Valerie | Parent Educator (@mummavalerie)

Comment “app” on my Instagram post to get my limited time only 20% early bird discount. 🦜 I have been spending almost every spare minute the last few months working on @mummabear_parenting, and I’m so excited to be able to finally share it with all of you! I wish I had a resource like this when I first started my parenting journey. Bite-sized tips that I can implement straightaway and feedback on how I am doing as a parent. Thank you @studio for inviting me to be part of your Flagship Creator program! The whole experience was so smooth and intuitive! 😍 With the 7-day-money-back guarantee you can try the app completely risk free! Feel free to send me a DM if you have any questions at all! I would love to answer them 💕

Anyone can do this… Comment “potty” on this post on my instagram account and I’ll send you a free guide to start elimination communication (EC) today. I’ve had lots of people ask me if they’re able to do elimination communication even if they’re working and not with their baby all day and the answer is YES!! They key is just being consistent, so if you can only offer the potty once a day (e.g. first thing in the morning when they wake up) then do that and overtime your baby will learn the potty is where they can do their business. The book by @godiaperfree is what I used to learn about how to do EC and you can use code “Valerie15” to get 15% off. #eliminationcommunication #ecbabies #nappyfreelife #babypottytraining #montessoribaby #godiaperfree #gentleparenting #earlypottytraining #ecjourney #consciousparenting #babycommunication

We’ve been using sign language with Maddie since birth. For my Aussie friends, I will be posting the Auslan version tomorrow so stay tuned. Teaching babies sign language helps them communicate before they can speak, reducing frustration for both baby and parent. It supports language development, strengthens bonding, and gives babies a sense of independence and confidence as they express their needs and feelings. Plus, studies show it can even boost cognitive skills and early vocabulary growth. We currently use a mix of ASL and Auslan, as I initially learned a few signs from social media before learning Auslan in depth. #BabySignLanguage #MontessoriAtHome #RespectfulParenting #EarlyCommunication #RaisingIndependentKids #BabyLearning #MontessoriParenting #LanguageDevelopment #BabyMilestones #consciousparenting

Comment “play” on my Instagram post for my free independent play guide.

Comment “high 5” on my Instagram post and I’ll send you my blog post with 25 phrases to say instead of “good job” and more effective ways of praising our children. I remember working as an early childhood educator in daycare and I probably say “good job” 100 times a day. A kid goes down the slide - “good job”, a kid washes their hands - “good job”, a kid claps their hands - “good job”. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the words “good job” but so many of us throw it out there without even thinking twice, and we’re training our children to need constant validation for every little thing they do. What you also see me modelling in this video is the power of saying less. Notice how I wasn’t constantly fixing and telling Maddie what to do. I model what to do, give her the opportunity to do it and then model it again when I noticed she was being a bit too rough with the eggs. We want to avoid too many words with our actions, as kids learn better when we separate our words from our actions so that they can just observe our actions rather than getting distracted by our words as well. Let me know if you like these sorts of videos where I model how to tackle everyday scenarios with our children.

Maddie was able to do so much before she turned 2 and she’s not gifted or special… All babies and toddlers are just as capable! They just need parents who are able to foster this independence.

Here are the steps we took to teach Maddie how to use a spoon: 1️⃣ Low-pressure time to play with the spoon 2️⃣ Place spoon in their hand 3️⃣ Place spoon in front of them on the table so they can grab it themselves 4️⃣ Preload the spoon and leave it in the bowl for them to pick up 5️⃣ Teach how to scoop using the hand-over-hand method 6️⃣ Allow them to do it on their own

Comment “GUIDE” to join my How to Raise an Independent Baby guide waitlist. There is a whole chapter about how to praise our babies so that we raise children with growth mindsets. Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $47 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide)

Comment “GUIDE” to join my How to Raise an Independent Baby guide waitlist. There is a whole chapter about practising Elimination Communication (EC) with your baby. Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $47 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide) The 4 easy catches are: 1️⃣ When babies wake up from a nap or nighttime sleep 2️⃣ Whenever you do a nappy change 3️⃣ Whenever you notice they need to poop 4️⃣ During transitions in and out of a container, e.g. high-chair, stroller, baby carrier, car seat

Comment “guide” to join the waitlist. The waitlist will be closing in a week on 14th October so don’t miss out! I’ve poured so much love and effort into this, and I can’t wait for you guys to see it! Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $47 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide)

Comment “guide” to join my How to Raise an Independent Baby guide waitlist. It has 2 chapters on using a floor bed and encouraging independent sleep. Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $47 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide)

Comment “guide” to join the waitlist. I know that I’m not doing all the signs accurately, so I would highly recommend checking out auslan.org.au for a huge dictionary of signs. We have absolutely loved our sign language journey with Maddie. She was able to do about 15 signs at 18 months (this is pretty conservative; I’ve heard about babies that can do a lot more!) I think the most useful sign for us is “help!” Before she could say the word, she would use it all the time to ask for help, and it helped reduce a lot of frustration. Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $47 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide)

Comment “guide” to join the waitlist. I know that I’m not doing all the signs accurately, so I would highly recommend checking out babysignlanguage.com for a huge dictionary of signs. We have absolutely loved our sign language journey with Maddie. She was able to do about 15 signs at 18 months (this is pretty conservative; I’ve heard about babies that can do a lot more!) I think the most useful sign for us is “help!” Before she could say the word, she would use it all the time to ask for help, and it helped reduce a lot of frustration. Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $47 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide)

Comment “guide” to join my waitlist. Using a floor bed is definitely one of the best parenting decisions we’ve made! Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $47 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide)

Comment “guide” to join my waitlist. Giving Maddie and Ollie the freedom to lead their own play is a gift that pays off every single day. I can already see the difference in Maddie! She’s so self-directed now and rarely relies on an adult to keep her entertained. Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $37 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide)

Comment “guide” to join my waitlist. Raising independent children isn’t about pushing them away! It takes far more patience, presence, and love to step back and guide them to do things themselves. I’m empowering my babies to grow up confident, resilient, and intrinsically motivated. Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $37 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide)

Comment “guide” to join my waitlist. I spent 6 months putting this guide together, and I can’t wait for you guys to see it! Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $37 ✅ Chapters 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide)

Comment “guide” to join my waitlist. Waitlist members get: ✅ Early access ✅ Pay $27 instead of $37 ✅ Chapter 1 & 2 for free (before committing to buying the guide) The key to raising children who will be willing to help out with chores later on in life is to involve them while they are still young and internally motivated to help. #independentbaby #babydoingchores #choresfortoddlers #montessoribaby #montessoribook

Parenting is tough!! It really tests your patience, your multitasking skills, your relationship with your partner… I’ve never resonated with the total “doom and gloom” idea that claims your freedom is gone and your life is over. But I also don’t agree with the toxic positivity that tells us we’re supposed to “cherish every moment.” I believe that two things can be true at the same time: You can love being a mum and still have days where you question this new life you’ve chosen. You can adore your current life and still miss the freedom of your old one. You can love your husband to death and still have moments where his breathing genuinely annoys you. You can be overwhelmingly grateful for your kids and still count down the exact minutes until bedtime. I believe that you don’t have to enjoy every second of parenthood to still be an amazing parent!

The person I’ve always looked up to most in life is my Ah Kong. Even as a young child, I knew in my heart that his love for me was unconditional and I never had to worry that he would love me any less if I misbehaved, got bad grades, or made a mistake. My Ah Kong has been such an inspiration to how I show up as a parent to Maddie and Ollie today. I want them to know they are always safe, valued, and unconditionally loved, no matter what. Comment “connect” and I’ll send you a link to my app that will teach you how to build a secure attachment with your child.

Comment “cereal” in my instagram post and I’ll send you my free guide to raising an independent baby. We’ve been practising this routine for about 1 month now. Some days it goes a bit more smoothly than others. There are some days where Maddie might resist everything and would need more help from me. And there are days where she can do it pretty much on her own. It does take some patience and setting up the environment to make sure that everything she needs is easily accessible.

I’ve been told that I’m a “bad mother” for wanting my children to be independent. Some people even said, “What’s the point of having kids if you don’t want to raise them?” 💔 There is such a huge misconception that raising independent children means we want them to be independent FROM US. People think it means pushing them away or expecting them to raise themselves. It’s actually the complete opposite…. Raising a child the Montessori way requires us to be even more tuned in, patient, and observant. It means putting in even more effort to prepare the environment, guide them to do things for themselves, step back and give them the confidence to master life skills. It takes so much more connection and presence to support their independence than it does to just do everything for them.

Comment “app” on my Instagram post to claim your early bird discount! 🦜 We want so badly to raise confident, resilient kids, yet so often, our instinct to protect, direct, and praise actually stops them from learning to trust themselves. If you are ready to shift from hovering to empowering, the @mummabear_parenting app gives you simple, daily bite-sized tips to make it second nature.

Comment “egg” on my Instagram post and I’ll send you more ideas of kitchen tasks you can introduce to your baby or toddler. Maddie was around 14 months when we first gave her a go at cracking eggs. She is 21 months in the second clip. Babies and toddlers are so much more capable than we give them credit for! We just have to have a bit more patience and give them the opportunity to try.

Comment “egg” on my Instagram post and I’ll send you more ideas of kitchen tasks you can introduce to your baby or toddler. We have involved Maddie in the kitchen since she was a newborn and it continues to be one of our favourite places we spend time together. ♥️

Comment “egg” on my Instagram post and I’ll send you more ideas of kitchen tasks you can introduce to your baby or toddler. We have involved Maddie in the kitchen since she was a newborn and it continues to be one of our favourite places we spend time together. ♥️

Many of us who grew up in authoritarian households were told that we were being disrespectful if we ever misbehaved or had a big feeling. This was often met with punishment and shame. If you find yourself instantly triggered when your child says “no” or acts defiant, this is why. It’s the little version of you being reminded of a time when you weren’t allowed to express those same emotions safely. This isn’t about blaming our parents. They did their best with the tools and upbringing they had. It’s about understanding our own triggers so we can break the cycle and do things differently. If you are ready to navigate these big moments with calm and confidence, my Mumma Bear Parenting app breaks down actionable strategies on how to build mutual respect with your little ones. ✨ Comment “LOVE” to grab a limited-time early bird discount! ✨ These beliefs were inspired by the book Good Kids by Maggie Nick. Highly recommend reading it!

Comment “cereal” on my Instagram post and I’ll send you my free guide to raising an independent baby. We’ve been teaching Maddie how to get her own cereal since she was around 20 months old. She still needs reminders on what to do, like only getting her spoon but not her fork, but she’s slowly gaining independence and starting to be able to do all the steps unprompted. All you need is a little patience and the belief that your baby is capable!