The Montessori Toddler Quotes

“What seems to be a lack of flexibility (“I can’t eat breakfast without my favorite spoon!”) is actually an expression of their strong sense of order. What looks like a battle of wills is actually your toddler learning that things don’t always go their way. What looks like repeating the same annoying game over and over is actually the child trying to gain mastery. What appears to be an explosive tantrum is actually the toddler saying, “I love you so much, I feel safe to release everything that I’ve been holding on to all day.” What seems to be intentionally going slowly to wind us up is actually them exploring everything in their path.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“Rather than issuing commands—“Put the orange peel in the bin, please”—we can give information instead: “The orange peel goes in the bin.” Then they can figure out for themselves that they need to take it to the bin. It becomes something they choose to do rather than another order from the adult.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“Let the children be free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and, when the grass of the meadows is damp with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning as it wakes every living creature that divides its day between waking and sleeping.” —Dr. Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“If you’ve told a child a thousand times, and the child still has not learned, then it is not the child who is the slow learner.” —Walter B. Barbe”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“Responsibilities because, as Dr. Montessori points out, a sponge can absorb dirty water as easily as it can clean water. A child will pick up negative experiences as easily as positive experiences.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“A child will pick up negative experiences as easily as positive experiences. They can even pick up our feelings and attitudes, for example, when we drop something and get frustrated with ourselves (as opposed to forgiving ourselves) or if we have a fixed mind-set that we are bad at drawing (as opposed to a growth mind-set where we might show that we can always keep improving our skills).”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“Who knew that parenting would become an almost spiritual journey? And what a journey it is. Sometimes I wish I had known all of this before I became a parent. Yet, we only know what we know. So I think of how I've grown up alongside my children - that they see me trying and geting it wrong and trying again ad getting a bit better, constantly learning and growing.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“In Montessori we have a phrase for this: “Teach by teaching, not by correcting.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“When a child shows a particular interest in one area—for example, movement, language, math, reading—it is known as a sensitive period. This describes a moment when the child is particularly attuned to learning a certain skill or concept and it happens with ease and without effort.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“When limits are not consistent, toddlers will keep testing them to see what we decide today. If they find it works to nag or melt down, they will try again. This is called intermittent reinforcement.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing,” as the Scandinavians like to say.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“We can acknowledge the guilt we may feel about putting ourselves first. And let it go. Reframe it instead as being a great example for our children to look after themselves.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“With a foundation of the five basic ingredients, we can apply seven principles to help them become curious human beings. 1. Follow the child—let them lead. 2. Encourage hands-on learning—let them explore. 3. Include the child in daily life—let them be included. 4. Go slow—let them set their own pace. 5. Help me to help myself—let them be independent and responsible. 6. Encourage creativity—let them wonder. 7. Observe—let them show us.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“We were training ourselves to unlearn the desire to analyze, jump to conclusions, have biases, and form preconceptions about a child or a situation.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“If our child is interested in opening and closing, collect old jars and rinse them out so our child can practice taking the lids on and off. Use old wallets or purses with different clasps. Hide some fun things inside for them to discover.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“We are kind to each other. This means that even if we disagree, we will not hurt each other physically or tease each other; it teaches children to respect themselves and each other.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“You know how you woke up last night and couldn’t get back to sleep without your covers over you? Let’s think of a way that you can take care of it yourself in the night. Do you have any ideas?”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“I love the analogy used in the book The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson—when a child is upset, he “flips his lid.” This means that the upstairs part of the brain—the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that makes rational decisions and allows for self-control—is not available to the child.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“I’ve noticed that once toddlers have processed their feelings and are calm, they often take a deep breath or release a big sigh. We can look for this kind of physical sign to show they are completely calm again.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“You are holding on to the swing. Your hands are holding tight. I’m using my gentle hands to help you let go. I’m holding you close to me as we leave the park.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“Yes, you can have another cracker . . . when you have finished this one.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“Are you trying to tell me . . . ?” is a useful phrase for translating the toddler’s needs into words. When they throw their food on the floor, we can say, “Are you trying to tell me you’re all finished?”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“Ow. Was that a shock? It’s hard to see you hurt yourself. I’m so glad your body is made to heal itself. Isn’t it amazing?”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“This helps the child pick things up more easily. Our movements are slow and easy to follow. If we explain with words at the same time, our toddler isn’t sure whether to listen to us or watch us—so we stay quiet so they can focus on our movements without words.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“not to fill a child with facts, but to cultivate their own natural desire to learn.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“What appears to be an explosive tantrum is actually the toddler saying, “I love you so much, I feel safe to release everything that I’ve been holding on to all day.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“The Montessori approach is neither permissive nor bossy. Instead, it teaches parents to be calm leaders for our children.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“Toddlers need to explore and discover the world around them. The Montessori approach recommends that we accept this, set up our spaces for our child to safely explore, get them involved in daily life activities that involve all their senses, and allow them to explore the outdoors. Let them dig in the dirt, take off their shoes in the grass, splash in the water, and run in the rain.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“If a child starts attending a Montessori preschool program, I’d advise against replicating the Montessori materials at home so that they will stay engaged at school. Instead we can continue Montessori at home by including the child in daily life and making sure they have time for unstructured play, opportunities to create, time outdoors, and time for rest. They will continue to practice skills through practical life, arts and crafts, movement and music, and books.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

“Allow all feelings, but not all behavior We might think, If I accept them for who they are, see things from their perspective, and allow all their feelings, do I have to accept all their behavior? This is absolutely not the case. We step in if necessary to stop any inappropriate behavior. As the adult, we often need to act as our toddler’s prefrontal cortex (the rational part of their brain), which is still developing. We can step in to keep them safe. To keep others safe. To keep ourselves safe. To show them they can disagree with others in a respectful way. To show them how to show up and be responsible human beings. Examples: “It’s okay to disagree, but I can’t let you hurt your brother/sister. You sit on this side of me, and you sit on the other.” “I can’t let you hurt me/I can’t let you speak to me that way/I cannot let you hurt yourself. But I see something important is going on, and I am trying to understand.”
― Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being