Can you really afford to have children? How many of you thought about this before having little ones? Does your financial status determine the number of children you will have? According to the USDA report the cost of raising a child in today’s time is a whopping $245,340. This is to see the baby to adulthood (18 years old). What the what! Who has that much money per child … [Read more...]
Studies Show a Mom’s Exercise Influences Her Kids’ Activity
I once attended a conference in San Diego during where Dr. Oz held a session on family health. He highlighted that children mimic their parent's--especially mom's--activities and that when a mother neglects her own health, children tend to do the same. A new paper published in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that the less physically active a mother is, … [Read more...]
Melissa Harris-Perry Welcomes Baby Girl on Valentine’s Day
On February 15, MSNBC host and political commentator, Melissa Harris-Perry, tweeted a picture of her and a baby girl with a caption that read, "Best Valentine Ever! @JamesHPerry and I welcomed our daughter yesterday!..." In an editorial piece on MSNBC titled, "How we made our miracle," Harris-Perry shares the journey it took to get her little one here. At age 28, … [Read more...]
Worry or Pray, But Don’t Do Both
Who knew that I would receive a bit of great advice from Mr. Curtis Jackson, also known as 50 Cent. In an Oprah’s Next Chapter interview that aired well over a year ago, 50 Cent shared his views about life with Oprah Winfrey and said that he believed you should worry or pray, but you can’t do both. Simple, but pretty deep and very true advice. Yet, how many of us are guilty … [Read more...]
What to Do When Your Own Family Does You Wrong
Everyone gets done wrong. Unfortunately, it’s a part of life. But who expects to be done wrong by your family? Maybe that’s why it stings a little more, it’s family. If a stranger did you wrong, at least you could fall back on the phrase, “they don’t know me.” I’m telling you right now, even when it’s your family, you can still say, “they don’t know me.” Now, truth be told, … [Read more...]
Will 2014 Be the Year You Finally Put Your Health First?
Last week, I decided to start training for a half marathon that will take place in New York City in April. There are a few things that factored into my decision, but the greatest reason was a desire to finally put my health first in the New Year. I have two young children and lately I can’t help but to feel like I am letting them down. I have been eating whatever I want, and … [Read more...]
Finding Justice for Kendrick Johnson
Earlier this week, hundreds gathered in Georgia’s State Capitol to help Jacquelyn and Kenneth Johnson find justice for their 17-year-old son, Kendrick Johnson, who was found dead on January 11th in a rolled-up wrestling mat in his high school gymnasium in Valdosta, Georgia. Johnson’s death was ruled accidental after an autopsy was conducted by the Georgia Bureau of … [Read more...]
What Are You Teaching Your Kids About Santa?
When I was a child, I believed in Santa Claus. I don’t think my belief was long-lived, but I did believe in him until I was about 6 or 7. I never thought he brought all the gifts, but whenever I would get a “big” gift, I thought it was from him. I’m not quite sure if my mom or dad told me that, or if it’s just what I chose to believe. We lived in an apartment building on … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Prepare Your Child For The Loss of Loved Ones
I don’t think that anyone is ever prepared for the loss of a loved one. My family experienced many losses this year. In February 2013, my husband lost his dear Mother. In March he lost an aunt and in November he lost a cousin. When he lost his mother, she was elderly and ill, losing her has not only been a horrible blow to us, but especially to our young daughter. That was … [Read more...]
‘Black Nativity’ Review: Family, Faith and Forgiveness
Black Nativity is a great addition to your movie-going plans this holiday season! It is a family-friendly film with something for everyone to enjoy. The film is a contemporary adaptation of the original Black Nativity play written by acclaimed poet, Langston Hughes. Black Nativity is a story that centers around Langston Cobbs (Jacob Latimore), a rambunctious teenager who is … [Read more...]
Parents of Four Welcome Home Quintuplets
Evonne and Deon Derrico of Las Vegas, NV have a 7-year-old daughter, a 3-year-old son and 1-year-old twin boys. On September 6 their family grew by five when Evonne gave birth to a healthy set of quintuplets without the use of any fertility drugs. They always wanted a big family, but didn't expect for it to grow so much so soon. The couple initially thought they were having … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: When Love Trumps DNA…an Awesome Love Story
Recently I shared Bible verses intended to encourage couples in their marriage. Many of the verses focused on love with one of them identifying the various things that define love. It is my belief that all of these qualities are present in us as children. We love without limits. No matter what our parents do in our eyes they are sheer perfection and our desire is to have … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: A Stepmom Speaks Out
My mom was a stepmother to 3 of my stepbrothers. In the house it was my mom (their stepmom), their dad (my stepdad), and me (the only girl and the baby.) Two of them lived at the house the majority of the time and my oldest stepbrother stayed for a couple of years; none of them shared the same mom but would visit or stay with their moms for periods at a time. I asked my mom a … [Read more...]
Blended Families Week: 5 Tips I Learned from My Grandparents
The term blended family is fairly new in its popularity; however, blended families have been around since the Bible days. My grandparents are not quite as old as the people in the Bible but they serve as a wonderful example of successfully parenting in blended family. My grandfather married my widowed grandmother somewhere around 1944. She already had a whopping six children, … [Read more...]
Keeping Balance Between Work and Life; Does Your Family Come First?
Work is something we all do. There is no getting around it. Your work may be in the home, in a high rise corporate office, in your local church, or perhaps right now you are a full-time student. At any rate each of these can be called "work." Here we will term work as something that occupies time and causes you labor. Whatever your work, a well defined balanced relationship, … [Read more...]