Apologizing to your child is a powerful tool in building trust and respect. Learn how to navigate apologies in a multiracial family and break generational cycles of silence ..read more

Parenting a middle schooler is no small feat. Middle schoolers are emotional, moody, and often hard to read. In fact, parenting a middle schooler almost feels like it requires a specialized degree! In my middle school counseling days, I learned a lot about this age group—lessons that have both challenged and encouraged me. When people... Read this Post ..read more

As a school counselor and Black mother of biracial kids, I know how important parent-teacher communication is. Learn tips to foster strong relationships with teachers and support your child's success ..read more

Discover key strategies for suicide prevention in schools, from raising awareness to providing ongoing support. Ensure students feel valued, supported, and connected ..read more

As a Black mother of mixed daughters, understanding stereotypes about Black women helps shape how I raise my children. Learn how this knowledge empowers my parenting in our multiracial family ..read more

Black-owned beauty brands weren’t a thing when I was growing up. Wearing makeup was hard because there weren’t many options for brown girls like me. I remember the first time I was sent a makeup sample as a teenager. I was ready to start wearing makeup and it felt like a rite of passage. I didn’t have a subscription to a Teen Magazine, but my bestie did, so after she finished thumbing through her issues, she would pass them off to me. I remember dreaming about the day I was skilled enough to apply a full face of makeup on my own. So imagine my upset when the sample package sent to me was in t ..read more

I honestly can’t believe it’s already time to start thinking about Christmas gifts. I remember blinking and summer was over, and we were taking out pumpkins. I’m not mad though, because this is my favorite time of year. As a mom of four kids between the ages of 12 and 1 (whew that age gap is wild), starting shopping early is my jam. So I’ve created this Amazon gift guide for toddler girls. I’m also the oldest of 4 kids and almost all of my siblings are married now, so our family is even bigger. Honestly, my littlest little, my surprise baby Penelope doesn’t need much. She pretty much plays wit ..read more

One of the best ways you can help your middle school child is to teach them how to stay organized. When I was a  middle school counselor, I often had parents call me and tell me that their child was failing or struggling in a class,  so one of the first things that I did was check their book bag. And the state of the bookbag usually tells me everything I need to know. I’ve seen bookbags filled with crumbs, folded papers that were months old, and folders that were bent—I’ll spare you the unorganized details of all I’ve seen. I could usually get a middle school child organized in 30 mi ..read more

It’s taken me over a year to write this post because it’s taken me that long to put my thoughts into words. I never envisioned having a 4th c-section, especially after planning for a VBAC. Penelope’s birth story was not one I had imagined for myself. Even though she was born healthy (and little) it was filled with lots of disappointment. I found out I was pregnant when I was almost in the 2nd trimester. That’s almost unheard of when you’ve been pregnant 5 times before(I had 1 miscarriage). After I got over the shock (I was 38 and mentally done having children), I started preparing to have the ..read more

Give your moody preteen some grace. They are living a life that is completely different from what we knew growing up. They are learning how to deal with the pressures of social media, online bullying, and what seems like an endless amount of advice (good and bad) about who they should be, sound like, or look like. It seemed like the toddler years lasted forever, but somehow I woke up to a preteen. And I’ll be honest. I wasn’t prepared. I spent 7 years as a middle school counselor and 2 as a high school counselor. I loved working with teenagers despite their drama. I moved back down to working ..read more