Blog

According to the United States House of Representatives, July is officially BeBe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (BMC-MHA). Many have shortened the name to BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, but we won’t do that. We must keep BeBe Moore Campbell’s name because her short-lived span of work trailblazed us here. That being said, what better month than this to break down the differences between three interchangeably used titles that aren’t so interchangeable? What titles you may ask? We’re talking about therapists, psychiatrists and psychologists.

Our BIPOC friends and family members may be suffering in silence with mental health issues. We exclude them from activities simply because we don’t know how to interact, engage or communicate with them. This exclusion practice is not good for them or us and the month of July is focused on making sure the practice of exclusion is no more for our mental health challenged friends and family in BIPOC communities. July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month. Let’s break down the title.

While summer is a good time to increase the bonding with your child and family, it’s also a good time to plan those annual and semi-annual health check-ups. We know going to the dentist or the doctor isn’t the most fun thing to do for adults, so imagine how your child might feel. Anxiety triggers indeed. One way to soothe your child’s anxiety (and yours) is by creating storyboards.

Reading comprehension is a package of skills used to digest what we read. In this post, I am sharing ways to improve and enhance your child’s reading comprehension. FYI: These strategies work for adults too!

Juneteenth 2021 is tomorrow and thanks to President Biden, it is now a federal holiday. While the Emancipation Proclamation was issued January 1, 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865--two and a half years later--that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were officially freed. Juneteenth is a celebration of liberation and independence for Black people in the United States. But what does Juneteenth mean for our country?

On the season finale of The Parenting Cipher, Stephanie Reed of MiJa Books joins Genie to talk about the importance of representation in children’s books and the positive effect it can have on our children’s self-esteem and the ways they relate to others. Exposure to diverse books can create a more inclusive world. Hear about what MiJa Books is doing to make multicultural stories-- especially stories of joy and existence-- accessible to everyone in this episode of The Parenting Cipher.

Every parent hopes for a healthy family. But the thought of finding time to make sure that every family member maintains a healthy lifestyle can feel overwhelming. Because of this, many families don’t know where to start, and they fail to actualize health and well-being as they would like to. Fortunately, healthy living doesn’t have to be extravagant or inconvenient.

In this episode of The Parenting Cipher, join Kendra Lendsey, host of The Yo Fly Aunty Podcast, and Genie for a conversation that all special needs moms need to have. From how parenting changes as we get older and dealing with the isolation of being a special needs parent to strategies on how to be the best advocate for your child, Kendra and Genie share their stories and experiences. They discuss grades, stepping on other people’s toes, the power of writing, and much more on this episode of The Parenting Cipher.