Parenting Wisdom

The planting phase has finally arrived. Huzzah! I thought I'd have it all set by March 1st, but Scottsdale went and had a weird second "winter" and the outside temperature wasn't warm enough to plant. Now it's mid-March, warmer,...

I don't really like to cook. I do not use my free time looking for new recipes to try, or get excited about crockery or kitchen gagitry.  I am actually pretty lazy if I let myself get away with it...

As we prepare to keep our families healthy through the holidays, Dr. Ali Thompson shares tried and true advice from her experience as a pediatrician. Dr. Ali Thompson is a pediatrician at the Phoenix Children's Pediatrics - North Phoenix. https://youtu.be/r7COCd9P2is Dr....

We all “know” that exercise is good for our physical and mental health, but often we do not prioritize it and often say: life gets in the way, it's hard to make time, it costs too much, I need...

My first reaction to the dyslexia testing results was relief. Usually by the time you get testing done, you know your kid has been struggling for quite sometime. I also did have a brief period where I questioned how I...

There is no shortage of lists on the internet for all things mom related, including lists of what to buy as a new mom gift. Well, I am going to keep this simple for you, after having three kids...

At the beginning of summer my “neighborhood mom group” was out to lunch together and someone asked me the plans for my oldest come fall. I told her where we were sending my oldest to preschool, our schedule and...

October is Sensory Processing Awareness Month. In recognition of all the kids out there struggling with sensory input, we interviewed an Occupational Therapist to get the inside scoop on what Sensory Processing Disorder is and how we can help...

November is National Adoption Month – a month-long celebration that began in 1995 by Presidential Proclamation as a way to raise awareness for the hundreds of thousands of children in foster care in need of forever families. Today, there...

“Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Winston Churchill is credited with first saying this in the mid-1940s as we were approaching the end of World War ll. As the world around us seems to be slowly reopening,...

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...

Summer break in Scottsdale is upon us and the extremely high temperatures can make for some of the LONGEST days with little ones. Sure, there are amazing local indoor attractions offered in Scottsdale, but outings are not something I'm...

    The kids have been back in school for a few weeks in Arizona. If you have an elementary student, they probably have a daily reading assignment. If you're looking for a way to make reading fun after an...

Yay! You're having another baby! This can be a thoroughly exciting but also emotional and terrifying moment in a parent's life. I will always remember, during my pregnancy with my second child, I had thoughts about how I could...

One of my struggles as a parent is keeping the kids safe while they are online. I truly believe granting them access to the internet, texting and games is a necessary part of them growing up. The older they...

Pregnancy Resource Well sweet SMB friends, I don’t think I’ve officially-officially posted it on here yet, but I’m happy to announce I’m pregnant with baby #3! I’m 24-weeks pregnant with our third girl and we are super excited (and a...

If you are a parent already dreaming about a reset in 2021, you are not alone.  For many modern families an organized home life with a reliable work, home and school schedule sounds like the best holiday gift or...

In my house growing up, hate was a bad word. We just weren’t allowed to say it. We could never, ever say it about people. And hating things was not looked nicely upon either. I am momentarily lifting that...

Teaching our youngsters to be kind at the park can be challenging. Sometimes we visit with our mom friends, and we don't realize that not all the kids are included in playtime at the park. Let's face it; everyone's child is...

May is when we celebrate our teachers. It's a special time to thank them for everything they have done for our children all year. Just like we challenge ourselves to be thankful all year, not just on Thanksgiving Day,...

Don’t be surprised if you start hearing “Phoenix” and “Couture” in the same sentence a little more often thanks to Phoenix Fashion Week, which was held October 2-5th at Talking Stick Resort. Complete with fashion business workshops, a “Style...

I'm starting to learn that life {and motherhood} are very seasonal; each season fading into the next. Just when we think we can't stand another sleepless night, we find ourselves sleeping a solid six hours but we now spend the...

At SMB we want to bring you information and inspiration from around the Valley and beyond. Here are some clickworthy links from around the web this week. Enjoy! This made me smile – it’s a music video gone viral called...

As much as I love the holiday season, I always find myself a tiny bit relieved when the New Year's Eve countdown has concluded, and the ball has dropped on another year. I welcome the return to schedules, as...

Many families will travel out of town during summer break. We had a chance to travel to Hawaii earlier this year and I made mental notes on this trip to help prepare for our next vacation. When we spent time on...

When we’re in the trenches of parenting our kids, it’s often easy to find ourselves “losing it.” I know you know what I mean when I say that. On many days we feel like we lose our patience, or...

They pop up in my email box each week; “indulge in the latest treat from __________”; articles on my Facebook page, “you deserve it, take a break from your life”; and Instagram posts with blocks of words “self-care is____________” Self-care...

The one thing I look forward to each year as summer break approaches is having an abundance of time. During the school year, we are so constrained by our over-scheduled world. Out of the house by 7 a.m., errands,...

A Cautionary Tale The year my daughter turned two, I waited in line with dozens of other parents outside a highly-desired preschool to ensure she got a spot. The school came highly recommended by a few acquaintances and we were...

Recently, my husband and I decided to send our (almost) three year old to preschool. Since I am mostly a stay at home mom, I got a lot of questions about why we think he needs to go to...