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Adapting doesn’t mean that you’re denying yourself. It’s like going undercover, to protect a little flame. –Neneh Cherry On this day, I will take five minutes to discuss with my sons an item relating to black pride–kente cloth, for instance, or a family photograph–and suggest that they allow that object to inspire them to excellence […]
Television cannot be held responsible for our children. Parents can. Parents must. –Clarence Page On this day, I will not turn on the TV or the radio. I will chat with, play a game with, play catch with, bake with, or participate in something with my sons that requires interaction. Read more…
I don’t mean to be one of these people who says everything happens for the best, because when you hear someone say that you are listening to a defeated person. –Jamaica Kincaid On this day, I will take five minutes to talk with my sons about how to take a situation that didn’t work out […]
My parents knew how much it hurt me to be the worst in the family, knew how much I wanted to succeed, and they spotted some talent in me before anyone else did, myself included. –Carl Lewis On this day, I will take time to list three special talents my sons have, and pledge to […]
We have to begin telling children the truth, which is that dignity and survival have been possible for blacks in the worst of times, which they are not today unless you let them be. –Anthony Walton On this day, I will take five minutes to talk to my sons about the opportunities they can create […]
I believe in talking with children, taking time with them, taking them to places of interest, doing things together. — Maggie Comer On this day, I will take five minutes to talk with my sons about something of their choosing, and I will be sure to answer all of their questions thoughtfully. Read more…
IF a child comes to school hungry, the best school in world won’t help. –Arthur Ashe On this day, I will take time to assess my sons diet and make changes that will make it a more healthful diet. Read more…
What people think of me isn’t any of my business. –Oprah Winfrey On this day, I will take five minutes to affirm my trust in my ability to sort through my options as a parent and arrive at the decisions that are appropriate for me and my sons. Read more…
When in this world a man comes forward with a thought, a deed, a vision, we ask not how does he look, but what is his message? The world still wants to ask that a woman primarily be pretty. –W.E.B. DuBois On this day, I will make a special effort to praise my daughter for […]
Security is not an address. It’s something you can carry with you wherever you go. –Roz Ryan On this day, I will try to keep the focus on the positive aspects as much as possible, and try to engage my sons in activities that provide a newfound sense of competence or enrichment. Read more…
Get used to evaluating people, that’s how decisions are made. –Eric V. Copage On this day, I will take five minutes to ask my sons to evaluate one of their aquaintances–what are their interests, what are they good or bad at? Would you want to work with them on a classroom project? Why or why […]
How come people that love you can’t read your mind? –Pearl Cleage, from her play Hospice On this day, I will take five minutes and visualize that I have anticipated my needs and articulated those needs to my family. Read more…
