By Donald Gilpin

Young children and their parents might find levels of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety rising as August winds down and the last weeks of summer approach, but Princeton Montessori School (PMonts) has a plan.

PMonts has initiated “Growing Together: A Montessori Approach to Parenting,” a series of podcasts of about 20 minutes each that will be addressing topics and challenges such as back-to-school separation, sleeping, eating, potty training, discipline, social-emotional issues, friendships, and more.

PMonts teachers, who will provide expert commentary on these podcasts, have found that these issues are of greatest interest to parents of their students.

“We are excited to launch our parenting podcast to share how the Montessori approach to parenting can be so beneficial for both parents and children,” wrote PMonts Head of School Andrea O’Brian in an email. “The podcast is an extension of our school and showcases the expertise of our Montessori-credentialed teachers, who are trained specifically for the age group they teach.”

The opening podcast, a timely one as opening day approaches, is titled “Smooth Drop-Offs: Helping Your Child Transition to School,” and it features a conversation between podcast host Katie Sullivan, who is marketing and communications director at PMonts, and Lower School Montessori Coach Lori Evans, who provides some of the best strategies for easing the transition to school for parent and child, as well as coping with the inevitable separation anxiety.

Sullivan discussed how Montessori-based strategies presented in these podcasts can help parents in facing so many different challenges in working with their children. “Montessori is something that people often hear, but they really don’t know what it means,” she said. “This is a way to demystify the concept of Montessori, in the context of parenting.”

She went on to point out the origin of the idea of creating parenting podcasts, noting how parents of Montessori children often rely on the Montessori teachers for tips and advice in facing many common parenting concerns.

“We thought, ‘What a great idea. We can bring this to the masses and certainly to the greater Princeton community, so people can have a way to peek

inside and hear what we do,’” she said. “We thought this would be a great offering to the community and a way to give back.” There will be a total of nine or ten episodes, about once a month during the school year.

Sullivan emphasized that Montessori strategies are particularly applicable for parents who are eager to promote the child’s independence, supporting the “whole child.” “Montessori is about respecting the child and allowing the child to lead and to lead where they’re interested in learning. It’s about following the child and helping them explore and develop at their own pace.”

Sullivan’s son and daughter attended Princeton Montessori throughout their early elementary years. She praised the expertise of the PMonts teachers in issues of education in the classroom and beyond.

“These teachers guided me and my children through potty training and all of these development milestones,” she said.“They knew my children so well that I could really lean on them as people who were helping me raise my children. It really was the village that you crave and it’s so hard to find in these modern times. Their expertise was unmatched.”

During the course of the school year the “Growing Together” podcasts will be covering “the bread and butter parenting topics,” Sullivan said, “but they’re really valuable, especially to an audience with younger children.” She added that social-emotional issues, concerns with social media, and other topics suitable for older children would be included in the podcasts later in the year.

O’Brian pointed out that the podcasts are also a reminder that a Princeton Montessori education goes beyond academics to address children’s entire well-being. “Aspects like social-emotional learning, peace education, practical life skills, conflict resolution, executive functioning, and building self-confidence are all critical components of our learning environment,” she said. “Beyond an exceptional education, we strive to partner with families to instill a strong sense of self in our students so they can truly reach their fullest potential.”

The first “Growing Together” podcast on “Smooth Drop-Offs” is currently available at princetonmontessori.org/princeton-montessori-school-podcast.