Ages & Stages

Neither of my kids has napped past the age of 2.5. That’s when naps in our house get really wonky. When my first child stopped napping before age 3, I thought it was a fluke — surely he was...

I have successfully potty trained my three children. By successfully, I mean they were all fully potty trained by kindergarten. They were not totally out of diapers before 4 years old — and I realize some may consider that...

There is a years-long season of life with preschool and school-aged kids where there seems to be a kid birthday party every other weekend. Birthday parties provide a great outside-of-school opportunity for our kids to socialize with their friends,...

There's something about age 4. We've moved past the terrible twos and the threenager phase. He's not quite a big kid, but he's well past toddlerhood. He's in pre-K now. He's independent (when he wants to be). He has...

WICKED GOOD MOMCAST | EPISODE 12 Utilizing Our School Counselors with Cheryl Mastrogiovanni  Everyone likely knows that their child’s school has a school counselor, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we are utilizing this important tool. Today we are talking to Boston...

Silent. Suddenly, it was just silent.  The first day of kindergarten jitters had consumed our house for weeks — until they didn’t. We had picked out a special outfit, took the obligatory first-day photos with a fancy little sign, put...

Being a mom of five girls will definitely win me the puberty award at some point — it has to, right? We have now reached the training bra (junior bra) stage of our parenting adventure. Something I thought would...

Last year, I spent my 40th birthday at Disneyland. It. Was. Magical. This year, I spent my 41st birthday at Magic Kingdom. Once again, magical. My parents say I'm a kid at heart. They joke (although they're mostly serious)...

I bought tickets to paint with my family "on the green” one fine Sunday. I was so proud of myself as a parent. Finally, a creative, constructive, and centered day to spend outside of the house and with other...

  We've all seen it on Facebook or Instagram. Many of us have also done it. We have most likely thought little of it other than that it’s a happy parent (most commonly a mom) sharing her pride and joy....

When my son’s occupational therapist recommended that he have a “sensory diet,” my mind immediately went to those beautifully organized bins filled with colored rice that I see on Etsy, Pinterest, and Instagram. Yes, I had seen them, saved...

For my oldest daughter’s 6th birthday party, we shuffled through a variety of themes before settling. We considered Bluey, Encanto, and a trampoline park, which all seemed easy enough and doable, especially as we eased ourselves back into socialization...