2Xjskjfe32g4_yOVEWuGFFfhuPI75GpeXOj0EgXUbNuBakWOkRyvGMj9rjt_vDYFi3crGpz74FJmVfmca4u7_6jYWorkk/s320/MMfruitsaladpenultimate.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add second fruit.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJeDYUK_SMO4i-DFIg03NV1kqPGHuSw__WEJODAKLrL5TqkX48YKmFzKnFvIx9hIzIrqZCfFfHW2uGfCa73ikcUBtRmOr0ilKPF2WipNft-a6kWTGwUFIZLSDIP1Rt1ABu2ptXxlEIO8/s5152/MMfruitsaladfinal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJeDYUK_SMO4i-DFIg03NV1kqPGHuSw__WEJODAKLrL5TqkX48YKmFzKnFvIx9hIzIrqZCfFfHW2uGfCa73ikcUBtRmOr0ilKPF2WipNft-a6kWTGwUFIZLSDIP1Rt1ABu2ptXxlEIO8/s320/MMfruitsaladfinal.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get your spoon and go!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;">Be sure to teach children how to clean up afterwards. They may carry dishes to a sink to wash themselves, leave on the counter next to the sink, or load into a dishwasher. Leave a comment below if you'd like to see a dish washing sequence!</div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-55679837902770592052021-01-16T19:01:00.002-08:002021-01-16T19:01:32.946-08:00Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Biblical Geography<h1 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFyFZ9LCpmTN-DiTl0lFqrwuzREQzUIr1n0bXC-l2DuDcUZNN3f-EfK_59HC_WVDCd5goSK65ybi5M25oOdS_hy7v2H8mmqJaxKWA2zL4Q9Q1mtLR6R5lZe52PmfOLlnpARUqKB27tDU/s1600/IMG_0540.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFyFZ9LCpmTN-DiTl0lFqrwuzREQzUIr1n0bXC-l2DuDcUZNN3f-EfK_59HC_WVDCd5goSK65ybi5M25oOdS_hy7v2H8mmqJaxKWA2zL4Q9Q1mtLR6R5lZe52PmfOLlnpARUqKB27tDU/w640-h480/IMG_0540.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Making 2D and 3D Maps of the Holy Land</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">In the Level 1 Atrium (for ages 3-6), Simple Geography</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Hands-On Lessons in Two and Three Dimensions</h3><p style="text-align: left;">When we teach the young child about the Holy Land--where Jesus's coming was announced, where He was born, and where He died and rose--we keep things simple and hands-on. We use a raised surface map of Israel to show the important cities in Jesus's life (the 3D map) and a puzzle map of Israel with the names of the regions and waterways. Both are doable at home, especially these days where you can use the internet to pull up maps of the area.</p><p style="text-align: left;">To make the 3D map I started with a wooden tray (any Montessori classroom has several of these!) and some papier mache. You could make your own papier mache pretty easily, but I used some CelluClay I already had on hand. Simplify so that the child can focus on basic impressions--where the bodies of water are, where the land is hilly, etc. You will make three holes in your sculpted creation so that you can insert skewers identifying Nazareth (where the Holy Spirit is symbolized by a white dove and which marks where the Annunciation took place), Bethlehem (where a yellow star symbolizes where Jesus was born), and Jerusalem (where a brown cross symbolizes His crucifixion and resurrection). </p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPy8z-Dn6ctc1LEIALoJKieevEV_fOfwse_J9TR0QC3YFmtaejdb-SsIYCkRG21Or8uV23L7TRDUw_eeMiElBBi5_0z_UOd2UFU6227ocsjqF0aq0JwYhrHxs795qHaUyo2sRyfS65AEM/s1600/IMG_0550.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPy8z-Dn6ctc1LEIALoJKieevEV_fOfwse_J9TR0QC3YFmtaejdb-SsIYCkRG21Or8uV23L7TRDUw_eeMiElBBi5_0z_UOd2UFU6227ocsjqF0aq0JwYhrHxs795qHaUyo2sRyfS65AEM/s1600/IMG_0550.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHebKSIS_CaPKAUSs_3gF8naNwmSvE0AIXgVgMzQoL-2Xcin7tH0YFzovgX3pwK11VO3S_sPaYugyznTXjV6sXPUJVIIXzoMPNdrm45AsaPD3RnCkSvvd4Q6fN8FPdSoi6JrOz84UL4U/s1600/IMG_5568.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHebKSIS_CaPKAUSs_3gF8naNwmSvE0AIXgVgMzQoL-2Xcin7tH0YFzovgX3pwK11VO3S_sPaYugyznTXjV6sXPUJVIIXzoMPNdrm45AsaPD3RnCkSvvd4Q6fN8FPdSoi6JrOz84UL4U/s1600/IMG_5568.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used cheap acrylic paints to color the land and water. I suppose it would be smart to finish with a clear coat spray for durability. The cross, star, and dove were made of Sculpey (you could use any polymer clay) and then affixed with Gorilla Wood Glue.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNS_88hvZEpf2irRaMvihGxdLZq7m4Uzy6N1Ib-vhqZ4ZUCCn4QFi0zo-y-o_1zKbZJT1d52tkMrvQEPbz6oxPSBCUAuQBY1Vpd7qFMTbJ4RyXFmdbJQ-SZSLsX1D0aMsxC4xOMg5jHE/s1600/IMG_5577.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNS_88hvZEpf2irRaMvihGxdLZq7m4Uzy6N1Ib-vhqZ4ZUCCn4QFi0zo-y-o_1zKbZJT1d52tkMrvQEPbz6oxPSBCUAuQBY1Vpd7qFMTbJ4RyXFmdbJQ-SZSLsX1D0aMsxC4xOMg5jHE/s1600/IMG_5577.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgZ9NywujNw-RlBgtNJPLHZAGiZX4xN7OBcpc9f5i8DQIjt2VL3wAt19cW7A7f1BoGPeX9MTL2JHnYmfBjfnsYo93NQ17WjZqivD6efUUwXZ3PFB_t6gKSiE7SnU3Zg4lk14IA-vo_Cc/s1600/IMG_5573.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgZ9NywujNw-RlBgtNJPLHZAGiZX4xN7OBcpc9f5i8DQIjt2VL3wAt19cW7A7f1BoGPeX9MTL2JHnYmfBjfnsYo93NQ17WjZqivD6efUUwXZ3PFB_t6gKSiE7SnU3Zg4lk14IA-vo_Cc/s1600/IMG_5573.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I snipped off the pointy bits for safety's sake.</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfgfqa2TwC35csTtKpsm5BPnqxESVXefTc2eE5mlwaXk-ObE3-eNt9zVxgiJNfN6pgK8U9q9HH-PWO0oNgh85k0E0UGNfleJ7myePajPESZ3k3qWq-ms2KacDxzf1n-c2cD9_vkfqYxk/s1600/IMG_5579.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfgfqa2TwC35csTtKpsm5BPnqxESVXefTc2eE5mlwaXk-ObE3-eNt9zVxgiJNfN6pgK8U9q9HH-PWO0oNgh85k0E0UGNfleJ7myePajPESZ3k3qWq-ms2KacDxzf1n-c2cD9_vkfqYxk/s1600/IMG_5579.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To see my post on making the 2D map, <a href="http://www.montessorimessy.com/2013/09/puzzle-map-of-israel-and-catechesis-of.html">click here.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZA4XjpniU8uDOSITHrHr4_UbF4n-EX9k5wEaRWFojx-5h8aQG5jgU3dQW34-hhiljpdIklYdCbbMN-Es-riB_6sEZFLI390VLT3lbfxUyAR5rjTqJEpeywKGxoy2tWDEH3O5zq-fF9s/s1600/IMG_0555.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZA4XjpniU8uDOSITHrHr4_UbF4n-EX9k5wEaRWFojx-5h8aQG5jgU3dQW34-hhiljpdIklYdCbbMN-Es-riB_6sEZFLI390VLT3lbfxUyAR5rjTqJEpeywKGxoy2tWDEH3O5zq-fF9s/w640-h480/IMG_0555.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As a member of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA I had access to their simplified map of the Holy Land, but it wouldn't be hard to draw your own using online maps of the area. Just focus on a few basic regions and bodies of water, provide labels and a control map. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you've read this far, you may also be interested in the <a href="https://www.cgsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/Parent-Pages-Biblical-Geography-October-2020-.pdf">Parent Pages created by CGSUSA regarding Biblical Geography.</a> In addition, they have created <a href="https://www.cgsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/Geography-and-the-Elementary-Child-1-2.pdf">Parent Pages for teaching elementary aged children.</a>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-57350902223113907862021-01-16T13:57:00.006-08:002021-01-16T16:34:41.208-08:001001 Uses for White Boards<h1 style="text-align: left;">I am a Whiteboardaholic</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">There. I said it.</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">For homeschooling work, weekly calendars, and running to-do lists</h3>
My "big kids" will tell you: when they move away from home I push on them a few essential must-haves for adulting in today's world. Crock pot: check. Flashlight and backup batteries: check. White board with plethora of dry erase markers in different colors and widths: check, check.<div><br /></div><div>Why, you ask? You can hang them, carry them, erase them; some are magnetic (double plus good!). You can use them for schoolwork, household organization, random doodling, taking phone messages.....the list goes on and on.</div><div><br /></div><div>One year, after Christmas, there was a ginormous sale on whiteboards in the way back of an office supply store. (Don't ask me what I was doing back there. I may or may not have been hiding from family obligations and seeking some me time.) On a whim, I bought three big whiteboards, and have never looked back.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;">Schoolwork</h4><div>This is one example of using a magnetic whiteboard for schoolwork. Below is my version of a Montessori work called the Logical Adjective Game, a lesson often given to 4.5-year-olds who are familiar with the grammar symbols for nouns and adjectives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Starting with the nouns, place each magnetic word in a vertical column to the right of center. Say, "We have some words here that are the names of things," and ask the child to read each aloud. (Since a black triangle represents a noun, you could draw that at the top of the column.)</div><div><br /></div><div>
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<div><br /></div>Next, tell the child, "Now we have some words that describe things. Remember adjectives?" To the left of center, ask the child to read each word as you place each in a vertical column. You could draw a blue triangle at the top of this column if you'd like, since that's the symbol for adjectives. </div><div><br /></div><div>When you are done, each noun should have a descriptive word in front of it. Ask the child to read each pair aloud. Some will sound funny. Ask, "Are there any that you want to change?" It's fun to load the word magnets in such a way that the first pairings don't make much sense. Help the child to match logical pairs of nouns and adjectives so that they make sense together.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, you can use grammar symbols to mark the words. You may ask, "Which one tells you the name?" and "Which one tells you which one?" In this way you reinforce that adjectives describe nouns. There are some extensions of this work, such as combining multiple adjectives to describe a single noun.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;">Family Weekly Calendar</h4><div>When you have six kids and complicated schedules to combine, seeing it all together helps immensely. If you take after the perky, highly-organized Brady Bunch (we don't), I guess you could even have a family meeting every week where you discuss what's ahead. Or you could just force yourself to cross-check every school calendar and class e-mail until you're relatively certain you've got a handle on the chaos ahead.</div><div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLCbKgK__BWQOhc-_Cj07GN1kX1C2kDMMS4LCLBm9os9uCsRapOlqQ1FNfq-oQrLmDk2Pke2T41cNoius-PDNJ-I1BXxe1S9_3n2Uln0Xl-t6us3eI8IapWLlDu2QWpyyZbqEEuYi-iQ/s1600/IMG_3211.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLCbKgK__BWQOhc-_Cj07GN1kX1C2kDMMS4LCLBm9os9uCsRapOlqQ1FNfq-oQrLmDk2Pke2T41cNoius-PDNJ-I1BXxe1S9_3n2Uln0Xl-t6us3eI8IapWLlDu2QWpyyZbqEEuYi-iQ/w640-h480/IMG_3211.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These vinyl letters, which I'm using here for each day of the week, were left over from some kid's school project. We ended up re-using those in many ways!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSgYpFwewy1PcjYq_zaPCDiOXR2_hSLfmSko0_Qr2o4jQ-xu_Yt5LaaKun-LOVB2tu8Q5OGLzRIvD0kvr9KfwF0tdTyDFh3n3RH9H69upj0bkOZhhr_dHz318dJ8m0AtXAm7ZmctMGIw/s1600/IMG_3254.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h4 style="text-align: left;">Individual Homeschool List of Work for the Day</h4><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSgYpFwewy1PcjYq_zaPCDiOXR2_hSLfmSko0_Qr2o4jQ-xu_Yt5LaaKun-LOVB2tu8Q5OGLzRIvD0kvr9KfwF0tdTyDFh3n3RH9H69upj0bkOZhhr_dHz318dJ8m0AtXAm7ZmctMGIw/w240-h320/IMG_3254.jpg" width="240" /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Even though our curriculum (Kolbe) included a printed list of assignments our daughter needed to do each week, she preferred to see what she had to do in each subject each day. It also was super helpful for her to copy her assignments onto the board herself, so she could get a sense of how much of a workload she had in front of her. The black letters to the left are just abbreviations made from the leftover vinyl letters (mentioned above). I think they stood for Math, Science, Religion, Grammar, Reading, Vocab and Spelling, Phonics, Composition, History, and ..... hmmmmm.....not sure what "SR" was.....!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361140250831062750.post-81870979638381339502021-01-15T16:10:00.001-08:002021-01-15T16:16:31.668-08:00Table Washing: The Ph.D. of Practical Life/Care of the Environment Works!Many years ago when I had my school I gave a 4-year-old boy a lesson in Table Washing. It's one of the Practical Life works done with water, and in my AMS training it is given in 73 discrete steps! By the end of class that day I was so proud of the work he had done, I couldn't wait to tell his mother what he had learned and accomplished. Sadly, she seemed to have no idea what a complex undertaking her son had achieved, clueless about how far he had come. See if you can appreciate this work, recommended for children ages 2.5 to 4 years of age.<div><br /></div><div>WARNING: If you've never read a Montessori album before or never studied the importance of order and consistency for the young child, you will likely find the following bizarrely detailed and over-the-top. There are good reasons for presenting this lesson this way. For instance, since we read from left to right, top to bottom, we teach the children to work from left to right, top to bottom. Also, this lesson would only be given to a child who has already mastered pouring water. I'll spare you all 73 steps, but give you a taste. Except for the apron, the materials you see are all from a dollar store, Target dollar bins and/or local toy store.</div><div><br /></div><div>1.<span> Invite the child.</span></div><div>2.<span> Name the work, "table washing."</span></div><div>3.<span> Find a dirty, unoccupied table.</span></div><div>4.<span> Point out the dirt.</span><br />
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5.<span> Say, "Maybe we could wash the table so it's nice and beautiful. Let's take the chair away so we can do our work."</span></div><div>6.<span> Move the chair.</span></div><div><span>7.<span> </span><span>Place a large floor towel on the floor to the left of the table.</span></span></div><div><span><span>8.<span> Invite the child to put on the apron, saying, "It's just your size."</span></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgtPmZxY1yxygDCsHamy7nk-Lz5sEB83viBaNjznDCMdVb6pnVwwmucetsVFvkAn7YJbK4VWCXDk8XJkIBqVj1lkmMbH5aU3dKk7YBJnyAQgNic20UezRZV8yz29s0_2_b_oeOFMninI/s1600/IMG_2739.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgtPmZxY1yxygDCsHamy7nk-Lz5sEB83viBaNjznDCMdVb6pnVwwmucetsVFvkAn7YJbK4VWCXDk8XJkIBqVj1lkmMbH5aU3dKk7YBJnyAQgNic20UezRZV8yz29s0_2_b_oeOFMninI/s320/IMG_2739.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span><span><span>9.<span> Carry basin and bucket and place on top of the right hand corner of the floor towel.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span>10.<span> Remove bucket and place in the upper left corner of the floor towel.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span>11.<span> Remove pitcher and place in the upper center of the floor towel.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span>12.<span> Remove the soap dish with sponge and place in the lower left corner.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>13.<span> Remove soap dish and soap and put to the right of the sponge.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>14.<span> Remove brush and put to the right of the soap.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>15.<span> Remove dish cloth and place it to the right of the brush.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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17.<span> Carry the pitcher to your work area and hold it over the center of the basin.</span></div><div>18.<span> With right hand on the handle and left hand supporting the "tummy," pour all of the water into the basin.</span></div><div>19.<span> Holding the pitcher over the basin, shake the last few drops out.</span></div><div>20.<span> Carry the empty pitcher to the sink or dispenser to fill it again, repeating these steps until the basin has two inches of water in it.</span></div><div>21.<span> Put pitcher back on its place on the floor towel.</span><br />
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72.<span> Say, "Let's smell the table."</span></div><div>73.<span> Name the work. "Table washing."</span><br />
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<br /></div><div>Can you imagine what an undertaking this work is?! That's why I call it the "PhD of Practical Life." It requires sequencing, order, core strength, precision, and great body control. If this seems too much, start with a simplified version using just a wet sponge.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Montessori Messyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13872404436044899480noreply@blogger.com0