Turn your home into a Montessori home—and become a more mindful, attentive, and easygoing parent. It’s time to change the way we see toddlers. Using the principles developed by the educator Dr. Maria Montessori, Simone Davies shows how to turn life with a “terrible two” into a mutually rich and rewarding time of curiosity, learning, respect, and discovery.
With hundreds of practical ideas for every aspect of living with a toddler, here are five principles for feeding your child’s natural curiosity, from “Trust in the child” to “Fostering a sense of wonder.” Step-by-step ways to cultivate daily routines with ease, like brushing teeth, toilet-training, dealing with siblings, losing the pacifier. Plus learn how to:
- Stay composed when your toddler is not and set limits with love and respect—without resorting to bribes or punishment
- Set up your home and get rid of the chaos
- Create Montessori activities that are just right for your one-to-three-year-old
- Raise an inquisitive learner who loves exploring the world around them
- See the world through your toddler’s eyes and be surprised and delighted by their perspective
- Be your child’s guide—and truly celebrate every stage
Announcing that rare parenting book that will not only help you become a more effective parent but actually change how you see your children. Written by Montessori educator Simone Davies, this book shows you how to bring the educational values of a Montessori classroom into your home--while turning the whole idea of the "terrible twos" on its head. Here is how to set up Montessori-friendly spaces in your home. Principles for fostering curiosity in your child--and in yourself. Specific Montessori skills--the winter coat flip; getting your toddler to pour his or her own water and clean up whatever spills might occur. And it goes much deeper, showing how a parent can really be present, be the child's guide, and handle tantrums and problematic behavior without resorting to bribes, threats, or punishment and truly celebrate every stage. It's also that rare parenting book that's beautiful to look at, with a bright, airy design and simple color illustrations and photographs.
“This graceful guide to parenting toddlers within the Montessori educational philosophy teaches adults with the same spirit of gentleness, presenting a coherent, attractive system while simultaneously breaking its instruction down into small, understandable chunks that seem reasonable to master.” —
Publishers Weekly“With every page chock-full of plans for how to make one’s home a haven for a youngster’s intellectual and emotional growth, this valuable manual fills a gap on a topic not as frequently addressed in the literature on toddler development.” —
Library Journal " This is a down-to-earth, accessible book that makes Montessori at home doable. She provides clear ideas for discipline and parenting, and it’s written in a friendly, parent-to-parent way." —
Book Riot 
