Merry Christmas from GCP!!!
Merry Christmas to you and yours from GCP!! Hoping you and your family had a great Christmas Day. Be sure to spend some time after the Christmas rush enjoying one another's company!!
Thoughtful Thursday: Soon It Will Be Christmas Day!!
In less than a week Christmas will be here! In celebration, today's Thoughtful Thursday brings some of our favorite Christmas poetry. First we have the glorious "Christmas Carol" from Paul Laurence Dunbar, followed by the delightful "[little tree]" by e.e. cummings. We end with the traditional crowd favorite, "Twas the Night Before Christmas", which, depending upon which scholars you [...]
Mental Health in the Black Community: Part 2
Continuing the conversation about mental health in the Black community: I grew up hearing that our people didn't have time for mental health issues. If you had trouble coping, you had to snap out of it or push through, on your own or with God's help. Therapy was for other folks. I know some of you must heard this [...]
Rising Rates of Black Teen Suicides: What Can Parents Do?
For years many of us have heard (and said) that Black people don't commit suicide. But the data on this reveal an alarmingly different truth, especially about our young people. Over the last 10 years, the suicide rate for Black teens 15-17 has increased drastically, from an overall rate of 3.9 suicides per 100,000 per year in 2007 to [...]
Thoughtful Thursday: Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays”
On this Thoughtful Thursday, as temperatures drop below freezing in the North East, our thoughts turn to poems about the chill of winter. And so it is time to revisit an old GCP favorite, "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden. While its title and some of its vibrant imagery evoke winter's chill, at the core of the poem is a [...]
Protecting Our Sons from Online Sextortion
Let's face it, unless you happen to be a gamer yourself it is easy to take a fairly hands-off approach to your son's gaming habits. You probably have set limits on screen time, maybe you've banned games that are too violent or otherwise disturbing. But here's why you should pay closer attention to his gaming activity: to keep him [...]
Thoughtful Thursday: Crystal Williams and Marilyn Nelson
Today's Thoughtful Thursday features two award-winning African American female poets whose work is new to us, although these poets have been heralded for some time by (better read) poetry fans worldwide. Crystal Williams, a Detroit native, has written four award-winning poetry collections. A graduate of NYU (undergrad) and Cornell University (M.F.A.), Williams has taught at several universities and managed [...]
Time for Summer Camp Planning
It's December, and as winter storms sweep across the nation, it's time...to plan summertime activities! Believe it or not, it is not too early to start planning what your kids will be doing in the summer of 2020. Camps start filling their spaces in January, and camp consultants are already planning events to introduce parents to a variety of [...]
Thanksgiving Family Dinner Do’s and Don’ts
With Thanksgiving a few days away, everyone is gearing up for family gatherings and good eating. Whether there are just a few of you or you are having a family reunion around the table, it is important to enjoy the time together for this holiday meal. Here are some Do's and Don'ts to help make sure the holiday is [...]
Follow Ground Control Parenting on Instagram: @groundcontrolparenting
GCP's on IG! We want to expand the conversation about raising our boys of color–and our girls too– so we've just launched our Instagram account. We'll post pics and thoughts about our brand of parenting, and we want to know your thoughts as well. Please follow us at @groundcontrolparenting, and please post your comments (and likes!). Hope to see [...]