Does your child ask a lot of questions? Often at inconvenient times? Questions that you may not know the answers to? We've found it useful to record the questions that Otis (9 years) asks and go back to them when we can, often with Otis taking the lead on finding an answer. If we are out I will record the questions on my phone, at home we will use large sticky notes and more recently a white board. It's been beyond useful to have the questions on the wall in a large/poster size. These questions often form the basis for... Read more →

Today I want to share Otis' (8yrs) workstation. I haven't been able to find a lot of examples or inspiration for desks and workstations for this age group online. I hope that by sharing Otis' space others will share their children's spaces too. This little workstation became much more important two weeks ago when we were asked to keep our children home from school. Suddenly Otis was spending a lot more time here. While Otis will work in other areas of the home, with two siblings it has become important that he has a space of his own where he... Read more →

This post feels like an over-share, but here we go! The boys' wardrobe was a little out of control and today I decided it was time to tidy it up! While it is easy for the children to access and put their clothes away, there is no order here. Usually I am happy if the children put their clothing in the baskets but at the moment they have too much clothing out. They have clothing which is worn out, too small or that they just don't wear and it's well past the point of needing to be sorted. All of... Read more →

When making parenting decisions I always think about what is going to benefit the children in the long term. What can I do today to help them tomorrow? Fostering independence is one of those things. It is harder at the start but in the long run it is of great benefit. While using a crib might be easier in the short term I knew a floor bed was best for my children. The upfront difficulty of using a floor bed is baby proofing their entire room. Why do we use a floor bed? Freedom of movement. Children are not confined,... Read more →

My friend Gina recently drew this Montessori toddler room for me. It looks fantastic! Are you looking for ideas for a Montessori toddler bedroom or perhaps it's something to think about for the future? With all of my Montessori spaces, I keep these principles in mind; Do what works for you! Only do what is going to work for you, your family situation, your home. Sometimes this means children sharing a bedroom or utilising small spaces. Beauty. What decor do you consider beautiful (colours, fixtures, textures, floor rugs, bed covers, artwork, furniture)? Is the room calm, is it aesthetically pleasing?... Read more →

You know that I recently read and loved The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I also wrote about protecting the child's sense of order and how Montessori really supports the theory of less is more, everything in it's place. Since writing this article I have been asked about the children's wardrobe more than anything. It appears many parents are struggling with cupboards overflowing with children's clothing that not only are difficult to manage but are also difficult for the child to use. It's easy for us in some respects because the children's wardrobe has always been pretty minimal. But... Read more →

When we moved into this house we had a lot of little areas that needed work to support Otis' independence. The children's wardrobe is smaller than in our last house however it is large enough for all of their clothes (Bruder trucks out of rotation are stored at the very top). Behind the doors to the left are three shelves. Caspar has the top two. The top one for his personal items. Each child has a shelf for their folded clothes, a large rectangular basket for their shorts and pyjamas, sports clothes and a little basket on the side for... Read more →

Before Otis was born I had his floor bed in this exact location - in Caspar's room. I have always wanted my two children to sleep in the same room, to share a bedroom. Except as Otis's birth got closer I struggled to see how it could work. I couldn't completely baby proof Caspar's room. Was it safe for a baby to sleep in the same room as a pre-schooler? The baby could get stuck under Caspar's bed. So before Otis was born I put his bed in a separate room and set it up as much as I could... Read more →

Otis's care of self area. Finally a mirror on the wall. Children love looking at themselves! A hairbrush and a handkerchief. No tissues here. Otis would either eat it or pull it into a million pieces. I've moved his cube chairs. Now there is one here for dressing and the other is near his toileting area. You could use a stool however at this age when undressing Otis will move around and use the arms of the chair for support. Next to the chair is his wardrobe in which he has access to his clothes basket (which contains only a... Read more →

Otis wasn't even born when I first noticed these lovely large prints. Too scary for a newborn I thought. Newborn no longer. I almost have a toddler on my hands. He already loves to sit and watch the small creatures that surround him. Now he can see them in detail. These prints are truly wonderful, you can see the veins on the wings of the dragonfly and the hairs on the legs of the ant. I ordered the prints from Michael Olaf however a greater range can be seen here. It took some courage to install. They are large and... Read more →

When I think about it I realise we have raised our children differently. When Caspar was little he never left my side. Every day, every moment, together. As Otis has been raised more of the Montessori way we have spent time apart from the start. You may remember that Otis was only a couple of weeks old when I would leave him alone in his room with his mobiles. It started as five to ten minutes. And we continued to leave Otis in his room alone as he progressed from his mobiles to playing with his toys and now crawling... Read more →

I purchased my first Puka Puka Design mobile over a year ago. It now appears above my workspace. I am drawn to mobiles and couldn't resist this new one for Otis's room. The Bird Mobile. All of the Puka mobiles have this air of sophistication that I love. The Montessori theory is that mobiles like these should represent reality. Animals that swim or fly are popular such as the Whale or Butterfly mobiles from Michael Olaf. Michael Olaf state that mobiles should have no more than 5 objects and they should be real, such as butterflies, birds, or fish—things that... Read more →

Low shelves (and low art work) are essential in the Montessori infant environment. For Otis it gives him something to look at, to crawl towards, to aim for. Read more →

I know I have just posted an update on Otis's room but to help visualise the few changes we have made and to link with Neptune's lastest post Evolution of a room here are two pictures side by side. Otis and his room at around 1 month. Otis's room currently at 4 months. I think I might do this every few months as it is good to look back as the room evolves. I looked back trying to find a photo of Caspar's room when he was little. I took very few photos back then. One reason why I started... Read more →

I love to see bedrooms and nurseries especially those of the Montessori kind. But most of all I like to see them after a little use and to see how the have grown. Here are some recent pictures of Otis's Room lived in at four months. He is currently using the ring on the ribbon. There is some new artwork on the wall. These are watercolour paintings that I always envisaged for this space but have only recently ordered. I have removed the glass (actually it was perspex) from the frame so Otis will be able to see and feel... Read more →