GCP had breakfast today with a longtime friend who offered a bit of valuable parenting insight which we want to pass along. She is the mother of three children and runs a non profit organization dedicated to educating economically disadvantaged children. We were trading stories about our (college aged) sons at breakfast, and shaking our heads as we focused [...]
After a wonderful Spring Break, is GCP back in action with this week's Thoughtful Thursday. Today we feature a classic Gwendolyn Brooks poem, "We Real Cool", written in 1960, and "The Golden Shovel", a poem written in response by Terrance Hayes in 2010. Hayes is a poet who considers themes of popular culture, race, music, and masculinity in his [...]
Parents of teenaged Black boys know about the conversation we are obligated to have with our sons as we send them out into a world in which they can be misjudged and endangered simply because they are teenaged Black boys. Because we need them to stay safe, we know we have to tell them what to do and how [...]
We at GCP have been thinking a lot about the impact of technology on child rearing. Tablets, phones and computer screens can enhance children's development, increase their school readiness, and introduce them to ideas and places to which they might not otherwise have any access. But they also can be distracting, overwhelming, and can interfere with or even impair [...]
O.K. all you parents who are either in the midst of the school application process for your pre-school or kindergarden son or have submitted your applications and are counting down the months until you are scheduled to hear the responses, take a deep breath and let it go slowly. Time for a reality check. We've all heard the depressing [...]
Greetings GCP'ers! Hope you enjoyed your summer break (we certainly did) and are settling back into your fall parenting routine. We at GCP have been spending a good bit of our break focusing on ways to improve this site and create a stronger and more interactive GCP parenting community. Stay tuned, upgrades coming soon. So much to focus on [...]
In a recent New York Times Motherlode blog post, the author confesses "I've Ruined My Boys" as she describes how she has "over coddled" her 6, 9 and 11 year old sons to the point that they are unwilling to do much of anything for themselves around the house. In her post, found here, she confesses that she has [...]
Although Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5-9) has come and gone, it is not too late to show your appreciation for special teachers in your son's life. In fact, the end of the school year is a great time to thank teachers for the hard work they have put in all year on your son's behalf. Looking for cute year [...]
As summer approaches, thoughts turn to family vacations. We at GCP love hitting the road with the kids, and have been doing so since they were tiny tots. Family vacations can provide some of the best times of your life. Whether it is a road trip of a few hours or a journey to another part of the world, [...]
Some inspiration for our boys from the world of sports: Princeton Renaissance Athlete: Caraun Reid, a December 2013 Princeton graduate, is a two time All American and an N.F.L. prospect who some predict could become Princeton's highest draft pick in over 30 years. As reported in a recent New York Times article found here, Reid, a 305 pound defensive [...]