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Browsing Tag: Toddler
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I used to think that when I had a baby, s/he would sleep in a crib, just like every other baby. But when I began working at a Montessori school, I learned about floor beds and never looked back. I have found so many benefits and it has been so easy to use, that I just had to talk about what a floor bed is.
So, here is a quick progression on how we got Mac into her floor bed. When Mac was a baby, she slept in a bedside bassinet. Once she was a bit older, she moved into a floor bed in our room. Eventually Mac and her floor bed moved into her own room. Now we bed share part time with her as a toddler.
Toddlers can help clean. I know it seems unlikely, but toddlers love to clean! At first, they won’t exactly be helpful, but it will be good in the long run. Not only are you teaching them how to help out around the house, but you are also getting a little extra help around the house. Win-win for everyone!
There are a few things to keep in mind. It will take extra time. It won’t actually be clean when they are done. If the toddler hasn’t gone through the sensitive period for order, they may not exactly understand the process of cleaning for a while. It may be frustrating. But toddlers will love feeling included and helpful. And the more they feel that way, the more motivated they will be to continue helping you out. So here is a list of four simple ways toddlers can help clean.
Dusting
Mac loves to take a wet washcloth and wipe down surfaces in our house, like bookshelves, the coffee table, or her own little table. Sometimes I will direct her to another place, which also helps her learn how to listen and follow directions. She has her own spray bottle of water, but isn’t quite able work it yet. So for now I will spray the table and she wipes it up.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through my link, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure page here.
When Andrew and I decided to cloth diaper, we got a lot of push back. Don’t get me wrong, it was all well-meaning. People were concerned we didn’t think it through and they wanted to make sure we understood our decision, especially because cloth diapers are a big up-front cost. But we found that a lot of their concerns were unfounded. Andrew especially considers himself totally on the cloth diaper side, despite being on the fence before Mac was born. (Make sure you also check out cloth diapering 101 and my minimalist’s guide to cloth diaper accessories.)
Our main, everyday diapers are Grovia Hybrid. We like the 2 in 1 diapers because we don’t have to change the shell as often. You just have to change out the pad. This was especially nice during the newborn stage. At night we use pocket diapers. A lot of them we bought second-hand, but my favorite to buy are bumGenius. Not only are the bumGenius diapers adorable, but we have really put them through a lot and they still are looking great! There are so many great companies, but these are two that we have used extensively and love.
I will also put in a plug here for using a diaper service. If you are not sure about the laundry part of cloth diapering, look into diaper services. They are usually pretty fairly priced and you get the best of both worlds: cloth diapers and a few less loads of laundry a week!
So here’s the deal, I change disposable diapers all day long at work, so I have plenty of experience with them. Full disclosure, we also used disposables with Mac for the first few weeks until her umbilical cord stump fell off. Someone had given us a box of newborn diapers, so we didn’t have to buy any. But you can purchase cloth newborn diapers, which I am considering the next time a baby enters our lives. Either way, I have experience with both kinds of diapers and after everything, I recommend cloth diapers. Here are 5 reasons why:
While I was pregnant, I did some research on how to make a Montessori environment for an infant. I will be honest, I was a little intimidated because it sounded like a lot of work to take my already cluttered and messy living room and somehow also accommodate an infant who was supposed to have freedom of movement. We live in a 1,550 sq. ft. townhouse. I literally don’t have another room that I could revamp into a playroom. Mac even roomed in with us for almost a year, partly due to the fact that we had to go through the guest room and totally clean it out so she could sleep there. So the idea of dong Montessori at home in our living room was a little daunting.
Three Months Later: I made a few updates on things we have already changed.
