summary ofThe Montessori ToddlerBook by Simone Davies

first KEY POINT

Learn to see your toddler in a different way

Toddlers have a negative reputation. Yes, they’re adorable but they are also viewed as being difficult and extremely challenging. It’s important to remember that your child isn’t having a tantrum for the sake of it, and they’re not being challenging for the sake of it either; they’re simply exploring and learning in the only way they know how. Remember, at this age, children haven’t learned about controlling impulses and what is right and wrong.

Shortly after Simone Davies' first child entered into the toddler age group, she heard a program on the radio about using time out discipline methods. In that program, she learned that time outs don't really work because all they do is cause your child to feel even more upset and confused about what they have done wrong. Rather than pushing them away, they need to be supported at these times and learn how to put right their actions. It was this program that pushed Davies into learning more about the famous Montessori school of thought.

Davies attended a Montessori school and saw everything first hand. This piqued her interest even more. The school taught her that toddlers need freedom, they need to be able to explore in their own way, without strict boundaries that cause them to act out because they can’t do what they want to do. However, toddlers also need to explore within safe boundaries and they need a routine that is predictable.Davies found that by learning more about the Montessori method of thinking, she was able to see life through her toddler’s eyes and therefore understand them far more effectively.