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's Thoughtful Thursday pays homage to the thousands of students across the nation who are making their voices heard in their fight against gun violence in schools and on our streets. May we all be inspired by these wonderful poets--Haki R. Madhubuti, Langston Hughes, and Claude McKay--and their poems which have energized activists everywhere over the years. Share these [...]
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 [...]
Yesterday we said bye to February's Black History Month, and today we say hey to Women's History Month. While we at GCP are not the biggest fans of the designation of just one month out of the year to focus on the great contributions Black people and women have made to our nation's history, for now we'll take the [...]
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 [...]
Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you must know that the "Black Panther" movie is opening on February 16th, just a few days away. This is the EAGERLY anticipated film, based upon a very popular Marvel comic book character, which stars Chadwick Boseman, Academy award winner Lupita Nyong'o and Michael Jordan, and is directed by Ryan Coogler [...]
In honor of Valentine's Day next week, today's Thoughtful Thursday features love poetry from an array of poets. We begin with a couple of love poems from Langston Hughes, whom poet Elizabeth Alexander rightly calls “'our' poet laureate, our'Shakespeare in Harlem.'" Then on a poem from Nikki Giovanni, one of the world's best known African American poets, who speaks [...]
Greetings GCP Parents, We posted this originally in 2011, but having reviewed it recently (and finding out about a few new and useful sites) we are posting this updated version. While it may now read a bit alarmist in tone, the underlying message is still critically important: Pay attention to your children's social media activity! This is especially important [...]