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Clutter and Anxiety Go Hand-in-Hand

by | Adolescence, Early Adolescence (12-15), Emotionally Healthy Children, Infant-Toddler (0 to 3), Kindergarten, Later Adolescence (15-18), Lower Elementary (6-9), MFA, Montessori Family Life, Prepared Environment, Primary (3-6), Toddler (18 months-3 years), Upper Elementary (9-12), Webinars / MFA

I literally cannot get down to work and concentrate when I am surrounded by a desk full of stuff or a room with clothes strewn all over it. It just starts to make me crazy or, at the very least, distracted. And I consider myself to be a relatively low key, easy going type person. What about you? What about your child? What are psychologists finding out about clutter and external disorganization and anxiety? It reminds me that humans have known instinctively for hundreds of years that external order is a source of calming. Feng Shui comes to mind for one. In this session we will take a look at what psychologists have to say about clutter and anxiety and how we can better support our children in the reduction of stress in their lives.

Book Review: Maybe I Can Love my Neighbor Too

Book Review: Maybe I Can Love my Neighbor Too

by | Book Reviews, MFA, Montessori Family Life, Montessori Parenting, Peace Education, Reading, Social Justice

Maybe I Can Love My Neighbor TooWritten by Jennifer Grant
Illustrated by Benjamin Schipper

In this story, a young girl, who lives in the city, is wondering about a large apartment building that is being constructed across the street and she asks her mother, “Will all the new people be our neighbors, too?” Her mother’s response is that all people, near or far are neighbors. The girl knows that she is supposed to love her neighbors but doesn’t know how she could love so many people. As she and her mother go through their day, she notices many examples of how people can be loving to each other: helping an elderly man retrieve his dog; sharing toys with other children in the park; making a loaf of bread and giving it to a neighbor; helping someone carry their groceries; and more. By the end of the book, the girl feels confident that there are so many ways to show love to all her neighbors around the world. The illustrations have a colorful, sort of cartoon style. They depict people from many different backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities. This would be a good book for children three years old through the elementary grades.