Do you have Montessori spaces in your home?

If so what spaces are aligned with Montessori principles and how do they support your goals with your children? If not, which space would you like to design in the Montessori approach most and why?

in our community

Nursery fee refund

So our nursery is closing due to the heat which is fair enough but are we entitled to our fees back? I get they have no control over the weather but the way I look at it I’m self employed and I can’t charge my clients for not coming in for it being too hot so I’m going to be losing a weeks wages to look after little one 😅

Nursery’s or childcare

So I work in a nursery myself. I’m currently on maternity leave but I’m stuck on what I wish to do.

I really do not want my child going to a nursery yet, having worked in one I really can’t stand the way the staff treat the children. I want my baby to be socialised but the thought of her not being able to talk and tell me how her days were really doesn’t sit well with me. My work keep talking to me about coming back and I just don’t have an answer. I want to stay off work until she’s able to talk but I’m unsure how I’ll be able to pay for my bills.

I can’t work in the same room as my baby as the nursery don’t allow it, maybe for bias reasons I’m unsure. But I don’t think I would get on well with the other staff if I hear how my daughter may have been treated. They get very stressed at the babies in the baby room especially during meal times, and for some reason a lot of the babies tend to have nappy rashes that aren’t cared for.

I enjoy my job because I care about the children, but often see a lot of issues as each staff kind of does what they want, or what they think is right. Everyone has different opinions so there isn’t a great routine for the kids, and not to mention since I’ve been gone all I’ve been told by my staff friends is how much the nursery has turned to chaos! Behaviour seems to be awful and not managed well, and I don’t want it rubbing off!

I would consider other nursery’s but I’d also like to work at the nursery my child goes too as it would be more convenient. Anyone have any suggestions? I have been adviced to stay off work until she can talk and just look after her myself but I’m not sure how money side of things would work

What would you do in this situation? (UK)

My mum told me that her neighbour looks after her granddaughter sometimes, and she can hear her neighbour screaming and shouting at the granddaughter constantly, so loud that she can hear her through the wall.

She says she doesn't want to say anything or get anyone else involved because she needs to live there next to her and doesn't want any trouble, so she just turns the TV up all the way to drown out the noise.

Part of me understands why she wouldn't want to get involved, but also if its as bad as she says, and that constant too, perhaps its worth investigating? (She says it's every time she is looking after the little girl, like several times a week. She doesn't know how old the girl is but guesses maybe 3 or 4 years old)

I'm not really sure what is the done thing in this situation? Would you mention it to the neighbour? Would you call someone? Who? Would you just ignore it as its none of your business?

Not reaching for toys

My baby is 3 months old and has no interest in reaching for toys
Open to any suggestions or even toy suggestions
I don’t know if it’s still too early and I shouldn’t be worried
I just don’t want him to fall behind in learning skills

Struggling going from 1-2

Just need people to relate to and advice.

I just had my beautiful very wanted baby girl. She is 4 weeks old and as a baby is a dream, she’s very easy. My son is 3 years old in a couple of weeks.

I knew going from 1-2 would be hard as I’m not silly but I did not expect it to be this level of hard. I am crying almost everyday and feel so low and worthless. I dread every day and night ahead of me.

I am exhausted as we had a bad birth and I lost a lot of blood and spent time in NICU. I’m low in B12 and Iron due to blood loss. I am taking supplements for this but as you can imagine this plus waking every 2 hours or less to feed a baby is killing me off.

My beautiful boy is very VERY high energy and requires a lot of my attention. He really struggles with independent play and obviously doesn’t understand mummy can’t play as often anymore or that his routine has changed slightly because I’m trying to just survive. His behaviour is through the roof. He’s always been hard I won’t lie even as a newborn but he has become an absolute horror from around 36 weeks pregnant to now. He is slapping, biting, kicking and spitting at me and my partner. Throwing insane tantrums because I can’t play 24/7. I could play with him for an hour and then I’ll stop and he that sets him off for hours. He won’t let me rest if I’m trying to have a nap on the couch even though his dad is playing with him. He is especially awful to my partner who is trying his best trying to manage the two of them to allow me to catch up on sleep when I need it but it’s impossible when our toddler can open doors and run away whilst dad has baby.

I just don’t understand as we are involving him with baby sister all the time, both taking him out to do 1-1 activities and i still put him to bed with cuddle every single night without fail. We have stuck to his routine as much as possible and he has become insanely challenging regardless.

I am so done in and just cry almost all day and night. I feel I have no connection to my daughter as I am a zombie everyday just trying to manage our son that all the attention actually goes to him and I barely get time to bond with her. It didn’t help our journey to her was very traumatic (infertility and miscarriages) so I’ve just never felt connected to her out of fear.

I feel awful. She’s an easy baby, my partner is an absolute godsend and I’m grateful every single day for him but our toddler is brutal and I feel awful every single day that I’m failing him and our daughter. I feel like an awful mum for not coping. He’s due to start nursery in 7 weeks and I feel bad for counting down the days. I love him but I’m not coping with him at all at the moment and part of me does feel resentment as this is our last baby and I feel I’m not enjoying this because he is so challenging at the moment. I’m just feeling such a complex wave of emotions and don’t know what to do.

The good part is he’s great with his sister directly, very gentle with her, wants to take her everywhere, talks so fondly of her and loves to help me etc but any other minute of the day he’s awful to his mum and dad :(

Anyone got any advice? I feel like I’m drowning and just wishing time away. I feel heartbroken.

Introducing purées

My son is 3 months old and I’m on the fence about following what my parents and grandparents say I should be doing like adding baby cereal to his bottles and I don’t know if I should start that while on the other hand my baby does bring his hands to his mouth but isn’t sitting up on his own and does have good head and neck control. What is y’all’s stance?