The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

This book has changed our lives for the better, pretty much overnight. I have an especially strong willed 16 month old, and while I feel I've been coping ok with some of the big toddler themes (ie. strong emotions, increasing autonomy) I've had a nagging sense that things didn't have to be quite so hard and that I wasn't really meeting my daughter's needs. This book has given me the tools to do exactly, and to meet my own needs as well. It's helped me to see how I can reorganise our home and life to make things more harmonious for all of us, and given me some very simple but incredibly effective techniques for dealing with some of our biggest challenges (such as nappy changes). It's beautifully written and put together - it really felt like a treat to read - and (like many of the best books about parenting, see also Philippa Perry) has given me some profound and constructive insights into myself as well as my daughter. After all, we're pretty much all toddlers on the inside, right? I don't think I had any idea how capable my child is before reading this book, nor how fun and satisfying both of us would find collaborating together on small everyday tasks. Today, for instance, we worked out how my daughter could climb into her big chair by herself, and used a stepladder, a small chopping board, a spreader and a (not very sharp) knife to make lunch together. Yes we had some tears and yes we had some wilful contrariness but these are part of the normal toddler experience. What we did not have is horrible meltdowns over unavoidable issues (nappy changes again) that left both of us feeling awful. And both of our overall moods seemed better throughout the day. This book has also helped me to understand and appreciate what she does at nursery more. I really love its emphasis on bringing your life into sync with your toddler's interests and growing abilities in small and sustainable ways. And the information is presented in such a memorable way - while I"m sure I'll read it again and again, I'm amazed at how much I've remembered and how easy it has been to implement the advice in all sorts of challenging toddler situations. Ok I've said enough but seriously - don't deliberate, just get this book.

I am currently half way through reading but have already learnt so much! It is a visually beautiful book, filled with practical advice as well as easy to understand information about the ‘why’ behind the method. Many of the activities so far are aimed at children 18 months and up - my daughter is only 10 months currently but this book is still very helpful to read ahead of time so I can understand how to help guide her through her next life phases. I highly recommend this book.

The book is well written and stressed the importance of patience with your toddler. We were unsure about certain behaviours our baby was showing but the book helped us stand back and read our baby better. We now are less stressed about reaching milestones and happier to let our child pick what and how they play each day.

I bought this book with some worry that it might be a dummed down "hygge" sort of coffee table book but I was pleasantly surprised! This book is full of excellent advice for raising toddlers with a parenting philosophy that is nurturing, loving & open. I loved the simple ideas for changing some things in the home to make it more accessible for littles & seeing the home from their perspective. Lots of ideas for activities that are age appropriate but challenging/interesting for them. This will be a book I will refer back to when I'm in need of some reminders. Also, beautifully illustrated.

Great quality

I recommend.

This is actually an amazing book. Very to the point and practical. I love the design, the space, the air between the paragraphs and chapters. This somehow makes it easier and more enjoyable to read. It gives very nice ideas about what and how to do and implement Montessori principles in everyday life. It could be used as a reference book or as a guideline. It doesn't discuss the science and theory behind Montessori in detail. If you want to know more about the method, you should look at the further reading section where several more theoretical books are mentioned

Was tinkering with the idea of Montessori in the home. So glad I found this book. So practical, beautifully put together and an easy read. I bought the follow on book for Child as a result.

I guess it’s a good book but doesn’t work for my parenting style.

Ich wünschte, ich hätte das Buch schon gehabt, als mein erstes Kind klein war! Eigentlich habe ich es nur als Anregung für die Montessori-gerechte Gestaltung der Wohnung und zum Finden von Spielanregungen/ Settings für Kind 2 gekauft. Dann war ich allerdings überrascht wie allumfassend das Thema „Leben mit Kleinkind“ aufgegriffen und dargestellt wird. Man erhält sowohl die gesuchten Spielanregungen als auch Tipps im Umgang mit Wutanfällen, zur besseren Einübung der täglichen Routine mit Kleinkind, zum Schlafen, Essen, zu wertschätzender Erziehung usw. Zusätzlich gibt es am Ende jedes Kapitels immer eine kurze und prägnante Gesamtübersicht. Die Tipps und Hinweise sind meist sofort umsetzbar. Das Kind wird wertschätzend, aber trotzdem mit der nötigen liebevollen Konsequenz behandelt. Ein allumfassendes Gesamtwerk zu Kleinkindern finde ich. Es sollte in keiner Eltern-Bibliothek fehlen. Die englische Sprache ist leicht verständlich und das Buch ist toll illustriert und übersichtlich gestaltet. 5 Sterne!!! Das Buch gibt es seit März 2020 auch auf Deutsch: "Montessori für Eltern: Wie Kleinkinder achtsam und selbstständig aufwachsen."

Very useful resource, easy read and great quality!

Great ideas and concise! I love that you can pick page/topic and find something useful to read about.

I’m an early childhood educator so I have knowledge regarding child development and working with infants and toddlers. I worked at a Montessori for 5 months in 2019 and I wished I read this book while I worked there! Everything makes more sense after reading this! I felt the educators were really rigid in their ways and overall felt that the center was not the right fit for me. I like some aspects of the philosophy such as hands on learning, following the interests of the child, and encouraging the independence of the child. My baby is almost 9 months old, and I aim to use a Montessori and STEM inspired approach with her. I want to provide her a rich background of practical life skills and language (through books mainly as replicas get too expensive). Not everything has to be implemented from the book. Depending on the layout of your home, I know that not everyone can afford excessive shelving and high quality Montessori toys. However, I do like the tips that Davies provides (open ended toys, focusing on the process not product, aim to beautify your space, etc) but these are pretty standard of the Montessori philosophy. I agree with another reviewer who said that you should practice whatever tips that may work in your home or lifestyle. This is just a resource and not an absolute way to raise your children. Overall, I highly recommend this book! It’s engaging, easy to follow, has beautiful pictures, and simply inspires you to practice the Montessori philosophy at home.