Parenting Wisdom

From Renée: Kate and I have been writing a series about playdates we bring our kids on, but then we thought, what about us? We needed a Mommy Playdate! The day worked out perfectly. I dropped my oldest off at...

There are many milestones in the average child's life that happen at fairly predictable points:  They begin eating solid foods between 4-6 months (if mushy rice cereal counts as "solid"), they walk sometime around one year, and they become...

March is National Reading Month! Chances are, if you have an older kid in your house, they probably already have a favorite series or genre of books. Try surprising them with something new to spark their interest in reading...

My best friend called me in tears- her beauty treatment turned her into a beast (her words not mine.) Her first time trying to tackle wrinkles with Botox... went terribly wrong. Before even "going under" the needle, I would...

We at SMB are excited about a new little feature we’ve added to the blog!  In addition to our regular lineup of awesome Scottsdale Mom contributors, we’re including a monthly post by a LOCAL expert! We’re covering topics ranging from discipline to reading readiness...

One of my favorite mommy blogs, BecomingMom, has a series entitled "Mommy SOS" where she asks her readers to give their insight into various mommy-matters. I've always loved these posts as I feel like all of the comments are...

  Ah, sibling rivalry, famous for making family life tumultuous and for slowly chipping away at a mother’s sanity. Siblings seem to have the potential for being great comrades in addition to fierce foes. Experts say that your sibling relationships...

Nomophobia. Ever heard of it? If you have a tween or teen living in your house, you’ve probably witnessed the effects of it. Defined as a state of stress caused by having no access to or being unable to...

                I turn 29 this month…and although I try not to put too much emphasis on a number…I do feel slightly panicked to be in the last year of my twenties. To me, being in my twenties feels safe to make mistakes...

Ah, the imagination of a preschooler. Imaginary friends. Pretend play with dolls and superheroes. Make-believe reenactments of favorite movies (with mandatory participation by parents, of course). But with that magical imagination also comes a very fearful period for many preschoolers....

With the exception of politics I cannot think of another more polarizing topic than parenting.  We are divided on so many issues.  I am all for education, reading, studying, getting advice from experts- but there comes a certain point...

Dressing for the holidays can be daunting! Here are a few ideas to make your holiday wardrobe season a little more merry and bright. Thanksgiving: Dress for the season with fall colors.  Even if we don't see leaves changing color here...

We moms are all supposed to be on the same team, right? But what about those times when you catch another mom giving you a sideways judgy glance - whether it's because you just let your toddler eat a...

The following situations are based on my experiences. Please contact your doctor for any medical advice regarding your personal circumstance. Let me start out by saying that being “good enough” is falling way short in my perfectionist world. I am...

I love the movement that is rising up and celebrating body positivity. The premise behind this is loving your body at any size and celebrating it. This movement encourages people to stop hating their bodies and instead appreciate what...

This post is sponsored by Baby Sensory Development Classes. We partnered with Baby Sensory to bring Scottsdale Moms Blog readers a unique playgroup experience this past July. For more on infant development classes from Baby Sensory, visit their website. Crawling by Dr. Lin Day (excerpted...

One of the constant questions many of us ask ourselves as parents is, “Am I doing enough to make sure my child is happy?” We often wonder if we are providing the foundation they need in order to grow...

Soon after having Nora I got a copy of The Rookie Mom's Handbook: 250 Activities to do with (and without!) your baby.  It's been a great resource for ideas and information. And a great gift for a new-momma! One of...

Tis' the season to be thankful! We are blessed beyond measure. Blessed to live in Arizona and have a mild winter. Blessed to have babies we can watch grow. Blessed to live free. But how do we ensure our...

Confession: I was pre-registered to vote 6 months before my 18th birthday.  I was SO excited to be a part of this democratic process that I marched myself down to the DMV and asked if I could pre-register.  I...

Darling boys, you are still little. And though you couldn't possibly know it yet, you're making me so much better. I'm a better wife. ...because I am praying for yours. May I model the woman you might one day seek out: - One who loves her husband...

I’m embarrassed to say that until quite recently my youngest still sucked her thumb...And she is almost 5 years old. All three of my kids have been thumb suckers at one point in their baby/toddler life. The twins both stopped...

Here is my top 10 list to the Practical Approach to New Years Resolutions: The big ball drops, kisses are shared, and the calendar is replaced with a big bold Happy 2017! Not all too unfamiliar is the idea of...

A little over a year ago, I came across a blog post via Pinterest (aka The Devil) which talked about being present with your children. It discussed parting ways with technology and NOT being that family with little ones...

As we approach the seemingly endless hot summer days, I thought this would be a great time to reflect on why I do love to live here and all the things I am grateful for about Arizona. 1)      The air...

This photo was taken moments after Elliot was born. I snuggled him like this for the first two hours of his life. I've heard lots of moms talk about the desire to deliver their babies naturally, only...

I have found the solution to parenting… said no parent, ever. Over the three years of E’s short life, I’ve picked up a few parenting tricks here and there. Some things work once or twice, and some things revolutionize...

The moment the test reveals two pink lines, the journey of motherhood has begun. Whether or not the morning sickness or heartburn kicks in, there is one condition that plagues us all. The onset is sudden and it progresses quite...

Motherhood.   You don't get it until you do it.   Several times I've called my dear friends (who all had kids before me), simply to say, "I'm sorry... I just didn't know!!!" Some habits that toddler moms (and I suspect any-stage moms!) might...

10 Ways to Launch Great Days? Tap Morning Mindfulness! Your kiddos’ perspective on each new day can greatly benefit from your modeling and/or facilitating the practice of purposefully paying attention to the present, internally and externally, otherwise known as...