A Blog by Colleen Noll Hey Parents, We’ve talked about the kids’ meltdowns, age-appropriate rules, car rides, restaurants, rainy days, the gift of boredom, and even our own MPO6 stories with refrigerator boxes and Art Night. Now it’s time for the part that often feels hardest: US! Because here’s the truth no one likes to say out loud, it’s much easier to set screen limits for our children than it is to put our own phones down. I’ve been there. You sit down for two minutes, reach for your phone “just to check one thing,” and

A blog by Colleen Noll Hey Parents, Last time we talked about why boredom feels uncomfortable at first; and why that restless stretch is actually the beginning of something good. Today I want to show you what that “something good” can look like in real life. These are a few true stories from our own MPO6 household. No perfect parenting here. Just regular family life, a little creativity, and a lot of ordinary moments that turned out better without screens. The Refrigerator Box That Took Over Summer One summer a large refrigerator box made its

A Blog by Colleen Noll Hey Parents, Let’s be honest for a second. When your child declares “I’m booooored” in that long, dramatic, slightly accusatory tone, it doesn’t feel like a beautiful learning opportunity. It feels like a problem that needs fixing, preferably in the next 30 seconds. And if we’re being even more honest, boredom can feel uncomfortable for us too. We live in a world that constantly offers something to watch, scroll, or listen to. Sitting with empty space feels strange at first. Almost itchy. So why does boredom feel so painful in

A blog by Colleen Noll Hey Parents, Let’s talk about the real-life moments when the tablet feels like the easiest (and sometimes only) solution. Playdates Car rides Restaurants Rainy days These are the situations where even the most intentional parents start eyeing the glowing screen like it’s a life raft. I’ve been there. And while our MPO6 kids grew up before tablets were a constant option for little ones, we still had to figure out how to get through long drives, restaurant waits, and indoor days without turning every quiet moment into screen

A Blog by Colleen Noll Hey Parents, After surviving the first big “No iPad!” meltdown, the next question I always hear is: “Okay Colleen… so what are the rules supposed to be?” Great question. Because vague ideas like “less screen time” sound nice until you’re standing in the kitchen at 7:15 a.m. with a tired toddler and a phone in your hand. I’m not here to hand you a rigid rulebook written by people who’ve never met your child. I’m here to share simple, age-appropriate guidelines that actually stick; the kind that work in real

Walk into any of our classrooms this month and you will find children practicing how to push in a chair. That small moment is one of the first lessons we give, and one of the ones we care about most. Grace and courtesy is the part of our Montessori curriculum where children learn how to move through a room and how to treat the people in it. Our guides give lessons on sitting at circle time, pushing in a chair, carrying a water pitcher down the hall without spilling a drop, and

(For parents of young children who are currently living through the great screen standoff) A blog by Colleen Noll Hey Parents, We have all been there. You’re in the car. The morning is already running five minutes behind. Your two-year-old is strapped in, and the second the engine starts, they ask, “Phone? Cartoon?” in that sweet little voice that somehow carries the weight of a full courtroom demand. Or worse… you’re walking into school, and that same tiny human has their face buried in your phone, eyes glued to a cartoon, completely missing