Montessori parenting?

[CurlyCallie]

I use Pinterest a lot to find new things to do with my toddler and keep us busy in the winter months or rainy days and keep coming across the phrase "Montessori activities", I've googled it so I kind of know a little about it but just wondered what makes it so different to normal parenting? Is it something that any of you actively do, follow her methods of parenting? Just looks like having fun whilst learning to me lol or is there more to it?

Just curious that's all

It's an approach to learning that was developed by an Italian educationalist - through play & freedoms with certain boundaries
Wiki page gives an overview en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori_education
There are Montessori schools & nurseries that follow the approach.
A lot of it is stuff you may generally do as a parent and just not label.

I changed DD1's bedroom into a Montessori-style at 16mo, and it was a huge success. She has since been 'upgraded' to a bigger room but I've applied the same principles (she's now 2.8yo). DD2 will be going into her old room in the next month or so and I'll have it the same as it was previously only with a cot until she's 1yo when I'll convert to a low toddler bed (she's 8mo currently). I'd love to move her in on a floor bed but I know DH would freak out about that!

Montessori nurseries are lovely, but cost a fortune.

Not all Montessori nurseries are more expensive - the 2 round here that I looked at had similar rates to the other nurseries in the area

Skankingpiglet what's makes a room a Montessori room if you don't mind me asking? X

It's following the principle of giving them independence within boundaries. The room is their space to use and explore.
The room is completely child-proofed. It includes a low or floor bed (from birth if you're hardcore), and all the shelves, wardrobes, etc are at a suitable height for the child to access themselves. Everything is designed to be suitable for the child rather than the adult e.g. child-sized chairs, pictures hung at the child's eye level. As they get older you include a 'self care' area too. Toys are set out as in Montessori nurseries. Pintrest has some really good ideas and hacks if it's something you're interested in I also cheated a bit and put a stair gate across her door because I'm not totally crazy

It's an educational principle not a parenting one.

We had a low bed for our toddlers - low enough so they didn't fall out. Plus everything within reach etc.

However both my dcs went to Montessori preschool (brilliant) but the discipline strategies were similar to anyway really.