Can you believe we’re already on our last week of giveaways as we celebrate our 1st Annivesary?! Last week’s giveaway is still up until 11:59PM PST tonight! It’s your last day to enter for a $50 Gift Certificate to Montessori Services/For Small Hands if you haven’t done so already. We’ve been enjoying sharing with you our favourite products and helping you bring more Montessori into your homes to celebrate. This week, our final week of giveaways, we have two giveaways. Today I’ll announce the first one. We’re offering a signed copy of The Joyful Child by Susan Mayclin Stephenson! Yes, I said signed! Susan was so wonderful to donate a signed copy of her book at my request. She has such a passion to further bring Montessori to the youngest children.
This is such a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Montessori from birth to three years of age. You may have started reading about Montessori on a blog, perhaps this one, and you’re wondering what might be good book to learn more. Having been published as a formal book only last year, I find it’s not often the suggested Montessori book. After reading it earlier this year, I fell in love with it! Susan writes in such a warm, gentle tone. She weaves jam-packed advice into a simple scenario of how to set-up a space for your child. The advice about how to handle situations has stuck in my mind with her poignant stories from her own experiences as mother, grandmother, teacher, guide, and friend. She truly looks at the child from a holistic perspective, covering topics such as feeding, toys, language development, discipline, art and music, toilet learning, motor development, sensory development, connecting with nature, connecting with our child(ren), psychological development, and so much more! I especially appreciate her approach to parenting and addressing our needs/challenges as parents while trying to do the best for our child(ren).
Parents all do best they can with the knowledge and skills they have at the moment. … No matter how much parents know, or how much time they give, they are not alone in feeling that it is not enough. The first year of the child’s life is not the easiest time to begin to learn what it takes to be a parent, … We must not be too hard on ourselves as we try to balance our busy lives. Parents who observe carefully, who listen, and, as they do so, imagine themselves in the place of their child, will learn that a child is a unique, thoughtful, and creative individual, even before the age of one year. This is truly one of the most joyful discoveries of parenting. ~Susan Mayclin Stephenson, The Joyful Child
Thank you Susan for writing such an informative and encouraging book! If you haven’t heard of Susan Mayclin Stephenson before, she is AMI trained at all 3 levels (0-3, 3-6, and 6-12) and has extensively travelled. She has helped bring Montessori education to many children and families around the world. She is also an amazing oil-painter and you can check out her work as an artist and educator here. She runs the company Michael Olaf which offers a wonderful selection of children’s toys, books, furniture, and child-sized tools. The newsletters are very informative, as is the website itself! A very helpful resource on her website is the selection of video clips of Child Development Birth to Three+. Be sure to visit the website and watch some videos to be inspired!
Video Clips: Birth to Age One 
Video Clips: Age One to Two 
Video Clips: Age Two to Three 
Thank you Susan for offering up a signed copy of The Joyful Child as a Giveaway to help us celebrate the 1st Anniversary of our blog! This giveaway is open internationally. To enter leave a comment on our blog telling us: Which video clip is your favourite from the Michael Olaf website? Then click the link to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway and click the green button on the Rafflecopter form telling us “I commented!” There are also lots of additional ways to enter to get your name in multiple times. If you haven’t used Rafflecopter before it’s very easy to do so by just following the instructions. You can also watch this quick video to help you learn. (Sorry it has to be a form using the link. It still works!)
The giveaway will close on Tuesday, September 16 at 11:59PST. Winner must respond within 48 hours of being contacted. Good luck! The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Diara D. on winning the signed copy of The Joyful Child by Susan M. Stephenson!
Disclosure statement: All opinions expressed are my own. I have not received any compensation for expressing these opinions. Susan was very generous to offer up her book for this giveaway. I don’t have a previous relationship with her although I did have the pleasure of meeting her at the 27th International Montessori Congress in Portland last summer where she signed my own copy of her book and I was privileged to hear her speak.
with over 3,000 views. Wow! Thank you!
3 Months: 
4 Months: 
5 Months: 
6 Months: 
Montessori Moms 
