The Montessori Notebook podcast :: a Montessori parenting podcast with Simone Davies - S1 E9 All about how Nicole Kavanaugh makes raising 4 children (and a dog) look easy the Montessori way

S1 E9 All about how Nicole Kavanaugh makes raising 4 children (and a dog) look easy the Montessori way

03/27/20 • 81 min

The Montessori Notebook podcast :: a Montessori parenting podcast with Simone Davies

On today's podcast I had so much fun chatting to Nicole Kavanaugh of The Kavanaugh Report, mother of four children (and a dog), raising four children in a Montessori way. So if you've ever thought it might be easy to raise children in a Montessori way with one child, but struggled once there were some siblings involved, this episode will help you breathe a sigh of relief and give you an insight into how it can be a more relaxing way to parent, even in larger families.

We cover so much in this conversation including:

dealing with 4 children who may be needing her help and how she gets them to help each other
what Nicole does when siblings are in disagreement
the different needs of a second plane child (6-12) and how they view the world
how Nicole uses her spaces in an intentional way to meet everyone's needs
how she looks after herself
some of their favourite practical life activities and the value of including children around the home
ways to give maximum effort to a toddler/preschooler
Montessori DIY ideas and her favourite thrift store finds
what she's learning about with her fourth child
their experience using a floor bed
how she gets her husband on board with the Montessori approach
how they maintain their partnership with 4 young children
and, something now often talked about, how she dealt with her miscarriages

I also talk about how I use Ayurveda to support being a Montessori teacher and parent and give an introduction to Ayurvedic principles. As well as answer a listener question about when a child throws, hits and laughs.
For full show notes, click here: https://www.themontessorinotebook.com/raising-four-children-in-a-montessori-way/
Want even more Montessori inspiration?

website: themontessorinotebook.com/the-montessori-notebook-podcast
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- my online courses: themontessorinotebook.com/online-courses/

The Montessori Notebook podcast is hosted by Simone Davies. Edited by Luke Davies of Filmprov Media. Podcast art by Hiyoko Imai.

We cover so much in this conversation including:

dealing with 4 children who may be needing her help and how she gets them to help each other
what Nicole does when siblings are in disagreement
the different needs of a second plane child (6-12) and how they view the world
how Nicole uses her spaces in an intentional way to meet everyone's needs
how she looks after herself
some of their favourite practical life activities and the value of including children around the home
ways to give maximum effort to a toddler/preschooler
Montessori DIY ideas and her favourite thrift store finds
what she's learning about with her fourth child
their experience using a floor bed
how she gets her husband on board with the Montessori approach
how they maintain their partnership with 4 young children
and, something now often talked about, how she dealt with her miscarriages

The Montessori Notebook podcast is hosted by Simone Davies. Edited by Luke Davies of Filmprov Media. Podcast art by Hiyoko Imai.

Previous Episode

undefined - S1 E8 When you get to ask the head of a Montessori school about dealing with conflict in the classroom, is Montessori still relevant today, and what if your child never chooses an activity

S1 E8 When you get to ask the head of a Montessori school about dealing with conflict in the classroom, is Montessori still relevant today, and what if your child never chooses an activity

Today I share my conversation with Bill Conway which is a little different to others in the series where we zoom out and look at the big picture of Montessori. Bill is the Head of School at Montessori East in Sydney, Australia and I loved getting to ask him the tough questions like "does Montessori prepare children for the real world?", asking him if Montessori is still relevant in today's modern world, and how they deal with conflict in the classroom and bullying. We also cover:

parent’s concerns that their child might not finish work or be interested in an area
how to work in a Montessori way with teachers and build a vision for the school
how Montessori ideas are also being used in companies
how to build a community in the school
why there is no homework in the Montessori approach
learning to serve others in a Montessori classroom and in society
Montessori and technology
being a Montessori grandparent
how to live in a Montessori way? and
guiding children through uncertain times (a topic that is more relevant than ever)

I also talk about kids who don't want to be told what to do and answer a listener question about listening to podcasts in front of your children (!).

For full show notes, click here: https://www.themontessorinotebook.com/dealing-with-conflict-in-the-classroom
Want even more Montessori inspiration?

The Montessori Notebook podcast is hosted by Simone Davies. Edited by Luke Davies of Filmprov Media. Podcast art by Hiyoko Imai.

Next Episode

S1 E10 All about how to build trust in your children, understand them, and enjoy it as well

This week I have a beautiful conversation with Junnifa all the way over in Nigeria. You may know Junnifa from her blog, Nduoma or instagram or her school, Fruitful Orchard Montessori. You'll leave this episode feeling inspired to either parent in a more Montessori way, maybe take a Montessori training, or simply to be more calm and present in whatever role you are taking on right now.
In our conversation we cover:
🌿how she juggles running a Montessori school, her Montessori trainings, being a member of the AMI board, and raising 3 young children
🌿the importance of soft hands and how to talk with babies
🌿some special Montessori moments in her family
🌿building trust with her children including teaching them about telling the truth
🌿observing empathy in her two-year-old
🌿siblings - helping them take responsibility for each other and what to do if they interfere with each other's activity
🌿using baby signs with babies
🌿how we can help children build trust in self and their environment
🌿observing when there are sleeping problems
🌿favourite parts of her 3-6 classroom
🌿the brilliance of Montessori elementary including deriving your own formulas
🌿the importance of understanding the characteristics of different ages
🌿what to do when they are having a hard time
🌿AND a big announcement about a secret project we've been working on - yes, The Montessori Baby book and The Montessori Chid book! Coming soon...in Spring 2021 and 2022.
I also talk about what we can do to keep our children's love of learning alive. And answer a listener question about why Montessori children seem to be very strong-willed.
For full show notes, click here: www.themontessorinotebook.com/building-trust-in-children
Want even more Montessori inspiration?