It's no secret that many Americans are struggling financially. Many of us are stuck in a paycheck-to-paycheck cycle or are so submersed by debt that it's hard to imagine another way of life. And no one wants their kids fall into the same financial traps that many find in adulthood. You want better for your children. You want your kids to confidently earn, save, and manage … [Read more...]
Parenting
5 Family Traditions That Really Matter
[tps_header]I didn’t grow up in a home where we had a lot of money. Raised by a single mom in Brooklyn, we always knew our mom did the best she could with what she had. I hope she knows it was more than enough. We always had food to eat. We always had clothes to wear. We always went to school. And we even had two working televisions in the home. Life was good. Sure, there … [Read more...]
Why Your Children Are the Perfect Targets for Identity Theft
We've all heard the jokes and stories of parents and relatives wrongly putting credit cards, appliances, phone bills, etc. in a child's name. But guess what? It's a very real problem. And the culprits aren't just family members. Scammers and identify thieves are targeting your children, too. Children are actually a perfect target for identity fraud because they often have … [Read more...]
25 Powerful Phrases Your Children Need to Hear More Often
I believe in affirmations and the power of words, especially when it comes to our children. As parents, we shape our children and, in many ways, help define their futures. The majority of what they learn in life comes from us. There is power in parenting, and we have to always be conscious of that. There are so many lessons I need my daughters to learn before they leave … [Read more...]
3 Black Dads Speak: Kaepernick, The Election, and The Long Road to Change
A few short weeks ago, Colin Kaepernick drew widespread criticism—even from some of us—for sitting during the national anthem. But now, he has almost single-handedly forced a national dialogue on police brutality/free speech/patriotism. The thing is athletes in activism isn’t new. It’s just returned after a generation of fearful, endorsement- protecting athletes (I’m looking … [Read more...]
The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance; Study Says Racial Bias Starts in Preschool
A report from the Yale University Child Study Center found that preschool teachers and staff show signs of implicit racial bias when disciplining students and anticipating misbehavior. In the study, over 130 educators were instructed to watch video clips of children in a classroom setting and look for indications of "challenging behavior." The clips did not show any … [Read more...]
The Rise of Momtrepreneurs; Black Women Are Fastest Growing Group of Business Owners
Who knew? While women continue to fight glass ceilings in the corporate workforce, a rising number of women are making the big decision to jump ship and go into business for themselves. According to statistics from the U.S. Census, more women are plunging into entrepreneurship—female businesses have grown by almost 30 percent over a five-year span. Furthermore, black women … [Read more...]
Ayesha Curry Dishes Out Her Best Tips on Cooking for Kids—and Hubby Steph
This September, Ayesha Curry released her much-anticipated cookbook The Seasoned Life. For those of us who have followed her blog or her social media pages, we know Mrs. Curry’s got some kitchen skills. So, we decided to pose to her an age-old question—an ever-elusive mystery that has trumped even the world’s best chefs and the most talented home cooks: How do you cook for … [Read more...]
How to Guide Your Children into a Lifelong Relationship with God
Most parents want to pass along their faith and values to their children. But it’s difficult with so many negative influences and images that flood our screens. In fact, a study conducted by the Pew Research Center last year found that millennials are walking away from Christianity in record numbers. This statistic worries me. I'm worried because my husband and I plan to … [Read more...]
How 3 Mothers Impacted My Life; Lessons from a Blended Family
My mother and father divorced after 15 years of marriage when I was 6. They met in Thailand early in his ARMY career, fell in love and he brought her back to his small Texas hometown in the United States. She spoke no English. They had my older brother shortly after arriving and had me six years later. Six years after that, they divorced and my brother and I chose to live … [Read more...]
The 4 Greatest Lessons I Learned Growing Up in a Blended Family
I love that BMWK has dedicated an entire month to blended families. According to smart stepfamilies.com, 40 percent of married couples with children are actually blended families. Dedicating a week to discuss it just makes sense. I personally don't know life outside of a blended family. My parents ended their relationship very early, and my dad married and began a new family. … [Read more...]
The Surprising New Warning That Doctors Have for Your Kids
And just like that, as we turn the corner into Fall, flu season is right there waiting—waiting to bring you days of misery, fever, congestion and fatigue. According to the CDC, flu cases usually spark up in October with peak activity occurring in December through March. Every year, health officials advise people to get vaccinated for the flu in the earliest part of the fall … [Read more...]
How My Baby’s First Birthday Party Almost Caused My Divorce!
Okay, so last week I shared with you about my grocery store experience, but now I think I have one that has to top that! My little girl turned 1 over the weekend, so we had her very first birthday party! Before you going thinking that sounds all cute, I hope you're fully aware of how exhausting planning and executing a birthday party is! I feel like I woke up with a birthday … [Read more...]
5 Funny Lessons That Result When a New Dad Takes on the Family Grocery Store Trip
Sooooo I have a confession! My confession is that I hate grocery shopping. I hate it for many reasons but mainly because of the time commitment, crowds and the coupons my wife gives me, knowing that they seem like calculus work for someone like me. So obviously, I usually leave the grocery shopping up to my wife, but this week, I was trying to be sweet, so I told her I would … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Help Your Child Get into Beast Mode for the School Year
It seems like yesterday, I was being wheeled out of the hospital doors, coddling a 7 lb 5 oz little girl. Today, I walked her into her first day of kindergarten. My daughter woke up for the first day of kindergarten, nervous. Frightened by the thought that she wouldn't have any friends and her new teacher wouldn’t like her. A once confident preschooler had suddenly lost her … [Read more...]