Parenting Wisdom

Our typical dinner table conversation with a family of 5 is loud and not always friendly. I am used to hearing “I don’t want to eat THAT,” “She/he is not passing the ketchup,” “Stop wiggling in your chair!” and...

Ah, how I love Luke Skywalker and Yoda, and most importantly, The Jedi Code: There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no death,...

We made it. Our family survived our first, full Phoenix summer. And, all I can say is -- WOW.  That desert heat is no joke! "It was so mild," you tell me......  "We got off easy," they say. All I...

It seems that I have unofficially broken up with Facebook and I’m having a full-fledged affair with Instagram.  I love Instagram. Really, I do. (Pictured from top left corner, counter clockwise, to top right corner: Kristen Forgione, Alex Evjen, Heather...

Truth: If you serve more than two meals a day in a vehicle, you are a road warrior. If you have, at any given time, ice packs in coolers filled with snacks & dinner, you are a road warrior....

With the weather improving, it's finally time to get outside and play! Here are some of my kids' favorite backyard activities when they were toddlers and preschoolers. Create Animal Habitats: My kids love doing this, even to this day! Each child...

I served in the United States Air Force for four years. I had just graduated high school and I was young, naïve, ill-prepared for a life on my own…BUT, I was courageous enough to take a leap because I...

As a mom, you are worried sometimes that you yell at your kids and you wonder if that is all that they will remember about you. You worry about their school schedules, eating habits and their health. These worries...

This month, November 2014, my eldest son is turning 19 years old. Despite being a mother for the past 19 years, I find it hard to believe that I have been his mother for this long. Where did the...

I don't know where I saw it, but I remembered the image of the sleeping child with a superimposed "fairy" fluttering around on the video screen. Coooooool, I thought, when my kids lose their teeth I will totally have...

Peter’s Story One, two, three, jump! Peter’s mom yells, “Peter, stop jumping on the couch!” Of course, Peter is having way too much fun and continues jumping on the couch. Peter’s mom yells again, “Peter, I told you to stop jumping now!” Peter continues...

Definition of an Alpha Mom: Develops when an 'A' type personality has toddlers. Intimidating in Mommy circles; makes other moms feel inferior because of their regular attempts to out-do one another. Incredibly competitive and judgmental, Alpha Mom has to...

My brother and his wife are expecting twins any day now. As my family impatiently waits for the second set of twins to be born in my family, I started thinking about those must have baby items that no...

Remember those Friday and Saturday nights when you hung out with your girlfriends? After motherhood, those nights are often consumed with finishing work deadlines, making dinner, tending to fussy kids and managing a household. Before you know it, months pass...

So as a soccer and dance mom, you might find it a bit random and unexpected for me to have this quirky Halloween tradition - but I'm going to share it with you anyway. I normally start the night in...

The calendar tells me that fall is in full swing, and yet, as a Phoenix newbie, it's rather hard to believe. There are no changing leaves, no riding boots, no apple orchards. A Pumpkin Spice Latte, in these temps?? Pleh. Sure, things...

Last January, I was startled to hear screaming coming from my girls bedroom. It was that scream that every mother dreads, the “something really is wrong, I am not faking, I need my Mommy” animalistic noise. Bolting up the...

I was recently talking to one of my divorced mom friends about her first year of being seperated and what really helped her get through it. She had some interesting thoughts to share on how we can help our mommy...

Christ Church School is a private preschool and elementary school (16 months through 4th Grade) located in Paradise Valley that focuses on a personalized style of instruction. What is personalized instruction? Personalized instruction is paced and tailored appropriately to the learning...

School mornings are hectic in my household. As soon as the alarm hits, my feet touch the ground and I begin the task of charting every moment so that my daughter reaches school on time. There are ways that parents...

Not sure if you guys have noticed, but we live in something of a digital age. I, more than most, retain an affinity for the old fashioned... I make pen-to-paper to-do lists and include items already completed just to give them a...

You always hear that babies don’t come with manuals. But bookstores continue to house shelves of "How To Books" on childrearing. When I had a baby I took to it like signing up for a course in college. I read...

Your kids are always watching you and always learning from you! Here's a list of five real-life-things your kids should see you do {spoiler alert: this list goes way beyond seeing you say "please" and "thank you"!} 1. Pay Bills Your kids...

To my dear babysitter, I'm really going to miss you. You may not realize this, but it is pretty special that I trust you with my kids. I don't just pass out that honor to anyone. You have become a...

Do you ever find yourself in a yelling rut when disciplining your kids? I know, I do. During my first daughter’s (I have three daughters now – 5, 3 and 1 years-old.) 3-year check-up, I asked her pediatrician for discipline suggestions....

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...

As someone who grew up in Ohio, I have had share of my rainy days. Though a monsoon may cause more chaos for the valley, the rain still puts a smile on my face. I love the smell of...

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...

1. No one fed their children healthy food. Once upon a time in the 80's,  moms threw lunch-sized bags of greasy, salty potato chips and an individual chocolate pudding "snack pack" into a bag and called it a day! The amazing...

We here at Scottsdale Mom's Blog are very excited to  introduce you all to our newest contributor Jenny Castle!  We know you all will love getting to know her just as much as we have! (Read more about Jenny in...