Did you know there is an amazing group of women called Scottsdale Parenting Group (SPG) that meets twice a month at St. Patricks in Scottsdale? Well, there is and I’m lucky enough to be a part of this dynamic group of moms..and you could be too! A typical 2 hour meeting includes 30 min. of socializing, eating breakfast, and attempting to drop our 1 year olds off in the day care area without having a meltdown. (the moms, not the kids..they love it!) Then, we head off to our various classrooms (divided up by our child’s age) and start our discussion focusing on the topic of the week which could be anything from brain development to dental care to nutrition. The classes are lead by professionals who specialize in early childhood development (aka: nurses, teachers, councelors, etc.) and they really know their stuff so bring your questions. They are even reachable outside of class which has saved us a few trips to the pediatrician and eased my mommy anxiety when JZ got his first chest cold. During each class, the teacher provides a syllabus, handouts, leads a discussion, saves time for questions and answers and makes sure we have time to vent about anything worth venting about (I told you, it really is mommy therapy!) We are also able to plan playdates to keep our kids social lives thriving through gymnastics, music, art, libraries, parks, splash pads, etc. At the end of the year we have a big fundraiser (this year theme is 80’s prom!) and the husbands are invited. Each month we do some type of mom’s night out social but one thing is guaranteed, there will be wine wherever we go. I’ve learned so much from being involved with SPG, especially about JZ’s development, what’s normal/what’s not, what to expect, milestones to watch for and tasks to facilitate reaching them, activities to keep him busy, how to discipline him (not that JZ would EVER require any discipline) and so much more about being a mom. Being a parent is all trial and error but being a part of this organization and the lifelong friendships and memories that JZ and I have created is such a blessing. I highly encourage you to join SPG if you have a little one and if you want to try out a class for free, come as my guest- after all, us moms have to stick together if we want to survive this whole parenting thing.
