Get started with montessori.

This depends on your definition of being Montessori. It might mean reading a book about Maria Montessori. It might mean enrolling your children in a Montessori school. It might mean buying Montessori materials for your homeschool. It might mean offering more active toys. Or it might mean a mindset switch to a more gentle parenting style. 

Montessori is about respect, patience, independence and choices. Reflect on your past few interactions with your children and assess how they went. Are you on the same team? Do you tell your children what to do or do you model expected behavior and then trust they'll follow? Observe your children at home in your natural environment -- are they independent? Are there small changes you can make to help support their independence? Are you offering activities they like and enjoy and want to repeat? Start there.  

Yes. 

Independence is encouraged, but not forced and like everyone, we're a family unit and need to work together to do what we need to do. There are days my children want to do everything themselves and there are days when they can't or don't want to. The object is not independence at all cost but within reason. If the day is hard or emotions are high or we just really need to be somewhere - I jump in.