Preschoolers

I am so, so, so tired. Hi guys, it's Kirsten, Managing Editor here at SMB--- and I. Am. Tired. I know I'm not the only one. I've had too many conversations with moms just like me-- bags under their eyes,  Starbucks...

I haven't been a mom very long.  Less than 18 months. When I joined the ranks as an At Home Mom, I aspired to maintain our home as a place of order and peace.  i.e.,  To keep it clean.  Then the baby...

I probably jinxed myself by writing my last post on the Valley's Pediatric Emergency Rooms. Within two weeks of publishing the article - and a week before she was set to be a flower girl in my brother's wedding...

I recently read an article about how mothers in France “live and let live”.  They don’t pack huge diaper bags or thrust all kinds of emergency paraphernalia into their strollers for all of life’s      "what-ifs".  They just...

   Target  I’m dangerous alone in this store. Add two pint-sized beings that seem to gain control of the cart and steer to either sparkly tank tops or lego aisles and it spells even more trouble. Make no mistake,  this...

  We at SMB are excited to announce a new little feature we're adding to the blog!  In addition to our regular lineup of awesome Scottsdale mom contributors, we will be adding a monthly post by a LOCAL expert! We'll...

One of the greatest joys of parenting is sparking the natural curiosity and wonder that comes built into our little people.  They offer us a fresh perspective of the world around us and restore innocence that is lost in...

Having a curious preschooler is an adventure everyday! My daughter is four and she is picking up on everything around her. She asks tons of questions that start with "WHY?" As I'm sure you know, sometimes we moms, just don't always have...

You've read all about powerless words.  You've eliminated the word "try" from your vocabulary.  What are the other top five powerless words to stop using now? DON'T Don't go into the street vs stop right now. Don't run on the pool deck...

Recently, my husband scored 4 tickets to a Phoenix Suns basketball game.  We loaded our 5 & 7 year old daughters into the car and headed off, excited to watch the game together! We splurged on PHX Suns face paint;...

It was sometime after Halloween but before Thanksgiving.  That magical time of year when your young children have gotten a big taste of sugar and remembered how much they are addicted to it.  On this particular day, the whining...

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...

I must warn you, after reading this blog post, you will feel itchy and uncomfortable. Read ahead at your own risk!  The school nurse called and said those two words you never want to hear, “head lice.” “Ugh,” I thought,...

A few months ago, I wrote a post sharing our ideas on how to start your own book club. You can read it here, if you missed it. Recently, we had found ourselves in a reading rut. I think this...

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....

We here at SMB are excited to introduce to you the newest addition to our team: Sara Frederick! You can learn more about our amazingly talented new contributor on our "Meet the Contributors"  page or at her personal blog,  Mind Body...

As we are diving into a new year, I've had several friends ask me what we are doing for Preschool. As my daughter Reagan won't attend a traditional Preschool, I've been working through just what her education will look...

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...

I was with some friends the other day and one of the kids was singing the classic nursery favorite "Hush Little Baby".  One of the moms mentioned that their child will only sing the first verse, because that's all...

As many children start back to school, I am, as a home schooling mom, just solidifying lessons plans for the year. We don't actually take long vacations from school so we don't have a "summer break." However, I won't...

Back to school gives me so much anxiety. I often think I am more nervous than my daughter is. Now that the summer is winding down and we are approaching another first day of school I thought it would be a...

Editor's Note: Happy Friday! All week long we're talking about screens - from TV shows to tablets for kids and grownups of all ages. Love 'em or hate 'em, screens and screen time are a hot topic in parenting...

The one thing that can be scary about giving my child my iPhone (or iPad) is that if I walk into another room while she’s enjoying something I’ve selected, I might walk back into the room and she’s hit a million buttons and is now watching something that’s not age appropriate. Can I get an Amen?

Editor's Note: Happy Monday! All week long we're talking about screens - from TV shows to tablets for kids and grownups of all ages. Love 'em or hate 'em, screens and screen time are a hot topic in parenting...

"We could fit 13 kids in this house!" my sweet hubby exclaimed upon deciding to buy our current house. It is by no means a large house. We have 4 bedrooms. If we are in one, he was thinking about...

With it being 105+ here in Scottsdale for who knows how long, I figured we should talk sunscreen. Allowing your kids and yourself to get some Vitamin D is great, allowing them to get a sunburn..not so much. I'll give...

I had a rough transition into motherhood.  Actually, I had a really rough transition into motherhood.  You see, my first born is allergic to milk and I was determined to breastfeed.  But I didn't know she was allergic to...

If I were the sign-carrying, protesting type, I would totally protest summer. I'd stand sit in my lawn chair under an umbrella out on Scottsdale Road with a long sign that read, "Shame on you summer!" I would hang outside the library...

I don't feel like I have a big family. I find myself answering the question, 'how many children do you have?' with "just 5." I suppose I am surrounded by lots of much larger families so I feel average....

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...