Being a military family often means a lot of change, adjustment, and transitions! Even for adults this can be difficult, so imagine the effects on toddlers!

To combat this, creating a stable home environment (wherever in the world that might be!) is so important!
Rachel is an elementary teacher, turned stay at home mom, and Space Force spouse! Prior to staying home, she taught at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs as a second-grade teacher. After having their first child, and PCSing with her husband to Maryland, she made the decision to stay home and create an Instagram Blog (@Moose_andfriends) focusing on DIY toddler activities with a Montessori twist!

Rachel says:

This blog has allowed me to focus on creating an environment for my 2 children (ages 2 and 3) that remains consistent and focused around them. I really feel that this helps limit the impact of all the transitions that go along with their daddy traveling and our family moving.

Montessori has a large focus on creating independence in children and following the child’s interests. This often means creating activities centered around what my boys are interested in and giving them opportunities to do things themselves. For example, cutting up their own breakfast with a child sized knife, or getting dressed for the day on their own. It pushes the idea that even when the environment changes with Daddy’s job, their home environment stays the same and centers around helping them grow.

In addition to Montessori, we do a lot of DIY activities and make a lot of materials! Not only does it help us save money and budget, but also allows me to personalize things for my boys and make it with their interests in mind! I’ve always been a crafty person, so transitioning this to my own children and materials for them was naturally the next step! We love sensory play, academic focused activities, and more!

They recently launched an Etsy store where some of their DIY and Montessori inspired activities can be purchased!

@Moose_andfriends.shop

With military child life, a lot of things need to be taken into consideration in order to give our kiddos the best skills possible to deal with some of the things that come along with being a military family!

Head on over to Instagram to check out Rachel’s page for ideas, activities, and more!