This being report card and mid term season, students are likely to be buried in their books. On this Thoughtful Thursday GCP offers poetry to console, encourage, amuse, and inspire the student in us all. Ambition Take one's adversity Learn from their misfortune Learn from their pain Believe in something Believe in yourself Turn adversity into ambition Now blossom [...]
Today is Veterans Day, a day to thank and honor all who served (or still serve) in the military. Whether your children have the day off from school is a function of your state or local school district (with no legal requirement that schools close on Veterans Day, individual states or school districts are free to establish their own [...]
Here are a couple of issues we at GCP have been thinking about lately: Report Cards and Parent Teacher Conferences: You should soon be hearing from your son's school about how he is doing thus far in the school year (if you haven't already). Parent Teacher conferences will be coming soon, and you need to be prepared for them. [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday is brought to you by Autumn. It was a blustery late afternoon here in New York City, and the swirling leaves remind us that fall is truly upon us. A childhood favorite about the wind, which should be shared with all little ones, joins another poem and a few quotes about this lovely season. Enjoy!!! Who [...]
Did you know that November is Hip-Hop History month? Whether you are a huge fan, a mild enthusiast, or would prefer to hear anything else when your kids are controlling the music, you can't deny that hip-hop has had a significant influence on modern culture. Harvard University's Hip Hop Archive, which is devoted to the serious study of hip [...]
It is an ugly truth: parents of African American children live with the constant fear that our children, especially our sons, may have an encounter with the police that ends in their arrest, or even worse, in their bodily harm. We know we need to have “The Talk” with them about what to do if they are ever stopped, [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday post, as it falls on Halloween, is dedicated to a series of delightfully sinister "Little Willie" poems. Little Willie poetry is first attributed to the poet Harry Graham, who published a series of these four line poems in his book, "Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes", which was published circa 1899. Many Little Willie poems have followed, [...]
As you probably know if you've been paying attention to the news recently, Trayon Christian is a 19 year old Black college student who is suing the NYPD and Barney's--one of NYC's luxury department stores--for wrongful arrest after he purchased a $350 Ferragamo belt in the store using a debit card. Christian was stopped by police as he tried [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday thoughts were found in a small blue book called "Famous Black Quotations and some not so famous" which has graced my shelf for as long as I can remember. Here are a few quotes to think about and share with your sons. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [...]
The Wall Street Journal recently revealed news which should gladden the hearts of parents of teenagers everywhere: "cognitive empathy", the wiring in children's brains that enables them to understand and care about how others think, only begins to develop at age 13. So when your sweet middle schooler disappears and is replaced by an eye-rolling, door slamming "who is [...]