Published Aug 28, 2018

6 Tips for Managing Those Big Emotions The first day of school is a major milestone for your child. It’s a huge one for you, too. A few years ago, I took my son to school for his very first day of kindergarten. When I walked him up the hill to the school grounds, it dawned on me: I had never been without him. From the moment he was born to this very first day of school, he was never far away. When he wasn’t in my arms or just in front of me, I could always look at him on the baby monitor or hear him playing in the next room.

Published Jul 25, 2018

Last week while watching a tennis match between two young girls, I was reminded of the importance of teaching a child to be a good sport. While both girls were skilled and competitive, one of the girls was very loud and aggressive on the court, yelling and throwing her racquet when she missed a ball. The ill-mannered girl won the first set and gloated over her victory. The other girl was obviously distracted by her opponent’s outbursts and rude behavior.

Published Jul 22, 2018

One of the tenets of Apple Montessori Schools’ approach to child development and education is to encourage children to be independent and express themselves, while at the same time be respectful of you and others.

Published May 30, 2018

What does it mean to have a memorable summer? For many of us, it’s relaxing on the beach or throwing backyard cookouts. But for our children, an unforgettable summer looks very different.

Published May 28, 2018

Mindfulness means being aware of the present moment, focusing on what’s happening now, and experiencing it in a non-critical, non-judgmental way. That can be difficult for a parent to do when you’re feeling stressed or tired and your child does something you don’t like or is being difficult. That’s when you need to take a minute and stay calm before reacting in frustration or anger.

Published May 1, 2018

Recently, my brother and I were laughing about when we were four and six years old, we would spend hours in our home’s bedroom hallway spinning in circles, chanting “China, China, China.” My mother asked why we did that. We replied, “We are drilling ourselves to China to build a castle.” My brother wondered who gave us that idea that we could dig to China. I said I don’t think anyone told us what to do, we were just having fun with the freedom of moving, spinning, and letting our creativity and imagination develop a story and purpose around what we were doing. We created our own unique activity and entertainment with some very simple, carefree movements.

Published Aug 31, 2017

With the start of the school year just around the corner, we’re willing to bet there is a bit of nervousness mixed in with the excitement. That’s understandable. Even if it’s not your child’s first year at school, it can still feel like a major change after the summer break.

Published Aug 13, 2017

Sometimes in our desire to be good, guiding parents we tend to focus on our child’s faults or mistakes so we can help them improve. It’s a natural instinct. Focusing on the negative is an innate human characteristic of our ancestry. Historically, our negativity or “negative bias” stems from an ancient survival tactic used to alert people of threats to their safety or imminent danger to their family or tribe.

Published Apr 27, 2017

Our families chose Apple because a Montessori whole child education matches their values. Our Parent Seminars were designed to further bridge the gap between home and school by offering topics in which our parents themselves have shown the most interest.

Published Mar 29, 2017

Even the littlest children are anxious to do something and are more anxious to exert themselves than those who are older. A good teacher will therefore look for some way in which even the tiniest child can be of help.” —Maria Montessori, Education in Movement