special spaces

I love these ideas for creating spaces for your child at home, and am trying to figure out how I could make a space like these for baby boy.  Too cute!

Work spaces

Learning spaces

My tribute to Ms Montessori

Ok, so I am not one of those parents that thinks our kids should run around naked in the bush to explore the world, but I do think that we (I) could let our kids explore a bit more than we do.  I have been thinking about this over the past 12 months and really enjoyed the book "How to raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way" by Tim Seldon.  What I really like about the Montessori method is trying to make play a learning experience without all the commercialisation that is around now.  For example, just having a child size cup and jug, or a small table they can sit at allows them to play like a 'grown up' and learn skills at the same time.  I also like the use of more simple 'earthy' toys like wooden blocks etc, and trying to keep all the 'characters' out of their vocabulary at least for a little while.

Well, this week I was going to buy baby a play tent and as I was about to pick up the plastic tent and purchase it I thought that maybe I should put in some effort and put my 'slightly montessori' parenting to the test.    So I trawled the internet, which usually takes up way to much time, but came out in the end with a great pattern for a teepee on Sew, Mama, Sew!  I made it with a single bed cover and broom stick handles and had it all completed in a day (with help from the man of the house).

It felt good to have made somthing that I know we will enjoy together for years to come.  We already have had heaps of fun playing and reading inside our little teepee.  Happy Birthday Baby!