Montessori: The Baby Year.

My own children are past the baby stage but having gone through it three times now, I feel confident in sharing some of our baby must-haves. There is a misconception when it comes to baby stuff — that you need everything that has ever been made. 🙂 I totally disagree with this BUT it took me three babies to feel that way. We’ve been the family totally overrun with baby gear — swings, bouncers, toys, clothes — you name it! By baby #3 we ditched all the extras.

Some things that we used for our first baby that we abandoned by the third? The baby bathtub, the changing pad, the bottle warmer, the bouncer, and walker, and activity center, and hundreds of outfits. Literally. The truth is a minimalist lifestyle is easier, more organized and more aligned with Montessori philosophy.

These are the items that I loved and feel support a Montessori-inspired lifestyle. 

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Nursery:

Crib – Many Montessori families choose to forego a crib in favor of a floor bed. We aren’t one of those families 🙂 Personally, I like the security a crib provides. I did also choose a convertible crib so that it could turn into a toddler bed.

Clothes storage – I really like open storage systems for clothing because then you can’t keep that much! I keep enough outfits for a week. With babies in the house you do laundry every day, anyway. Another benefit to this type of system is that it offers choice and independence once babies turn into toddlers who want to make their own decisions.

Clothes –  I only keep out their current size for the appropriate season. Everything else is in storage. The two clothing items I swear by have to do with sleeping: Love to dream swaddle is amazing for newborns and once they start to roll over I used the Merlin’s magic sleepsuit until about 9 months. These were lifesavers, especially for my third who wasn’t a calm sleeper.

Book shelves – These shelves allow you to decorate their nursery with some baby books — doubles as books and artwork!

Baby monitor – This is helpful to have peace of mind, especially if you do a floor bed.

Outlet covers – So important to have in order to provide that “yes” space we aspire to have in a Montessori environment.

Travel:

Carseat – This is the one we had for our third baby and it was our favorite. It was so much lighter and easier to carry than our first infant seat.

Stroller caddy – This is so much easier than a full-on stroller! I actually got ours on Facebook Marketplace for free. So check there first!

Pockit Stroller – This is the best little umbrella stroller. It literally folds up and fits inside a large purse.

Diaper bag – My favorite diaper bag. It’s so important to be hands-free — especially by the third child. 🙂

Ergo – I’ve had all different kinds of wraps and carriers and this one is the only one that I continued to use for each baby!

Swaddle blankets – These are wonderful to have at home or on the road. They are perfect to lay on, for quick diaper changes, to block the sun in the stroller… the list goes on and on.

Feeding:

Boppy pillow – This is the best. You need one.

Burp cloths – I know a lot of people prefer bibs (I don’t) but these are great for over the shoulder, to protect furniture from spit up, to hold under their chin while they feed, to lay their head on to keep them off the ground, and even for diaper changes. Simple and easy to wash.

Bottle kit – Some forego bottles all together and I know many choose to go for fancy bottles. These worked for all 3 of my kids; never had a problem and they are super easy to clean.

Play time:

Mobiles – These are Montessori-inspired mobiles and they are beautiful. They are designed to stimulate a baby’s sight first with colors and different hues and eventually offer opportunities for reaching and grasping once their movements become more purposeful.

Play gym – I love simple play gyms like this one because they aren’t super distracting, bright or loud. I could probably do an entire post on baby toys (and maybe one day, I will.)

Mirror – A low hanging mirror is such a great addition to a baby’s environment. They love to look at their reflection and their surroundings.

Personal care:

Hairbrush – This one is so soft! We’ve had it for nearly 6 years!

Nail clippers – So important! Don’t try to use regular nail clippers; it’s not worth it. 🙂

What would you add to this list?