My children’s first Montessori teacher told the children that if she was in the middle of giving a lesson to another child and they had something they needed to tell her, they should put their hand on her shoulder. This would tell her that they had something important to say. Then, as soon as there was an appropriate place to pause in the lesson, she would stop and see what the child needed. This principle can be used in the home, too. If we are on a phone call or talking to someone and our toddler has something to say, we can tap our shoulder to remind them to put their hand there. They place
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