School Age

“Is my child ready for preschool school?” If you’re the parent of a young child, or children, chances are you’ve asked yourself this question. We all want to make sure we’re giving our children every advantage and opportunity we can....

I’m three months into preschool with my oldest child and I am already overwhelmed by the amount of artwork she comes home with. Drawings, paintings, sketches, and stickers thrown on a paper. I love them. They are adorable, but...

Addiction. A familiar word in most homes in America. Someone you know has likely suffered from an addiction, as it’s become a widespread epidemic throughout our nation. But this word and my experiences with it have changed my perspective...

The search for excellent childcare remains many parents' most challenging pursuit. As many begin the process, their questions turn into a long list of concerns, requirements, and desires for the perfect place for their children to thrive.  When my oldests,...

My kid hates school and the best thing I ever did was stop trying to change his mind.  I stopped trying to convince him that school was great or had value… and I started really listening. What was it...

Becoming a mom was never a part of the plan.  From a young age, my dream of becoming a career woman was absolutely certain. The future I envisioned consisted of completing a Doctorate in Philosophy, working my way up in...

I am a first time kindergarten mom. I have no clue what I am doing, and I cried like a baby on my son's first day of school. We are almost a month into his kindergarten career, and I...

I always thought that picking a school for my kids would be one of the easier decisions I’d make as a parent. In addition to two kids of my own, I like to say I have another 36,000 in...

Now that my kids are back in school and away from home most of the day, that means they are away from some great resources - Essential Oils!  This means it's time for a "backpack makeover." When my kids were...

The 2018-19 school year marks my 7th year of teaching. And with my master’s in secondary English education, whatever grade you can assume I’ve taught, I’ve done more… Well, most of it. From early education to middle school and...

One of my good mom friends and I got to talking about the challenges that parenting can present. We moms are often caught with the feeling that our cups are overflowing, and we are giving all aspects of life...

Long ago, I was a carefree and fun-loving girl. My days were spent driving to the beach, hanging out with friends and working at a tanning salon (I cringe at that part now). I loved dressing up, putting on...

For a lot of kids, the final weeks of summer mean anticipating new school clothes, learning about future teachers and looking forward to catching up with last year's school friends.  But for others, the transition back to the classroom...

This past April our youngest son was born, and while there are only 3.5 years between him and our older son, I could not believe the changes that had happened in baby items over that period of time! Preparing...

I recently wrote a piece about the importance of validating children’s feelings in some of the most difficult moments. I truly believe emotional intelligence is one of the most important characteristics humans can possess, and it’s potentially one of...

The life of a modern person no longer appears without such things as a tablet, phone, computer. Children, watching the lives of adults, begin to be interested in gadgets from diapers: since mom and dad pay so much attention...

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” It’s back to school time! Stores have been packed to the brim with back- to-school items for quite some time now. Students and parents are excitedly navigating through the aisles with...

February is Black History Month; a time to celebrate the achievements of African Americans, their impact on American history, and to educate our children about racism, discrimination, and bias. This month’s book round up focuses on children’s picture books that...

Is homework a nightly battle with your child? Students often struggle to complete independent work at home due to a variety of factors. Sustaining attention, avoiding distractions and mastering the material are all examples of possible struggles that students...

Can You Hear Me Now? My Child Is Begging For A Cell Phone! I vividly remember when I started the campaign to get my own phone in my room.  I was a child of the 80's. The idea of sitting...

Choosing a preschool for your child is one of the first major decisions you make as a parent. It can be stressful and overwhelming. Fortunately, Developing Minds Academy is here to help. Developing Minds Academy is a dual language English/Spanish...

I practically grew up at the Public Library in Tempe. My memories are full of my single mom lugging me, my two sisters, and two brothers into the van and involve either a story time, checking out handfuls of...

Did you know that March is National Reading Awareness Month? The need for a national campaign encouraging parents to read aloud to their children each day is necessary, as 1 in 3 students get to kindergarten without the tools required...

Millennials. We’re on the receiving end of a lot of criticism these days. Every time you turn around there’s another meme or video poking fun at the “me me me” generation. Sometimes I even find myself in complete and...

As a full-time wife, homemaker, and mother of three, and a part-time photographer and blogger, I have a lot on my plate. I try really really hard to do it all. But sometimes I fall short. Sometimes I just...