I am often asked for Montessori book recommendations for parents, and I may have found the best one yet.  Simone Davies’ The Montessori Toddler is a finely detailed instruction manual for parents of toddlers, and how I wish it had been around for me to hand out to parents when I was still in a Montessori toddler classroom!

Davies, a trained Montessori guide and parent of two, offers a beautiful reframing of the defining features of toddlerhood through the lens of Maria Montessori’s observations of natural child development.  The Montessori Toddler is a wonderful tool for parents of young children everywhere, full of invaluable tips and tricks for practically every possible real life situation.

The book goes through everything from explaining Montessori principles, to creating Montessori activities for toddlers, to setting up your home spaces to encourage independence, to encouraging curiosity while setting limits, to how to adjust your own mindset as you go through all those things, and then continues on to the practical aspects of how to make it all work together — including the precise language to use and even how to prepare for the years after toddlerhood.  There are simple photographs and illustrations throughout, along with helpful charts summarizing the concepts at the end.  The topics discussed are meticulously indexed, making it very easy to go straight to the subject you need help with.  There’s even a section exclusively for non-parent caregivers and grandparents!

I’m bumping The Montessori Toddler up to the very top of my Montessori parenting book recommendation list!  This is a must-have for parents of toddlers, and it would make the best baby shower gift to help prepare future parents for the years to come!

Simone Davies writes, “I hope to show you that there is another, more peaceful way to be with your toddler.  To help you plant the seeds to raise a curious and responsible human being.  To work on a relationship with your child that you will continue to build upon for years.  To put Dr. Montessori’s philosophies into practice every day.”  The Montessori Toddler succeeds in that mission in the most practically applicable way possible with a treasure trove of wisdom, grace, and understanding.  Highly recommend!

 

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