Yesterday in class, I huddled up with two of my classmates to discuss our upcoming presentation. One of them is my age (26), and she's looking to start a family soon. She's been married for a few years and now they're actively trying to get pregnant. Still, she's concerned about what's going to happen with grad school if she has a kid now. The other group member, who's a … [Read more...]
Black Men Who Pray
Great black fathers and husbands do exist. Some of them write for this website, while others you will never know. I grew up with a great father who adopted me and my brothers when we were just infants. He didn't let the fact that we were not "blood" keep him for loving, providing for, and praying for us. My husband plays a similar role in my immediate family today. In … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Make the Most of New Tech Gadgets
by Dr. Erica Stevens Technology has truly changed the way our children learn and play. The latest e-reader, video game or camera is likely on your child's gift list this holiday season. However, it can be a challenge determining which gadget is the best buy for your family. When investing in tech products, it's also important to look at how it can help provide a … [Read more...]
Parents: Bless, Don’t Curse Your Kids
I couldn't believe what I was hearing in the school parking lot. A mother was picking up her children, who looked to be about 7 or 8 years old, but the children weren't moving fast enough for the mother. So she proceeded to raise her voice, instructing them to hurry up. What I heard next made my heart drop to my stomach: "Get in the car nig$%r." I grabbed my daughter and … [Read more...]
Can Your Child Tell You Anything?
Question: Can your child tell you anything? Let me be more specific: Can your child tell you anything without you losing control? Can they trust you to listen and to respond lovingly, even while showing disapproval? Be honest now. Do you fly off the handle and start jumping to conclusions, or do you control your emotions and respond like a sane person? What if your child … [Read more...]
How Often Do You Have Family Date Nights?
If your family was anything like mine, you recognize the significance of having frequent family date nights. Does this sound familiar: kids are in one room busy either watching TV or surfing the web (only on weekends of course) and parents in a separate room doing the same thing? Well, that was my household. My business has always been stressing to couples the need of … [Read more...]
Good Dad, Bad Dad
Growing up I feared, was in awe of and often detested my father. He was stern and mostly emotionless. If and when he did laugh it was at things that weren't funny. Now that I'm grown we are the best of friends. He is my confidant and my most staunch advocate. But back when I was under his roof and he was putting food on my plate, he often went upside my head first and asked … [Read more...]
How Often Do Your Kids Get Your Full Attention?
In case you didn't know, I work from home. Most days, I'm typing and editing with a clingy three-year-old attached to my side. The stop-start nature of the work, coupled with intimidating deadlines ("Oh, yes, I can edit a 200 page book in a week"), makes it for a difficult ride. Some days, I'm able to handle it better than others. And then there are the days like … [Read more...]
100 Words On Raising Our Girls Right
Saw this on Facebook and had to share: BMWK family, does this about sum it up? … [Read more...]
The Difference Between How Moms And Dads Parent
A couple weeks ago, my husband and I took our two kids to Borders to try to hit get some books for cheap(er) during its going out-of--business sale. It was pandemonium"”people everywhere, snatching up books, leaving some shelves empty. I headed toward the cookbooks with my 4-year-old daughter behind me, and I thought my 3-year-old son was sticking behind with his dad. A … [Read more...]
On Parenthood: The Days Are Long But The Years Are Short
I'm writing this on a Thursday night, and I swear it feels like Friday. Or maybe I just wish it was. My body aches, and my brain has turned to mush. This week actually kicked off this past weekend, when I had to rush my daughter to the ER for an asthma attack that wouldn't respond to her inhaler or nebulizer. Spent the rest of the weekend nursing her back to health and … [Read more...]
The Joys Of Fatherhood
Before I became a father I put an extreme value for my time. If you messed with my time I was ready to fight. It's not that I was even doing anything all that important. I wasn't up in the club for my weekly grind, I didn't have a weekly poker night with the fellas that was set in stone. It was just that my time was simply that"”mine. So with the arrival of kids in my life … [Read more...]
It’s True: Kids Make Life Easier
I write so much about the so-called "downside" of motherhood, or how inconvenient it is or how hard I struggled when my kids were newborns. But today, I can focus on the positives. In truth, I enjoy my kids and I love being a mom. Yeah, I love it. Couldn't always say that, but now I can unequivocally say that being their mother is a delight. There was one comedian that … [Read more...]
My Daughter Would Rather Be Cinderella Than Princess Tiana
I was driving my daughter home from dance class and listening to her talk about her newest obsession: princesses. "I need a tiara like Cinderella," she said. "I like Cinderella. She's very pretty and her dress is awesome and she...." She goes on and on and on about Cinderella and I'm wondering how she knows so much about her when I'm pretty sure she's never seen the … [Read more...]
Watch Your Mouth
Nowadays I feel like I have a tape/video recorder following me around monitoring everything I do and say. As the triplets continue on their journey of learning the English language, I'm starting to see why my mother sent me out of the room every time she began a conversation. My husband and I were sitting down watching TV and he said that someone was acting stupid. No … [Read more...]