Between the Chaos & Calm: In the Middle of Motherhood – Details, episodes & analysis

Parents today face conflicting pressures around early literacy for their children. On one side is the “just let them play until age seven” perspective; on the other, the push to “download this app to teach your two-year-old to read quickly.” Between these extremes, there’s far more to consider and thoughtfully discuss.

One universal truth: there are foundational literacy skills that are important from birth and that expand in relevance between the ages of 3-5. All children will move through mastering these skills on their own timeline, but introducing these foundations in developmentally-appropriate ways is critical. By the time children enter elementary, they will need these foundations to joyfully and confidently transition from learning to read to then reading to learn.

The United States has been grappling with a literacy crisis for decades. Roughly 21% of adults are illiterate, and more than half read below a sixth-grade level. Strong literacy and comprehension skills aren’t just academic—they’re essential for everyday independence and wellbeing. Tasks like signing a lease, understanding prescription instructions, filing taxes, or navigating legal documents all require advanced reading and critical thinking.

So where do we go from here? If we want to move the needle, it starts with taking a closer look at our education system and at home, to build environments that truly support literacy from the ground up, and, in a way that can break generational cycles.

Plan your next commute, walk, or errand with this episode, where co-host and literacy expert Gloria shares insights drawn from her experience in public classrooms, homeschooling, and tutoring. Grounded in both practice and research, Gloria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Literacy Education.

You can find the statistics mentioned in this episode here, as well as the research studies mentioned in this episode both here, here, and here.

We are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned SAHM and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠

“Just toss ’em in the water; they’ll figure it out!” This approach doesn’t work for every child, and it can create a panic response—a precursor to drowning. On the other end of the spectrum, habitually putting your little ones in a life jacket or arm floaties when visiting pools builds muscle memory around a vertical position, which is the drowning position.

In this episode, we shed light on how drowning happens, what layers of protection are critical if floaties aren’t the best tool, and how to navigate the wide range of swim programs to find the right fit for your child and lifestyle. We also address a hard truth for those with particularly water-anxious children: avoiding the whole swim experience can make it much, much worse.

Grab your coffee or beverage of choice and lean in as we interview water safety educator and British Swim School of Cypress Spring owner, Ashley Yates, who is also a mom of two. You’ll leave the conversation feeling less stressed, more informed, and better equipped for the warm-weather months—with more enjoyment and safety best practices in mind.

Learn more about the British Swim School program here, find a location near you here, and follow Ashley's North Houston school on Instagram here.

Show Notes:

We are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned work-from-home and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠

In Episode 3, we get into some real talk about holiday gifting with young children. We share our own experiences trying to use the ever-popular "wish list" system, reflect on how gratitude for gifts can co-exist with boundaries on what enters our home, and we also share how we ultimately use this time of year to double down on modeling and explicitly teaching an "attitude of gratitude" with our kids.

Show Notes

We are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned SAHM and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by clicking here and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠clicking here. You can find her on Instagram @montessorimamalife.

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. She also works as a writer and editor for @joyparentingclub. You can follow her musings on Instagram @holdingspacemontessori.

In Episode Two, we chat about the shift that happens when our kids move into the 'big kid' stage. We’re starting to feel a bit more 'busy,' and we’re wondering—is this a good thing, a challenge, or maybe a little of both?

Show Notes

We are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned SAHM and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. She also works as a writer and editor for ⁠@joyparentingclub⁠. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠

Welcome! In this first episode, we’re sharing a bit about our backgrounds, how this all began, and what inspired us to create—yes—another motherhood podcast.

Show Notes

We are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned SAHM and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠clicking here⁠ and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠clicking here⁠. You can find her on Instagram @MontessoriMamaLife

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. She also works as a writer and editor for @joyparentingclub. You can follow her musings on Instagram @holdingspacemontessori.

In this episode, we normalize the worries and bloopers that can weigh on our minds as parents when we transition from “sittervising” our children’s playdates to that first drop-off. It’s a milestone that’s rarely talked about, yet can feel surprisingly big those first few times—whether you’re the hosting home or the one entrusting your child to someone else for a few hours.

We candidly chat through:

• When we started noticing signs of readiness
• The questions we prioritize when vetting for safety
• The conversations and social courtesies we encourage our children to practice when visiting someone else’s home

Because here’s the thing: big kids can bring big energy. They’re still learning, still growing, and need space to stretch their independence—but within limits and guidance that help their “social play era” run smoothly.

This is a must-listen if your child is 5+ and you’re right on the cusp of this next stage—when kids start widening their horizons and craving more peer play in non–adult-led settings.

Show Notes:

We are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned work-from-home and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠

“Play is purposeful, but play alone is not an equalizer. Equity requires intentional access to language and math experiences,” writes educator Melanny Dominguez in a recent post that went viral on her mentorship page, @MelsMontessori.

Melanny is a Montessori homeschool educator, a former traditional classroom teacher, and a bilingual mother of two. After a decade in conventional education, she shifted toward a developmentally grounded Montessori approach that prioritizes strong early foundations, concrete learning, and respect for how children naturally develop. Through her content and consulting work, she helps families move beyond social media trends to build intentional learning environments rooted in research and child development.

In this episode, we invite her to the table for a deeper, more nuanced conversation challenging a commonly oversimplified — and often false — dichotomy parents are fed about the early years: that you either prioritize academics or you prioritize play- as if supporting cognitive development and honoring the simple joys of childhood are mutually exclusive.

We unpack why this isn’t actually an either-or; both are foundational in the early years. Play builds critical cognitive, social, and emotional architecture. Explicit instruction (sometimes offered through *guided play) can strengthen language, numeracy, and knowledge acquisition. The two are not adversaries. And both are joyful!

At the same time, we examine the layer of privilege embedded in the phrase “just play until 7.” That messaging leaves significant room for misinterpretation and often overlooks the resources, time, environment, and adult expertise required to make play developmentally facilitative, literacy-rich, and nature-based.

When offered as blanket advice, "just play," risks widening existing gaps in disadvantaged communities.

Grab your coffee or beverage of choice and lean in with an open mind for this one!

*Guided play as supported by research blends child-led exploration with intentional adult scaffolding to support academic, cognitive, and socio-emotional development. This approach can feel drowned out by the noise of today's "free play," and "independent play" trends on social media in which messaging largely encourages parents to lean back and just remove themselves (which has a time and a place and brings its own benefits to child development, but when overemphasized, leaves out for parents when "leaning in" is valuable – ahem, when there is a learning goal!)

About the Co-Hosts

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned work-from-home mom and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠

In this episode, we share our honest motherhood reflections on mealtime wins and woes with our children over the years. We talk about the challenges and highlights while sharing in laughter and reprieve as our kids move more into middle childhood. We’re starting to see little wins come through:

• stronger tolerance for waiting at a restaurant
• more confidence ordering independently
• efficiency around helping to prepare and clean up together at home
• and the tangible benefits of the ritual itself—packed with quality time and backed by research as a simple way to build resilience and support healthier physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Don’t under-estimate family meals, whether at home or out and about! Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner that your crew can prioritize, this simple ritual is an incredible opportunity to connect, bond, and build healthy habits. It doesn’t have to happen perfectly every day; every family’s capacity and circumstances look different, so make it make sense for you!

Show Notes

We are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by taking our chats out of DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned work-from-home and Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠.

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠

This episode is a sanity-saving conversation about all things “big kid” parenting—one that will have you nodding along, feeling understood, and ultimately walking away with greater confidence to navigate classics like the “stage of rudeness,” chore resistance, and those first friendship woes.

We sat down with a true pro: Gabby Felman, MS.Ed., LCSW, PMH-C, founder of Community of Play (located in Scarsdale, NY), Director of Child Development at Joy Parenting Club, and mom of three. She has dedicated her life’s work to supporting children and families, and there’s no question she can’t thoughtfully field or quirky kid behavior she can’t help demystify.

We cover the changes that are common as your child moves into the elementary years, and we get granular about some of the biggest emotional triggers that tend to surface: eye rolling and sharp words, peer-to-peer drama, and sudden resistance to what feel like simple requests to help out around the house.

It takes a village. Lean in with your beverage of choice and take comfort in knowing these pain points are common. They’re a season—often a sign that our children are craving autonomy and dignity as they find their voice amid a major leap in social awareness. They are, essentially, "social newborns."

Show Notes

• Follow Gabby on Instagram @CommunityofPlay
• Check out these books she recommends to spark meaningful conversations with your big kids on all things social boundaries and friendship: The Not So Friendly Friend, Sharing is Unbearable, Do Unto Otters, The Recess Queen.

About the Podcast

We are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned SAHM and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠

One day, the stroller or baby carrier that tucked away our sweet little babies during grocery hauls stops feeling effective. We blink, and we have very mobile toddlers who can't seem to sit still.

Nonetheless, it's 2026, and it's pretty normalized around us to see fellow parents picking up their toddlers, placing them in the seat of a cart, and handing over a planned activity – either a "busy bag" of portable toys or a screen for a short bout of entertainment.

While nothing is inherently wrong with this in isolation, because not every moment needs to be a teaching moment, it begins to backfire when this becomes routine. When grocery runs and outings start to feel like a constant source of split-attention: desperately planning something "fun" for our toddlers rather than just including them in what we're there to do: grab some food.

Distraction tactics can be easiest to overuse in toddlerhood, when it's easy to underestimate just what they're capable of, interested in, and ready for.

But this approach can lead to burnout, overstimulation, and power struggles because the distraction becomes a time-opportunity cost to what toddlers most crave:

• movement
• quality time with us
• inclusion in the real world

When we treat the store as the activity itself, we can stop reacting to unmet needs (like the moment the busy bag gets tossed and the demands of “Up! I want out!” start) and instead meet them with intention.

In this episode, we normalize letting toddlers take up space at the grocery store—what that looks like in practice, and how to start noticing the incredible learning opportunities built right into the aisles.

Show Notes

We are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.

Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned SAHM and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠