Parenting Wisdom

It’s December, time for the annual Christmas Gift Balancing Act to begin! Every year it’s the same struggle. On one side there are my children, expecting all these great presents (that Santa magically brings at seemingly no cost to...

Leading an “attitude of gratitude” on a daily basis can help you stay grounded, keep things in perspective and, without sounding too dramatic, change your life! By focusing on the positive, you will focus less on the negative, which can...

Watching your child's communication skills develop is both fascinating and adorable! As a mom and an SLP (Speech Language Pathologist), I am very passionate about early communication development. This is the second post in a series I have started to...

Every mom in the history of Momming has been there. Has reached the point of frustration with a child and found themself saying, “Can you just sit still and be quiet for a few minutes?” It doesn’t matter if your kid...

I am calling out to all Scottsdale Moms Blog readers for your take on how to talk to your kids about the death of a family pet. I have a loving, energetic and emotional almost-three-year-old who loved our beloved yellow...

I have a few friends who are about to give birth to their very first children this week.  And this week my first born turned eleven. ELEVEN!?!?! Needless to say the conversations, advice and trips down memory lane have...

We’re back with SMB’s Belly Diaries guest vlogger, Michelle, and her 22 week update! If you missed her 16 week video update and her 19 week video update be sure to go back to view it… they are just too good to miss! Here’s...

If you’re not familiar with Common Sense Media, they are a non-profit organization which was founded in 2003. Their mission is to ensure digital well-being for kids everywhere, and they are a leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations...

Helicopter parenting is a topic roaming around the internet now-a-days. Good, bad, or what have you, when it comes to MATH homework in this house: I AM A HELICOPTER PARENT! Take me away. Lock me up. I confess it...

I've been thinking a lot about friends lately... As you grow older and lives change, your friendships change. I have to admit, swallowing those changes used to be really tough for me. I got engaged first, married first, had...

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...

Achieving work-life balance isn’t easy, especially without our normal routines. Now that remote work has been the norm for quite some time, it’s crucial to make sure the whole family strives for healthy habits. For parents struggling with balancing...

As an adoptive mom, often I am asked about the reason for the costs in adoption.  The fees for a private, domestic or international adoption can be somewhere between $10-50, 000.  Those numbers can seem intimidating, but they start...

Watch out, Moms and Dads everywhere. The struggle is real. It does exist. It can happen to you. Maybe you did not know about it, like me. Or, perhaps someone never properly taught you. But beware because you might be next:...

It was Monday morning and my house was bustling with activity, as everyone rushed to get our teeth brushed, clothes on and stomachs fed.  My daughter was going to her first day of preschool. I strapped my daughter in her carseat, with...

We've talked a lot about school and Preschool here on SMB. What makes our team of writers so great is the diversity of experiences and perspectives. I realized that I hadn't yet provided my perspective to the whole Preschool...

It's Pregnancy Week here on Scottsdale Moms Blog! If you are just tuning in, be sure to read the rest of the week's posts here. I have always had a vision of how my daughter's room could be turned into...

I would not have chosen to begin my path to motherhood with a long season of complete loneliness. But, that’s exactly where my journey began. Alone.

This is Part 7 (and final post) of our series on Being a Working Mom.  If you missed Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 or Part 6 check them out. ***** Oh, the unpredictable joys of being a full time stay-at-home...

Please stop using the word “reasonable” when looking for a photographer/doula/caterer/florist/literally any small business service…. Hey there y’all! As a local mompreneur who owns her own independent birth photography and birth doula business as well as being the co-founder of...

Remember when the ad campaign started a couple of years ago about talking to your children about the dangers of smoking?  The commercials showed uncomfortable and bashful parents initiating conversations with their middle school age children while the voice...

Go for a walk: around your neighborhood, at a park or on a trail. Talk about what they see and how nature is important to our world.  Pick up litter: get a garbage bag and some gloves and...

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” -Maya Angelou There was a time when everyone used to smoke it seemed. Even doctors smoked in the halls of the hospital. That sounds...

You know when you can't believe something that actually came out of your child's mouth? Something profound, something funny, something embarrassing, or even something that stumps you. I've had my share of "Naia-isms" you just can't make up that...

Ok, I know I am not alone in this, I call them “besties in my head.” You’re up late at night… early morning (diaper change, bottle refill, etc.....#momlife) and you find yourself scrolling through your phone, down a deep dark...

This past school year has been like none other I could have ever imagined. With the Coronavirus pandemic in full swing, our family made the decision to withdraw our 2nd grader from public school and homeschool him. We didn’t...

Practical ways to honor and celebrate the man in your life this Father's Day. Let's face it, the world makes a pretty big deal about Mother's Day. I mean, its a REAL holiday. Brunch reservations are made, flowers are bought;...

As wise Yoda once said, "No. Try Not.  Do or Do Not.  There is no Try!" There I was back in November, writing my blog post about Christmas gifts to give your children real happiness.  The post got a lot...

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...

Celebrating our teachers is important for kids and their families. May 4 -8 is the week when children have the opportunity to show how much they love their teacher.  How do we do that? For teacher appreciation week, why not decorate your...