Montessori From the Start: Parent and Baby Class

The Parent and Baby Class

As part of Forest Bluff School’s Montessori from the Start parent education program, we offer Parent and Baby classes for parents and their children ages birth to 12 months. Our Parent and Baby classes provide an opportunity for parents and their babies to experience an authentic Montessori environment, where the room has been specially prepared for the youngest of children. Low wooden shelves hold materials that are simple yet beautiful in design and deeply engaging for babies and young children. Our Montessori from the Start program directors encourage parents and their children to explore the Montessori materials and observe how brilliantly they meet the developmental needs of even the youngest of babies. 

Moms and babies sit together on the floor during a parent and baby class at Forest Bluff School in Lake Bluff, Illinois

Parent and Baby Class: Montessori Principles

The inspiration and guiding principles for our Parent and Baby classes come from Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three, coauthored by Forest Bluff School cofounders Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen. This book—already translated into nine languages—is recognized worldwide as an accessible and authoritative resource for parents wondering how they can best support the development of their babies and young children within a Montessori framework. In explaining how the Montessori approach of hands-on learning and self-discovery relates to babies and young children, Ms. Lillard and Ms. Jessen draw upon the work of Dr. Maria Montessori, specifically, her instructions for raising infants and the materials she created for the care and comfort of babies. Many participants in the Parent and Baby class turn to Montessori from the Start when seeking advice on feeding, sleeping, toilet training, and more.

Our Parent and Baby program directors welcome participants’ questions and are available to offer guidance on a variety of parenting/childrearing topics, especially with regard to setting up the home environment to best support development and foster independence. To complement what participants learn in the Parent and Baby class, we offer a Montessori from the Start lecture series for parents only. To find out when the next Parent and Baby class and Morning Lecture is scheduled, visit our Upcoming Events page.

Thank you for this morning's practical. I am constantly learning more about infant and child development and having these amazing "ah ha!"  and "Yes! Of course that's how it should be!" moments which are so invigorating and empowering as a parent. 

I recently bought your book Montessori from the Start, and it has made the biggest difference in our lives. I am a former Houston TV journalist who turned down network news offers so I could leave corporate America to be present in my family’s life. As a journalist, I have searched everywhere to get the best advice. Dr. Maria Montessori had almost all of the answers I needed, but in a format I couldn't really apply until I found your book.

Thank you for putting her brilliance into a modern mom’s terms. It is very emotional for me to know that my daughter will be stronger and more joyful because two women I have never met took the time to translate Montessori’s brilliance. I am confident now with the help of your book that I can transition our home to create an environment where my daughter can truly blossom.