Montessori at Home

What to put on the shelf, when a child is ready for it, and what the research does and does not show. Written by the people who pick the toys.

A small wooden coin bank with a narrow slot in the lid, several smooth wooden discs scattered beside it, one disc resting half inside the slot.
Milestones 11 min read
Does my child need strong hands before writing? What actually predicts it

The study everyone reaches for on handwriting never measured hand strength. What it did measure is worth knowing before the next squeeze toy.

A low wooden tray on a kitchen counter holding two small ceramic cups and a folded cotton cloth, with a small glass jug beside it.
Doing it themselves 10 min read
My toddler wants to help and everything takes twice as long. Should I let him?

The urge to help arrives around fourteen months, long before the ability does. That gap is the part worth protecting.

A wooden puzzle, a shape sorter and a stack of wooden blocks arranged on a pale oak floor beside two board books, lit by daylight from a window.
Choosing toys 10 min read
How do I get the grandparents to stop buying so many toys, without a fight?

Arguing about plastic goes nowhere. Arguing about volume, three weeks early, with a list, is a different conversation.

A round wooden peg board with small colored pegs, some standing in holes and some lying loose beside it, and a small wooden color die on a cream tablecloth.
Is this normal?Milestones 9 min read
My 5-year-old cheats at board games and cries when she loses. Is that normal?

At five, fairness runs in one direction only. The cheating and the crying are two different problems, and only one of them needs you.

A small wooden cup on a pale oak floorboard with three wooden balls, two inside the cup and one beside it.
Choosing toysMilestones 10 min read
What should a first-birthday toy actually do? Three jobs a 1-year-old can already do

At twelve months there are three things a child can already do. Buy for one of them rather than five.

A wooden step stool with side rails standing at a kitchen counter, with a shallow bowl of green beans and a small ceramic jug on the counter above.
Doing it themselvesSafety 10 min read
What can a 2-year-old actually do in the kitchen?

The height is the whole problem. Solve it and a two-year-old has real jobs, none of them hot or sharp.

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The Ultimate Guide to Montessori at Home

Shelf setup, choosing toys, and knowing when your child is ready for the next thing.

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