Hello there! I'm popping into your podcast feed with a catch up on what has been happening the last 2.5 years since the last podcast episode, including the launch of The Montessori Child book. The book picks up where The Montessori Toddler leaves off, covering how to bring Montessori into your home with 3-12 year olds, including a bonus chapter on adolescence. At the end of the epidsode, I also answer a listener question about talking to our children about war.

Links from the episode

• The Montessori Child book - for 3-12 year olds (and into adolescence)
  • Preorder by 4 March and claim your pre-order bonuses here
• Film recommendations:
  • Perfect days
  • Anatomy of a Fall
• Book recommendations:
  • Summer Fishing in Lapland by Juhani Karila
  • Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
  • Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Talking to children about war
  • Erica Moretti's book, The Best Weapon for Peace: Maria Montessori, Education, and Children's Rights
  • Webinar: How to talk to children about what is happening
  • Newsletter: Talking to our children about war
• Until next time:
  • follow one of Simone's Montessori workshops here (from US$10)
  • sign up for Simone's regular e-newsletter filled with Montessori inspiration

Welcome to the last episode of Season 2. And it’s a good one. Today I get to chat to Montessori educator and a nationally recognised anti-bias educator in the US, Britt Hawthorne. She’s all about creating inclusive and equitable environments for all learners and understandably her work has been recognized by none other than PBS, Drew Barrymore, Google Edu, Association Montessori Internationale, and more.

I have learned so much from Britt over the last year and a half, yes, about being an anti-racist parent and educator but also just how you can raise critically thinking children, children who can advocate for themselves, recognise injustice, call it out and do something about it. We all need people like this that raise their children in a way that shows us what is possible.

Links from the show

• Britt Hawthorne - website / instagram
• Join Britt's Collective Liberation community
• Dr Kira Banks
• More about the fundamental needs in Montessori
• Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves by Louise Derman-Sparks, Julie Olsen Edwards
• Dr Rudine Sims Bishop on mirrors, windows and sliding doors
• Britt's favourite books - bookshop.org/shop/britthawthorne
• look out for Britt's book coming in 2022, "Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide"
• redistributes funds to Keres Children's Learning Center and Sankofa Learning Center
• some of my favourite instagram posts from Britt:
  • pyramid of accountability
  • “If you’re tired, rest don’t quit” by darling and illustrated bby minna_so 
  • 8 ABAR goals to set for 2021
• 42 ways in Montessori we allow intrinsic motivation to express itself - insta post / blog post
• more about the spindle box
• tour of Kristina's space
• follow one of Simone's Montessori workshops here (from US$10)
• sign up for Simone's regular e-newsletter filled with Montessori inspiration

Listener question

Maeg asks
“I’m really having a hard time preparing work cycles for two daughters with totally #1 different interests. They are 3 & 1. Also my 3 year old is so focused and loves doing things all by herself (even when she was just a baby) however the 1 year old loves to join her older sister. Another factor is a very small apartment. We only have one low shelf that could fit the room so most of the time for the 1 year old were prepared in the shelf. What should I do. We’ll live in this apartment for the next five years before having our third baby."

I have not just one amazing guest but two for a conversation about Montessori at home. I invited Jeanne-Marie Paynel, Your Parenting Mentor, and Pilar Bewley from Mainly Montessori to look at how we can apply Montessori principles in our homes whether we are homeschooling our child, they go to a Montessori school or not and we want to apply Montessori at home. We cover children from 0 to 12 in this conversation, how Montessori can be done on a budget, Montessori and minimalism, Montessori training and a whole lot more. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Links from the show

• Jeanne-Marie Paynel - website /  instagram / The Art of Parenting podcast
• Pilar Bewley - website / instagram / Second Plane Montessori Facebook group
• Idea of wonder wall from Julie Bogart's book "The Brave Learner"
• “The Quality of your life depends on the quality of the questions you ask yourself” ― Bernardo Moya, The Question: Find Your True Purpose
• Simone's Setting up your home Montessori-style 4-week online workshop

Listener question

"How should someone decorate their Montessori classroom? I like minimalist but just wanting to make sure I'm not decorating too much." - anonymous