Ditch the "naughty step," says new parenting guide It advises parents to create a bedroom with a "floor bed" - a low futon or mattress on the floor or on slats, so babies can move freely but safely. While Ford encourages parents to put babies down in their cots at set times so that they "settle themselves" to sleep, Montessori suggests a less rigid approach. "With a mattress on the floor it is possible to lie next to the child while they are getting off to sleep or if they wake in the night," the book says. Child-led weaning, which many modern parents are adopting, is also a feature of the book. Babies are given finger foods, such as toast and pieces of fruit, and decide how much they eat, rather than being spoon-fed purées. On behaviour, the advice contradicts the techniques used by Supernanny, which include confiscating toys as punishment and giving out stickers as a reward. Instead the book encourages "self-discipline." It says that Maria Montessori, the Italian doctor who founded the movement in the early 1900s, believed rewards or punishments interfered with "children's own natural desire to learn and to socialise." Much of the manual, Learning Together, focuses on how to play with babies and children under five. It says that parents can create a "treasure basket" filled with natural, everyday objects, such as pine cones, feathers, and lemons, instead of expensive toys. Playing outdoors, physical exercise and exploring local neighbourhoods are also encouraged. Other advice includes letting children play in silence without being distracted by questions from their parents; letting children work out problems on their own; placing furniture so toddlers can reach cups and toothbrushes; and only saying "no" when there is genuine danger. Philip Bujak, the chief executive officer of Montessori St Nicholas, which publishes the guide, said it was not a "manual on the right way to raise children" but that he hoped it would "provide new insight."