• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Diedre
    • Contact Me
    • Featured On
    • Privacy Policy
  • Curly Hair Care
  • Motherhood
    • Motherhood Series
  • Marriage
  • Parenting
  • Curly Hair Guide
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Newsletter

Are Those Your Kids

Raising Biracial Kids in Today's World

Motherhood

Why You Should Take (Too Many) Pictures Of Your Kids

September 17, 2020 By Diedre Leave a Comment

 

My family should be use to it by now, but sometimes when I get out my phone or camera, my kids groan a little bit. It may be worse as they grow older.

Taking pictures of your kids helps to preserve precious memories that may fade as you and your children age.

Yes, sometimes it’s OK to just be in the moment without photographs to document your every memory.

However, I am a huge advocate of taking pictures of your kids as often as possible. It may sound cliche, but it does go so fast! Here are some reasons why you should take pictures of your kids as often as possible:

Taking pictures of your kids helps to preserve precious memories that may fade as you and your children age.

 

Help Your Kids Remember

One reason to take pictures of your kids is to help them recall memories from their youth. Of course, your toddlers aren’t going to recall every trip or moment with grandparents.

They won’t recollect the early moments with a new dog or the birthday parties.

Taking pictures of your kids helps to preserve precious memories that may fade as you and your children age.

 

However, if you snap photos, you’ll be able to dig them out (digitally or physically) when you are looking back on the moments of their younger years. Some of my older daughter’s favorite pictures are from moments she couldn’t possibly remember.

We moved to the farm in December, but my son was only 1, so he’ll never remember what life was like before the farm. These are moments I want to treasure.

Help You Remember

I am still young (I think 36 is still young?!), but  I am told that soon enough, there will be moments I won’t remember. Taking (too many) pictures of my kids will not only help me share those past moments with them; it will also help me remember those times that were so special to us.

Why You Should Take (Too Many) Pictures Of Your Kids

Even seemingly mundane moments like making pancakes in the morning or doing my girls’ hair are moments worth capturing. When they are grown with children of their own, I want to remember these moments!

Tell Your Story

Some people are private about sharing photos of their children online. I completely respect that, but I love sharing my family’s story. As a multiracial family with biracial children, I love telling our story to inspire other families. In my Multiracial Motherhood Facebook group, more than 3500 moms share their own stories. Showing the images of my children on our blog and in the group helps me share their unique stories to inspire others.

Taking pictures of your kids helps to preserve precious memories that may fade as you and your children age.

Don’t forget to turn the camera around and snap some selfies with your kids or have your significant other take some photos of you, too! Your whole family’s story is important, and you’ll want some images of you as mom. 

Taking pictures of your kids helps to preserve precious memories that may fade as you and your children age.

 

Celebrate Those Big Moment

It may seem crazy to think about graduations, weddings, or milestone adult birthdays now, but when you take pictures of your kids throughout their childhood, those photos can be used at future gatherings. Think about the momentous occasions you’ve been to for friends and family.

High school and college graduations are perfect places to showcase images from your kids’ early years. Organize your photos digitally with Google Photos or a Dropbox, or print out some to keep in a special box or file system. You’ll be thankful when those special parties happen!

Take (too many) pictures of your kids this year. As silly as it sounds, they’re only young once.

Farm life has been a wonderful addition to our family life. Being married to a farmer is unique, in that his job is not a 9-5 position.

Even though you are snapping photos to keep record and share your story, they’re also incredibly cute! If that’s not reason enough to take pictures of your kids every day, I don’t know what is! 

5 Common Misconceptions about Extended Breastfeeding

February 18, 2020 By Diedre Leave a Comment

Extended breastfeeding is a topic that makes many people cringe.

Many women are judged for extended breastfeeding, or breastfeeding past one year. How long you choose to feed your baby is your choice.

 

With all the things moms are judged for, this extended breastfeeding may be at the top of the list. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months with continued breastfeeding alongside the introduction of complementary foods for at least 1 year. 

The day my son had his 18-month appointment, I knew it was time to wean. I just felt it. I was tired of wearing nursing bras and I wanted my freedom back.

When I decided to wean, it was because I’ve given him what he needs and I was ready, not because of the judgment of others.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

When you babywear, does your little tend to hang to one side? Homeboy is 14 months old & almost 30 lbs. He has a healthy appetite & I’m still nursing. I’m just about ready to give it up & have my boobs back, but then he gets hurt & as my hubby says, I “give in.” My family says I baby him more than the girls & I disagree. But, maybe they’re right. He’s my 🌈 baby. My last baby. My baby boy. #sorrynotsorry Moms, how long did your breastfeed? Babywear?

A post shared by Diedre ❤ Are Those Your Kids (@arethoseyourkids) on Jun 17, 2019 at 1:28pm PDT

 

And trust me, the judgment is there. I’ve heard it all from “wow, I couldn’t breastfeed that long.” Or “As soon as mine got teeth, they had to go.”

“You’re a good one, I wouldn’t want a big ol’ baby attached to me.”

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Happy Friday!! Let’s get the party started!! Sike. I picked up the kids then realized I left some of my pump pieces at work. So on the way home I took all 3 kids back to my office. Baby J didn’t want any 🍼 so I had to pump…..While entertaining the baby & trying to keep him from falling out of my chair. Some days I dread unloading my whole crew to go places. It can be cumbersome but honestly every time I do it, it gets easier. Do you ever amaze yourself with what you are capable of handling??!!

A post shared by Diedre ❤ Are Those Your Kids (@arethoseyourkids) on Dec 7, 2018 at 2:43pm PST

Extended breastfeeding isn’t for everyone–and for a variety of reasons:

Some women don’t produce milk to a year or beyond, issues with latching, lack of family support, work constraints make it difficult to pump/feed or some women simply don’t desire to nurse beyond a year.

According to the Mayo Clinic, worldwide, babies are weaned on average between ages 2 and 4. In some cultures, breast-feeding continues until children are age 6 or 7. In other parts of the world, however, this is less common and can sometimes provoke uninformed, negative reactions.

In the U.S there are some common misconceptions about extended breastfeeding:

Baby won’t take a  bottle or a cup

Just because a child breastfeeds past a year doesn’t mean that they won’t take a bottle or a cup if you offer. In fact, moms who work outside of the home full time have babies who take a cup while they are away at work.

Extended breastfeeding hurts

Listen, I know one of the main concerns people seem to have about extended breastfeeding is the fact that your little one has teeth.

My baby boy has bitten me before–more like grinding his teeth as he was going to sleep. It was painful and my nipples were still sore the next day! My solution for the biting was to take him off the breast before he fell asleep. I often had to squeeze his cheeks if I felt his suction slowing down and his jaw was clenching.

I had no issues with my daughters biting me or grinding their teeth. Every child is different, and biting has not been a concern for everyone who chooses extended breastfeeding.

Less desirable to your spouse

Without getting too personal, extended breastfeeding has not affected the intimacy with my husband. We still enjoy spending time together, going on dates and have a healthy sex life.

Extended breastfeeding has not affected the way he sees me or my body.

Many women are scared of breastfeeding beacuse of the myths that still exist. I'm sharing a few truths that breastfeeding moms don't always want to admit.

Hard to do in public

Nursing tops & bras make nursing in public so much easier than it use to be. When you are nursing an older child, they can usually communicate through words or motions that they are ready to nurse, which takes the guess work out.

And trust me, by the time you’ve made it past a year nursing, you’ve got the system down.

People will judge you for nursing a big baby

Listen, people will judge you for all your choices.

Breastfeeding. Not breastfeeding.

How long your child is rear-facing.

Whether or not you choose to make your own baby food or purchase it.

Staying home with your baby or going back to work.

Going back to work too soon or not soon enough.

THE LIST IS ENDLESS.

Don’t make a decision about what is best for your family based on the judgment of others.

 

An Easy Guide to Working Full-Time, Raising Kids & Having a Side Hustle

January 3, 2020 By Diedre 3 Comments

This post is sponsored by Russell Brunson. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Tracking Pixel

Being a mom is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done, but so is having a side hustle and working full time.

Being a mom is one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done, but so is having a side hustle and working full time. Here are a few tips to do it all!

11 years ago, I finished my master’s degree in school counseling and starting working full time as an elementary school counselor.

After reading the book There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom as a young teenager, I knew I wanted to be a school counselor.

The main character, Bradley Chalkers was a terror to the 5th grade. He lied, picked fights with other kids and was no fun to be around. But the school counselor, Carla saw something in him that he didn’t see in himself. By the end of the book, I was in tears. I knew that I wanted to effect change just like Carla.

When I started my career, I was in a serious relationship that quickly turned to marriage. It was easy to balance work and marriage.

My third year as a school counselor, I transitioned from elementary school to high school. Balancing work and home life were extremely difficult. There were so many late nights (class night, graduation, financial aid night) and early mornings (AP testing, field trips, etc) that took me away from home.

The mom guilt was unbearable. I felt like I gave more to my school kids than my own child, so I made the transition to middle school.

Life as a middle school counselor was pretty sweet. I loved building relationships with hormonal (pre)teens as awkward as that sounds.

Helping them navigate such a difficult stage brought me such great joy. I was also enlightened about how vulnerable this age is. Talking to my students about online safety, family issues and self-harm thoughts made for some heavy days.

Being a mom is one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done, but so is having a side hustle and working full time. Here are a few tips to do it all

There were many afternoons that I met with parents about their children who had concerning mental health issues.

By the time I was working full time as a  middle school counselor, I was a mom of 2. As much as I loved my job, I felt like I was still giving more to my school babies than my own children, especially when you add in a 45 minute commute.

Working late afternoons were tough because my kids sat in my office while I worked. I often shushed them while I made phone calls, answered emails, or finished paperwork.

For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a mom. But I also had dreams of having a career and being a writer. I didn’t know how to have a side hustle and be a mom.

I’m currently reading Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers and man is it speaking into my life!!

By completing the 30-day challenge, you’ll learn key strategies  to increase your site traffic.

Russell Brunson brings you some real practical application in such an easy to read, practical way. I’ve had to take a few breaks to digest the advice (and tea) he’s giving. Russell Brunson is a best-selling author & CEO of $100M software company Click Funnels. He has built a following of over a million entrepreneurs and sold thousands of copies of his books. 

If you are ready to dip your big toe in social media marketing and funnels, then this is a MUST book for your collection.

Being a mom is one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done, but so is having a side hustle and working full time. Here are a few tips to do it all!

Four years ago, I gave birth to this blog. It’s a combination of my love of counseling and helping people coupled with my first hand experience in raising biracial children.

Thankfully, I don’t have to choose between any of the roles I play, but some days balancing everything on my plate can be quite challenging.

If you have dreams of adding a side hustle or having kids and the just the idea of juggling it all is enough to break you out in hives, here a few tips to help you channel all of your ideas so that you can be the mom boss you were meant to be:

Start Slow

You know that old saying, Rome wasn’t built in a day? Well, it’s true! When I put my mind to something, I want my idea executed immediately. Waiting is hard for me. But you know what creates more frustration? Unrealistic expectations.

When I first started my blog, I also wanted to be a freelance writer. I hustled every night while my kids were asleep. I put out content consistently every week and looked for places to submit my work.

I collaborated with other bloggers and wrote guest pieces for a variety of other bloggers.

I was published by the Huffington Post the first year I decided to pursue writing, but when I look back at my old blog posts, I’m embarrassed. The photography was awful, I used too many different fonts, and some of my posts were just not fleshed out enough. I was trying to do it all and too quickly.

Had I taken the time to research what I really wanted and gone a little slower, I could’ve had more content that I was proud of, instead of content that I later had to go back and redo.

Don’t get distracted by social media

Remember, you own your own content. Why not own it on your own platform vs. social media? It gets easy to play the comparison game, but in Traffic Secrets, Russell Bruson reminds us to be authentic.

Show up in a way that gets people interested in your content because you are being you.

Being a mom is one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done, but so is having a side hustle and working full time. Here are a few tips to do it all!

Sacrifice

In order to gain anything good, there has to be some level of sacrifice. Most of my best work is done while my children sleep.

I’ve sacrifice many naps to write.

Being a mom is one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done, but so is having a side hustle and working full time. Here are a few tips to do it all!

In the beginning, my husband didn’t get it. My newest blog posts would go live between 9:00-10:00 pm. In fact, he even asked me why I was working so hard for free.

When the kids went to bed, it was our time. Our time to catch up with each other and spend quality time before the next day. I was frustrated that I had to justify my passion to him.

When the campaigns, money and seeing my name and picture in print started to come, he quickly became a believer.

He started to understand why I was willing to sacrifice my time.

Sometimes family still doesn’t get it. I get made fun of for always taking pictures or for hiring a photographer.

But that doesn’t stop me from pursuing my side hustle.

When you are focused on a goal, not everyone will understand why it’s important to you. But as long as it remains a passion, their opinions shouldn’t matter to you.

Try New Things

Have you ever wanted to start your own YouTube Channel? Be a freelance writer? Own your own business? Now is the time to do it! The Internet can aid you in starting your dreams. There are very successful people who share their secrets online.

 

Budget

Dreams are free, but big ones aren’t. If you decide to invest in your side hustle and make it a business, you will have some expenses. It can be easy to start spending money when you make it, but if you want to pursue a successful business, you will need to income to invest in new materials, head shots, business cards, etc.

I made the mistake of spending all the money I made the first year of blogging. Instead of investing a better looking website, business cards and making my blog look professional, I went shopping.

When I decided to get serious about my blog so that others would see me as a professional, I had to make money to spend money. I started listening to podcasts, reading books & making boss moves.

Being a mom is one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done, but so is having a side hustle and working full time. Here are a few tips to do it all!

Mama, you truly can have it all, but not without some hard work. People may not understand why you are hustling so hard, but the payoff will be so great if you stick with it.

What I’m Teaching My Biracial Daughters About Black Girl Magic

September 24, 2019 By Diedre 1 Comment

I’m flipping the narrative on the angry black woman and teaching my kids about black girl magic.
Teaching my kids about discrimination can be pretty disheartening, but to balance the negative, I'll be teaching them about black girl magic.
When both of my biracial daughters were born, they had beautiful brown eyes, dark hair and light skin.
As beautiful as I thought they were, I wondered if all the melanin in my body had somehow flown out the window. A part of me wanted to see a physical manifestation of myself in them.
I think the urge to see more was probably because of the questions people asked me when we went out. I was constantly in a mode of proving my motherhood.
Living in this state can be exhausting, so I finally decided that I no longer would put my energy towards strangers and validating them, rather sharing my black girl magic with my daughters.
Both girls have different kinds of curly hair, so while I do their hair, I talk to them about their curl types, the kinds of products their hair needs, and allow them some flexibility in picking styles.
People often ask how I get my girls to sit still while I'm styling their curls. Here are a few quick and easy ways to get your child to enjoy the process.
When I pick out clothes, I look for the screen print shirts pictures girls with afro puffs.
I want them to embrace both the white and black parts of themselves, but I want them to understand the struggle.
Teaching my kids about discrimination can be pretty disheartening, but to balance the negative, I'll be teaching them about black girl magic.
They need to know that brown girls are treated differently.
As much as I would love to keep their innocence, I know that the world will school them harshly if I don’t find a way to school them at home.
It isn’t fair, but that’s just our reality. If I don’t prepare my girls for the world, then I’m not doing my job.
We’ve started having serious conversations about American history. It pains me to see them take in the realities of the plight of Native Americans and slavery. They just can’t fathom why or how people would treat others differently because of their skin color or nationality.
They start asking me hard questions that I simply don’t have the answers for. Thankfully they don’t quite understand microaggressions yet, or notice the judgemental looks from strangers when they think I am a single mom out with my 3 kids.
But instead of always focusing on the negative that the world throws our way, I’m choosing to balance the negative with a little dose of black girl magic.
Teaching my kids about discrimination can be pretty disheartening, but to balance the negative, I'll be teaching them about black girl magic.
As disheartening as it is to see inequalities, there are also some exciting things happening in the world for black women.
We are creating, winning awards, celebrating our natural hair and are being noticed in a big way. I remember being a young girl and wanting to be like the racial mirrors that I saw in t.v. and in magazines. Now there are so many amazing black women doing some pretty remarkable things!
I love that my girls have so many beautiful and intelligent women to aspire to be like. Even though they are biracial, I am black, so their racial mirrors will not only be biracial women, but black women as well.
Teaching my kids about discrimination can be pretty disheartening, but to balance the negative, I'll be teaching them about black girl magic.
Black girl magic is real, and I’m excited that I get to share it with my girls.

4 Quick & Easy Ways to Simplify Back to School Shopping

August 17, 2019 By Diedre 2 Comments

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.**

Back to school shopping is no fun when you are an adult.

Fighting with the crowds, leaving the store without an item (or two) from the school supply list and spending more money than you anticipated makes the experience miserable.

This year I enter my 11th year as a school counselor and I have 2 school aged children.

I’ll admit that even though I’ve been in education for awhile, it was a whole different story when my kids started school.

While I was offering suggestions to parents about their children, I never thought about taking my own advice!

Here are a few simple tips I’ve learned that will make your back to school shopping experience easy (and not miserable!)

Download the back to school shopping list early

Most schools require their staff to make a list of needed supplies at the end of the school year so it will be ready to go by Open House. Check out the school’s website for an updated list for the school year at the end of the year (and if it’s not available you can check periodically throughout the summer).

When you know what’s on the list before everyone else, you can do your back to school shopping at your leisure during the summer and put all the items away until it’s time to go back to school!

Insider School Counselor Hack: You can also just look at the list from the previous year. Not much will change and you can get the bulk of your shopping done early!

Take Advantage of Sales & Buy Clothes During the Summer

I have 3 kids, so shopping sales gives me more bang for my buck.

Back to school shopping can be stressful and expensive, especially when you have more than 1 child in school. Here are a few quick tips to make it easier!

I also use to work retail, so I know that all prices eventually come down. I’m that girl that sees an outfit I love and will watch it until it’s the price I want. There’s no shame in holding on to as many of your coins as possible!

Back to school shopping can be stressful and expensive, especially when you have more than 1 child in school. Here are a few quick tips to make it easier!

Since Amazon Prime now includes a pantry, I often order snacks for my family in bulk.

This is especially convenient for back to school shopping because while everyone else it out shopping, I wait for my boxes patiently at my doorstep. Win, win!

And Amazon has near 100 school supply items under $5!

If you are looking for items for your multiracial family, let me help! I’ve got a store front with organized categories WITH YOU IN MIND. Check it out here.

Amazon Prime Day is like Christmas in July for Amazon Prime members. It's a day with amazing sales. Here is a list of sale items for curly girls!

Wait Two Weeks Before School Before Buying New Shoes

When my daughter was in PreK, I found several good sales and I stocked up on shoes.

Sounds like a smart thing to do right?

My daughter was going through a rapid growth spurt, so she only got the wear the new shoes for a couple of months before I had to buy new ones. Sometimes growth spurts are unpredictable, so make sure to do your back to school shoe shopping closer to when school actually starts to avoid having to buy new shoes again so soon.

If you have more than 1 child, check out stores that offer buy one get one 50% off.

Stock Up on Teacher Wish List Items

Why do teachers ask for so many items? Well, some of their students cannot afford the necessary items, let alone the wish list items. Good teachers will not let their students be without, so those items come from their personal pockets.

We all know that being a teacher is a commendable job, but the pay doesn’t reflect the amount of work they put into their students and classrooms. When you gift your child’s teacher with wish list items throughout the year, you are investing in your child’s classroom experience.

Back to school shopping can be stressful and expensive, especially when you have more than 1 child in school. Here are a few quick tips to make it easier!

Simple things like having extra tissue ensures that kids have what they need while at school and are spending less time outside of class to ask another teacher for an item that their teacher doesn’t have.

Insider School Counselor Hack: Stock up on toiletry items (tissue, hand sanitizer, etc) and keep in a well known location in your home. Send the items throughout the year instead of having to buy them over and over. If you have elementary children, buy your child’s teacher a book or two to add to the class collection. Then volunteer to read the book! Find a book that is diverse in nature.

The Best Non-Toxic Products for Baby Skin & Curly Hair Care

April 7, 2019 By Diedre 2 Comments


*This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you subscribe or purchase something through the links on this page.*

Our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, so using non-toxic products for baby hair & skin ensures that your baby is exposed to the safest ingredients.

Our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, so making the choice to use non-toxic products for baby hair & skin care can leave you at ease, knowing that you are using the safest ingredients.

Our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, so using non-toxic products for baby hair & skin ensures that your baby is exposed to the safest ingredients.

Choosing non-toxic products for your baby is important because their bodies are more sensitive to chemicals than ours. Chemicals that are used in products can adversly affect their development.

We can’t completely eliminate our baby’s exposure to toxic chemicals, but we can definitely make conscious choices about the products we use for baby skin and hair care.

Our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, so using non-toxic products for baby hair & skin ensures that your baby is exposed to the safest ingredients.

When you are looking at product labels, make sure the ingredient list of full of things you can pronouce. They shouldn’t be full of fillers and preservatives.

Here are a few of my favorite baby skin &  hair products that are gentle, safe & moisturizing! 

Young Living

I use essential oils daily in my household, so when Young Living came out with the Seedlings baby line, I knew I had to have it. What I love the most about Young Living is the Seed to Seal promise that guarantees the purity & potency of each oil.

The baby oil and linen spray are two of my favorite products from the Seedlings line. Everytime my son wears the oil, people ask if he is wearing cologne.

Our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, so using non-toxic products for baby hair & skin ensures that your baby is exposed to the safest ingredients.

It has a nice, clean smell, and hydrates his skin.

The linen spray is lavendar scented and I spray it in his bed before a nap or bedtime. It has a nice calming effect, so sometimes I spray it on my own bed too!

Our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, so using non-toxic products for baby hair & skin ensures that your baby is exposed to the safest ingredients.

Want to know more about why I chose essential oils as a part of my everyday routine for my children? You can read more about my journey to wellness here.

Burts Bees

Burts Bees uses a variety of natural ingredients in their vast line of products: almond, aloe, beeswax, cocoa butter, honey, acai berry, just to name a few!

89% of their packaging is made from recylcable materials.

Not only do they make a wide range of products for expecting mamas and babies, but their products extend to oral care, makeup, and so much more!

Many Ethnicities

Our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, so using non-toxic products for baby hair & skin ensures that your baby is exposed to the safest ingredients.

What I love about Many Ethnicities is that it was created by a multiracial mama who saw a need for multiracial curly haired kids to have products that worked specifically for them, and she created it! Her daughters have 3 different textures of curly hair, so she created her products with kids like hers in mind.

Honey Baby Naturals

Honey Baby Naturals is the first Latina owned hair and skin care line for naturals that is available in major retail stores. That alone is HUGE!!

For 15 years, she worked in the hair and skin care industry before stepping out to create a brand of her own. What I love about this line is she has hair and skin care products that are gentle enough for babies, yet powerful enough for your older kids too!

Shea Moisture

This brand has been around since the 90’s and doesn’t disappoint. Not only do they have hair and skin care items for babies, but they also have products for expecting and nursing moms!


I stumbled upon the nursing balm in TJMaxx while I was pregnant. It makes the perfect new mama gift!

Want a larger, comprehrensive list of safe(organic) products for your baby’s skin and curly hair? Then I’ve got you covered. For only $20, the Curly Hair & Skin Care for Babies & Toddlers E-book gives you tips for nighttime care, tips for handling cradle cap, a bonus list of YouTube vloggers to follow and so much more!! Click here if you want to purchase.

Our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, so using non-toxic products for baby hair & skin ensures that your baby is exposed to the safest ingredients.

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 8
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m Diedre!

Hi, I’m Diedre!

Lifestyle + Mom Blogger

Welcome to Are Those Your Kids! This blog was created to share my experiences in motherhood, from the perspective of a mom with biracial kids. I discuss all things education, culture, multicultural resources, curly hair and motherhood.

Categories

Featured On

Are those your kids FB group

Popular Posts

Parenting biracial daughters comes with a unique set of challenges. People often question their identity based on their physical appearance.
Multiracial families are often suseptible to others biases based on their physical appearance. There is so much more to us than meets the eye.

The Frustration-Free Guide to Curly Hair E-book

Are you at a loss when it comes to curly hair? Does wash day make you cringe? Check out this e-book for a guide to all things curly hair care.

Curly Hair & Skin Care for Babies and Toddlers

Curly Hair & Skin Care for Babies and Toddlers

Footer

Are those your kids FB Group

I know that my children will have a certain level I know that my children will have a certain level of privilege because of their lighter skin.

People will compliment their tan & curls because they are #biracial.

That's why teaching them the real Black history is so important to me.

And the real history isn't pretty.

Slavery, lynching, Jim Crow, racism, police dogs & spray during peaceful protests, police brutality & so much more.

As a young mom I worried about seeing their innocence by teaching them the horrors of our nation's history. Now I understand that it's absolutely necessary because one day they will vote & they need to understand history so it doesn't repeat itself. They also need to be able to use their privilege to stand up for others if they witness injustice.

So today is so much more than quotes. It's learning history & being change agents. 

It's standing up for what's right even if it conflicts with what you've always been taught.

It's showing love through your actions, not just your words.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I HATE being l Anyone who knows me well knows that I HATE being late places. 

My husband & I have has it out this week over being late & sticking to a schedule. I had a minor surgery this week to remove a large keloid from my c-section scar.

I'm recovering well, but very sore.

Having it removed (again) has brought on all sorts of feelings. Sadness because I'm done having kids, regret over having 3 c-sections,  anxiety about side effects of the procedure,  fear about things the doctors may not tell me, major discomfort to name just a few.

So I realize that our arguments about being late are more than just that.

Growing together in marriage means recognizing when outside things influence your mood, therefore affecting how you deal with each other.

Being vulnerable is hard for me sometimes,  even with my husband. I was raised to be tough.

But I can't expect him to understand all my feelings if I'm masquerading a false sense of being okay. It really is okay to say you aren't doing okay.

It doesn't have to be permanent & it doesn't mean you're a failure.

In 2021, let's start being real with ourselves & advocating for what we really need.

Do you have trouble being vulnerable at times???
Did you know that Follow the drinking gourd is a s Did you know that Follow the drinking gourd is a song? I learned it in my middle school chorus days.

It's an African American folk song first published in 1928. The Drinking Gourd is another Folklore has it that slaves in the United States used it as a point of reference so they would not get lost trying to escape.

 According to legend, the song was used by a conductor of the Underground Railroad called Peg Leg Joe to guide some fugitive slaves to freedom. 

This book is a great way to introduce your children to the Underground Railroad.

#blackhistory
When I was on baecation, my scalp was itching som When I was on baecation,  my scalp was itching something serious. I needed my butterfly locs to last one more week. 

My hubby was so gracious to let me browse around Target (listen you know Target is best experienced alone, not with hubby🤣) & I stumbled across this.

I'm a @sheamoisture girl, so I bought it & hoped for the best. 

I really liked that it was thick so I didn't have to worry about it running into my eyes, and the scent was very light. It provided relief only temporarily,  but it was enough to get through date night without scratching all evening.
2020 was utterly exhausting. I started the year si 2020 was utterly exhausting. I started the year sick. 
Racial injustice after racial injustice. 
Quarantine.
The school year abruptly ending. 
Virtual school. 
Educators criticized after being praised.
The school year delaying.
Debates about virtual vs. face to face school within the state
Election season. 
Friends fighting about politics.
Families fighting about politics.
People using social media to harm. 

And then 2021 seemed to be off to a good start until it wasn’t. 
I’m tired. I know others are too. I started blogging in 2015 to share my experiences as a parent, as an educator and as a mama in a multiracial family to help other multiracial families. 

But there are times I want to just be. If real change is going to happen, everyone has to be an advocate, not just a select few. We need to use our privilege and influence to affect change. 
And sometimes, it’s okay to pause. Take a break from the noise. Pray. 

Everyone processes differently, but there shouldn’t be a pause on empathy.
Back to reality tomorrow folks. I went back to wo Back to reality tomorrow folks.

I went back to work yesterday & the kids come back tomorrow.  Some are virtual kids returning,  while some are just returning from winter break.

Being an educator right now requires resilience in a season of so much change & uncertainty. 

I have read so much criticism about education after parents were literally singing our praises almost a year ago last March. 

If I didn't know it already, it taught me that people are fickle. Their feelings for you change based on their experiences, bias & opinions.

So please, no matter your thoughts about education right now, we could use all the prayers 🙏🏾
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 · Site by Pretty Pink Studio