MamaSpeak: Can You Be a Co-Parent if You’re not Co-Parenting?

I can’t count the number of times a frustrated parent has lamented to me, “You can’t be a co-parent, if the other parent won’t.”  Yeah.  I feel you.  And, really, I get it.  It’s a reasonable perspective. But, it’s only one perspective. There’s another that asserts that who you are and what you do doesn’t have to be contingent upon what anyone else is doing or being. Yeah, maybe... Read More

MamaSpeak: Co-Parenting is the New Black History Celebration

As the daughter of a Black Studies pioneer and a history major, myself, the study of Black history has always been an integral part of my life.  It was all around me, on the bookshelves of my parents’ home, in the framed art on their walls, in the lessons my father taught to college students.  It just was.  No special month required.  So, despite the identity crises resulting from being raised... Read More

MamaSpeak: Co-Parenting and Grief–On Losing Love and Finding Yourself

I recently heard a phenomenal sermon relating to grieving. The sermon focused on getting through and past the 3 stages of grieving. They are: Numbness Disorganization Reorganization The first step, numbness is a state of severe shock and denial of the death. Life and everything in it seems unreal, like you are living a dream. A really bad dream. You may distance yourself from people and life and... Read More

Fatherhood Freestyle: Are You My Daddy?

Let me start by saying God has a funny way of placing your anointing in front of you to remind you of the work still before you. I was in the beauty salon tonight waiting for my daughter to get her hair done. Second, let me say that by no means it was this the first time I’d sat and waited on a woman to finish something I had no interest in; getting hair done, shopping, talking on the phone. A good... Read More

Fatherhood Freestyle: Sober, Responsible Men and Fathers Please Apply

This post originally appeared on The Black Bar. Historically, the role of Black men and fathers has been minimized by mainstream media and marginalized by society. Media assaults on the images of Black fathers have been well documented over the last 25 years. While several television examples of responsible manhood and Black fatherhood can be cited, including Sanford and Son, Good Times,The Jeffersons,... Read More

Fatherhood Freestyle: Fathers, Be Good to Your Daughters

Driving back to my home office after taking my 14-year-old son to school today, I was listening to my favorite sports radio station. The hosts, all about my same age and all with at least one young daughter, happened to be talking about Darius Rucker [formerly of Hootie and the Blowfish], who is now a country singer. The original question put forth had to do with whether they “bought” Rucker as... Read More

WeParent Wednesday: Speak Your Mind!

Show some love! What’s one positive thing you can say about your child/ren’s other parent?  Read More →

WeParent Wednesday: Speak Your Mind!

What are the biggest challenges during the holidays for you as a single parent, co-parent or step-parent?  Read More →

WeParent Wednesday: Speak Your Mind!

What misconceptions get in the way of effective co-parenting?  Read More →