How many times have your heard your child say "Ugh, I can't get this!" or "This will never work!" and throw down his pencil in dismay? While your first instinct might be to rush over to try to help fix the problem, or to encourage your child by saying "you're so smart, you can figure it out", researchers say [...]
The recent tragic deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have made suicide a topic of conversation in the news and across our nation. How are you talking with your children about suicide? GCP has covered this topic over the years ("Are You OK? Focusing on Our Sons' Mental Health" and "
It's time to take stock of where Ground Control Parenting has been and where it is going--with your help. In 2011 I started writing GCP to support and inspire parents raising boys of color. Over the past 7 years I've been posting practical information on what works (and what doesn't) to encourage and inspire our boys to do their [...]
You may have heard about “ summer slide”, where over the summer students can lose two to three months of progress in math and reading and fall behind when they return to school in the fall. But did you know that by the time a student gets to the 5th grade, the summer learning loss can add up to [...]
If your child tells you he wants to be a famous rapper, tell him he should be paying lots of attention in English class. In a recent interview with David Letterman, Jay-Z credited his sixth grade English teacher with fueling his love of language: "Her name was Ms. Lowden, and I just loved the class so much. Like reading [...]
Did you know that the many benefits of reading aloud to your child begin from birth? A recent study reported in the New York Times found here shows that reading and playing with young children (ages 0-3) can shape their social and emotional development, in addition to helping them learn language and early literacy skills. Children who were read [...]
When I started this Ground Control Parenting blog years ago to talk about educating and encouraging our black and brown boys it was fueled by a concern about the underachievement of young men of color—a concern I saw evidence of all around me. While many of my black female friends were enjoying successful careers and lives, in many instances [...]
Today is International Women's Day, where we honor and celebrate the social, political and cultural achievements of women, and encourage awareness of gender inequality on a global scale. Wow, that is a tall order for one day--good thing it's Women's History Month so we don't have to have to do it all in one post! In honor of International [...]
So you've noticed that your teenager has been more moody than usual. Do you dismiss it as normal teen behavior, or should you be more concerned? Read on for help with figuring this out. As noted in a recent Wall Street Journal article found here, depression in teens is on the rise. With all the pressures of increased academic [...]
It has been two weeks since the tragic school shooting in Parkland Florida which claimed the lives of 17 high school students. How are your children dealing with this tragedy, especially your younger children? Are they worried about whether their school is safe? The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) suggests the following points to emphasize when talking to [...]