Montessori Services
Extended Postpartum Support & Montessori Informed Childcare
$25/hr - custom hours scheduled for your family's needs
Support for children age 6 months to 6 years
The role of a postpartum doula is primarily to support a family through the newborn stage, which is generally considered ages 0-3 months, but we know that postpartum extends well beyond this time frame. It's my honour to provide continuity of care for families through every stage of their child's expanding development, because needing support doesn't stop after 3 months! Dr. Montessori believed the first 6 years of life are the most crucial in a child's mental, physical, emotional, and social development. Early childhood truly is the foundation on which your child will build their future, but in the midst of meeting their needs, don't forget that YOUR needs for personal time as an adult matter too. Whether you're hoping to rejoin your wider community again, transitioning back into work, or adjusting to a busy schedule with multiple children, this support is for you. Let me help you make this season of life a nourishing and connected time for your whole family.
Includes:
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~ Complimentary in-person or virtual consultation, no strings attached!
~ In-home childcare custom scheduled around your family's needs and my availability (4hrs/visit minimum)
~ Feeding support for babies still nursing or bottle feeding
~ Support with introducing solids, baby-led weaning, and puree feeding
~ Nutritious meal and snack planning/prepping/cooking
~ Diaper changing and support in toilet learning
~ Support for all children in the home
~ Light household tasks including tidying, errands, dishes, laundry, etc.
~ Community referrals if professional help of any kind is needed
~ Access to my lending library of parenting books
~ Resources for Montessori parenting and setting up your own "prepared environment"
~ Montessori-style toys and activities for lend
While my background in Montessori deeply informs my childcare philosophy, I will always respect your boundaries, dynamics, and goals as a family, and follow your parenting lead. The degree of dedication to Montessori principles and practices you want to incorporate into your home is entirely up to you! That being said, bringing Montessori into your home doesn't have to be all or nothing, it doesn't have to be expensive, and it doesn't have to be executed perfectly to be beneficial! At its core, Montessori is an attitude towards children and a way of life that prioritizes living in harmony with children. Listed below are the key Montessori principles that inform my childcare philosophy:
​1. Children deserve deep respect and autonomy. Children do a lot of inner work in the first 6 years of life! They are learning to be humans in the world, and they rely on us to explain the world to them. This requires our patience, our sensitivity to their feelings, and our understanding that telling them the truth (in age appropriate terms) will actually help them build trust in us, which will in turn build their confidence in the world.
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2. Children deserve freedom within limits. Children reach developmental milestones when we give them the freedom to explore their intrinsic desires. Outside of non-negotiables for their health and safety, exploration and independence helps children thrive!
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3. Children deserve for us to follow their lead. From ages 0-6 years, children go through "sensitive periods". These sensitive periods are times when children are developmentally drawn to practicing and mastering certain skills. Observing children closely for their sensitivities and following their lead when it comes to what activities satisfy them the most can ultimately reduce tantrums, because we can better predict and honour their developmental needs.
​4. Children deserve to feel like they belong. Preparing your environment to accommodate your children, and including them in practical life activities may not always be convenient, but this is how children build skills and how we show them that they are valued members of their family and community.
5. Children deserve to play. Dr. Montessori says that "play is the work of the child", and by accommodating focused, uninterrupted play as much as possible, we are actually supporting them in meeting their developmental needs which will ultimately lead to happier, healthier, thriving children.