UnSelfie

As Montessori educators, we often talk about supporting not only children's intellectual development but also their social and emotional growth.

UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World offers a thoughtful and practical exploration of one of the most important skills we can nurture in young children: empathy.

In UnSelfie, Michele Borba draws on research to explain why empathy is a stronger predictor of wellbeing, resilience, and future success than academic achievement alone. She identifies key habits that help children develop empathy, including emotional literacy, kindness, perspective-taking, self-regulation, and moral courage.

For families of toddlers, the book reinforces many principles already embedded within the Montessori approach. Montessori environments encourage children to care for themselves, one another, and their community.

Through grace and courtesy lessons, mixed-age interactions, practical life activities, and respectful relationships with adults, children learn that they are valued members of a social group and that their actions affect others.

While UnSelfie is written for parents of children of all ages, families with toddlers may find particular value in its reminder that empathy begins very early. Simple everyday experiences - naming emotions, modelling kindness, involving children in caring for others, and acknowledging the feelings of peers - lay the foundation for compassionate relationships throughout life.

One of the book's strongest messages is that empathy is not something children ‘have’ or ‘don't have.’ Rather, it is a skill that develops through repeated experiences, observation, and guidance from caring adults. This aligns closely with Maria Montessori's belief that children absorb values and behaviours from the environments and relationships around them.

UnSelfie is an inspiring read for parents who wish to raise not only capable and independent children, but also caring, compassionate human beings who contribute positively to their communities.