u/marmaladeonsourdough

I am a parent myself and after attending lots of playgroups and classes the idea came to me that I could create my own playgroup. I hold qualifications in both Montessori and children’s sleep and I wondered if there is a way to share this with other parents in a meaningful but casual way in a playgroup.

I would hire a room somewhere and set the room Montessori style with appropriate materials/toys for babies to engage with and keep it open for self directed play rather than a structured session. As a parent myself I don’t think that hearing someone give a speech is what we need in that moment! However I think it would be lovely to share how to incorporate Montessori’s philosophy into everyday life - some easy, practical ideas you can try today. In what way do you think you would enjoy learning more about this?
Would it help if I simply make myself available to talk and answer your questions? Or maybe I could leave some cards around the play area with prompts/ideas to inspire you? Or would you enjoy an open conversation and sharing of ideas between me and all of the parents together, even if just for 10-15 minutes, before moving onto open play? Or if none of those sound appealing and you would just prefer simple open play with Montessori materials, let me know as well.

I don’t know what would most resonate with parents so would hugely appreciate your thoughts and what is something that you would personally enjoy most! I want to provide value and inspiration but equally not force information on anyone.

I am 8 months postpartum with my first child and all of my mum friends with children of similar ages are now going back to work one after another. Also we don’t have any family nearby so I am starting to feel a little isolated! For us, me staying at home with my daughter is a decision we made that works best for us.
I would love to meet some other stay at home mums to organise playdates etc and even just for our own sanity and being able to talk to an adult during the day!
Let me know if that’s you or if you know someone :)

I am currently reading „Montessori from the Start” because I wanted to learn more about how to apply the philosophy specifically to the younger age group (my training focused mainly on 3-6 years), yet I am a bit disappointed with the lack of suggestions specifically for the age between 6-15 months.

I am currently on the chapter of „practical life” and it jumps straight to 15 month olds and over. I assume the focus on this is because before that age, babies focus a lot on movement and mastering crawling and walking specifically, however that’s not the only area they develop.

I struggle coming up with my own ideas for my 7 month old. I do often offer her safe objects from around the house to explore which is recommended in the book. Otherwise, there was only one activity with a ball and cube mentioned for ages 6-8 months but I am curious about any others. Are there going to be any more mentioned later in the book? Apart from this book, do you have any specific ideas on how to prepare the environment for this younger stage?

I thought that my 7 month old loves books… until I realised it’s mostly lift the flap books (or sliding elements, basically anything that moves in the book). When we read books without those, she loses attention much quicker.

I studied Montessori but it was mostly about 3-6 years so finding myself a bit lost sometimes with this younger age. I am torn between wondering whether those „interactive” books are still beneficial for babies or if I am building a bad habit for her. I worry that the more interactive the book, the more it turns into plain entertainment and more passive play. On the other hand, I guess even the most interactive book wouldn’t be as passive as the tv for example. What are your thoughts? I doubt that books like this existed in Montessori’s time so not sure if she was able to comment on this in any of her books.