Are Our Kids Doomed?

A recent study published in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine says that nearly half of the nation’s children, and nearly 90% of black children will be on food stamps at some period in their lives. The estimate comes from an analysis of 30 years of national data and, according to an AP story, “seems consistent with other recent research suggesting that more than 40 percent of U.S. children will live in poverty or near-poverty by age 17; and that half will live at some point in a single-parent family.”

This analysis, in conjunction with another recently released statistic from the Department of Defense that 75% of military-age youth are ineligible to join the military because they are overweight, fail to graduate high school or have a criminal record, thus, creating a potential national security threat bolsters concerns that many of America’s youth may be at economic risk and makes you wonder how we’re preparing the next generation to succeed in this country.

While I have my doubts about the accuracy of the numbers from both the fit for military duty and food stamp studies, you have to admit there is something happening with our youth and these statistics paint a grim picture of their future. It makes me wonder are we leaving behind a huge segment of the next generation while failing to preparing yet another segment to take on the challenges of the future.
Now let me be clear, I know there are plenty of hard working youth, and I’m always cautious about how I talk about the current generation of youth. After all, it seems every generation talks about the one after it as if they are somehow going to destroy the country or aren’t doing enough. But, we have to admit this generation has a lot of challenges facing it that others haven’t from the enormous deficits being created, to the huge number of children being raised in poverty to the obesity issue and the educational system that is leaving far too many children behind.

When I think about this, I am reminded of a phrase that a good friend of mine says of his generation: “we’re the generation with the most doing the least.” It makes you wonder for all of our wealth, technology and so called civilization why we’re raising a generation ill-equipped to lead tomorrow. It also makes me wonder why as a society we haven’t chosen to modernize and prioritize education and healthcare: two things that certainly could give our youth a fighting chance.

In the end, it seems unless things turnaround that our kids’ generation may be the first generation relegated to third world status before it can marshal its resources and the American spirit to prevent that from happening.

Swine Flu: 5 Inventions that Can Help Minimize the Spread

Believe me, when I say there is fervor throughout the country about the swine flu. People are afraid of getting it. In fact, thousands of people are standing in long lines to get vaccinated and doctors are complaining their high risk patients need it but can’t get it, and then there was a recent story out of New York about two women on a subway who got into a scuffle because one was coughing without covering her mouth and the other didn’t want to get swine flu!

Who can blame her? After all, the government and the media have done a great job of frightening most of the country into a panic. The panic has heightened now that we’re into flu season and kids are back in school. There are some inventions out there that help minimize the spread of germs including the swine flu.

Click HERE to read what those 5 inventions are.

The Sting of Defeat

It wasn’t a great night in our house last night! As we sat there eating popcorn and watching the election results come in from around the country, my kids, husband and I kept tally of how we fared on the passage of issues we supported and the election or re-election of people we supported. At a local level we fared ok. Several of the candidates we wanted elected to our school board won. Also, I was delighted that a college friend of mine not only won his bid for City Council but was the top vote getter and so will also be Council President.

Despite those wins, as a whole we didn’t do well in terms of passage of issues and election of candidates we supported at both the national and local level although my oldest son fared the best in our household in terms of success on the issues and people he supported. [NOTE: We didn’t all support the same issues and people but everyone was encouraged to determine where they stood on the various people and issues]. The loss of Jon Corzine in New Jersey wasn’t great news for me but the election results from Virginia were (yes we are a family of Independents!) and the 23rd district in New York was a shocker. It was expected the conservative would win in a district that has been conservative for more than 100 years.

For each of us, we lost more than we won. For my two sons, who play sports and are very competitive, losing even in politics is not fun. Nevertheless, the losses at the local and national level provided a great opportunity to discuss winning and losing with my sons and how sometimes what matters most is participation. This is an important lesson because often many people become disenchanted with the process if they sustain too many losses or feel like things never break their way, and I wanted them to understand that in the world of politics, there will be plenty of times in their lifetimes that things won’t go their way but never give up on the process. Despite the losses, the night overall was a success as my 7 year old son noted: the popcorn was great! Indeed, it was and so was the opportunity to help my sons understand their role in the process.

How was election night for you? What did you think about the results?

Election Day: Getting Your Kids Involved

Today is Election Day all around the country. While there are a few interesting races in my city, I’m most interested in how the governors’ races in Virginia and New Jersey and the Congressional race in New York will turn out because they may give some indication as to where we’re headed as a country.

Nevertheless, Election Day is a great opportunity to talk with and get kids involved in the political process. It’s important that they do since the world we create today is ultimately the world they inherit tomorrow. We love politics in our house. We discuss issues with them and often ask their opinions about matters. Here are a few tips to help your kids learn about what’s going on with them:

1. Take them to the polls. I usually take my kids to the polls with me. This is a great opportunity for them to see democracy at work. Take them into the ballot box with you and show them how to vote.

2. Read the newspaper. Every morning during breakfast we do current events in my house. Usually the week before an election, the papers are filled with information about the upcoming elections. So will be the case after the election. Use the stories as an opportunity to read to your kids or have them read to you and discuss what the stories are about. Ask them to express their views or pose some questions to them about the races and hear their answers. I often will have them write about what they read or ask them a question and have them write an answer. This allows them the opportunity to reflect.

3. Watch the results. Pull out the popcorn, sit down with your kids and watch the results as they come in. I usually make a big deal out of it. This, well maybe the popcorn really, usually gets the kids excited and it’s the opportunity for them to see the ultimate results of everything we’ve discussed with respect to the election.

What ways do you get your kids involved in politics?

What Do You Love About Your Sons?

I admit it. Outside of constantly telling them to take a bath and to brush their teeth, I absolutely love being a mom to boys. There are so many negative things and images written about black boys that I wanted to share some pretty amazing things about my three sons.

My oldest is the most determined child you would ever meet. If there is something he wants to do but is not good at, he will work at it until he is. He will also outwork you and this determination accounts for a good deal of his success. He will tell you I may not be the best but I'm the hardest worker and that will make up for it.

My youngest son is just an old soul. The most helpful child you will ever meet. He loves hugs and kisses and always takes the time to make anyone he comes into contact with feel special. He already knows his greatest asset is his interpersonal skills.

My youngest, is only 3 months old but has a smile that will make you melt. He also has the type of energy that you can already see bursting from the seams. I already know who is going to be the ham of the family!

These are the 3 things I love most about my sons. What do you love most about your sons and why?

Who's Really Raising Your Child?

Often when we hear about a terrible crime committed by a young person, we frequently ask where are the parents? The state of parenting is such that our automatic belief or stereotype regarding a child that commits these type of crimes is that he comes from a dysfunctional, fatherless home.

In many of the cases, this stereotype holds true. But what about the cases where this isn’t the case. Take the case last week in Hammond, Illinois where police charged Gregory Brooks, Jr. 18, along with another teen, of murder in connection with the killing of a couple. The teens also faced charges of robbery, burglary, confinement and auto theft in that case as well. By all accounts, Gregory came from a two parent, church going home, where his parents were very active in his life. Yet, he still fell victim to the streets. Such case reminds us that even kids from “good” families can fall prey to the streets.

The streets can be a mighty lure especially when so many youth are constantly bombarded with the images of wealth they see on MTV, BET and other television shows or hear about in music. But their lives are relegated to neighborhoods of abandoned buildings, poverty and strife. It’s easy to become disillusioned especially when there is a lack of jobs, pervasive poverty and no community institutions willing to advocate and invest in these youth. The bottom line: too many of our youth, especially our young black men, are succumbing to the lure of the streets and are being raised by them rather than by parents.

We know it takes an enormous and almost heroic efforts to keep a child born to parents who aren’t vested in them on the right track but this case highlights the enormous amount of effort that it may also take to keep even a child from a good family on the right track especially when the lure of the street is the competitor of the parent.

Just ask Gregory Books parents, who by all accounts, did everything right in terms of parenting, but who are probably shocked to learned the lure of the streets proved greater than their parenting of their son. As a mom, it's heartbreaking to say the least but it also shows the gravity of the battle we're engaged in for the hearts and souls of our children, especially our sons.

So what are your thoughts about what we can do to give these youth a fighting chance or to assist parents with at risk children before they turn violent?

Can We Get Some Fruit At The Corner Store?

There is an article in the New York Times today about corner stores pushing fruit rather than cookies. The effort is an attempt to provide low income neighborhoods healthier options in choice of foods. This is a long overdue but good strategy. As someone who grew up in a low income neighborhood, I’m here to tell you that the corner stores are your lifeline. It’s the closest thing you have to a grocery store because most of the big grocery store chains don’t see the value proposition in low income neighborhoods either because of crime and high insurance rates. For those grocery chains that do, many of the residents don’t shop at them because they aren’t conveniently located and you need a car to get to it or there prices are ridiculously high so the corner store becomes really the only viable option.



As a kid growing up with the corner store, they definitely did and continue to push the potato chips, cookies and fruit drink to the community. I understand this is what’s cheapest but if we plan to really make a dent in the obesity rates in this country and promote healthy eating then we have to get better healthy choices in low income neighborhoods. It seems that we’re pushing in this direction. A few months ago, the WIC program was revised to allow fruit and vegetables to be purchased and now there’s an effort to have the corner stores offer better health choices. This is good but it only works if we make the healthier option affordable. It makes no sense to have healthier options without affordability because no one, especially someone with limited means, is going to pay $5 for an apple or $2 an orange.

What else do you think can be done to offer healthier options in low income neighborhoods? Click HERE to read the NY Times article.