Raising Biracial Kids in Today's World
Marriage is a beautiful thing, yet complicated endeavor. It brings two people together, from different walks of life, who want to spend a lifetime together. Combining cultures in marriage can be difficult, especially if you’ve had minimal exposure to the culture you have married into.
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This month, my oldest daughter will turn 5. She will have a themed birthday party, receive presents & have the love and support of her family. Her life is glamorous in comparison to many 5-year-olds in South Sudan. July 9, 2016 marks the 5th Anniversary of South Sudan, the world’s youngest country. A country that is plagued by war and conflict. Many five-year-olds in South Sudan depend on the efforts of humanitarian workers, such as CARE workers, to survive.
Let me share with you the story of a five-year-old named Nyahok. Her family doesn’t have enough money to send her to school.
South Sudan has the highest proportion of girls who aren’t in school in any country.
As much as my daughter craves learning and being around her peers, I can’t imagine this life for any five year old. There isn’t enough clean water where Nyahok lives, so she and other kids drink dirty, disease-laden water. We as Americans often take these little blessings for granted.
Children in South Sudan are 13 times more likely to die before their 5th birthday than American children.
Nyahok’s favorite game is mixing dirt with water and pretending she’s cooking food. With no crops or cattle, Nyahok’s mother feeds her a porridge of grains and wild leaves.
Watch this video to learn more.
If you are looking to get involved in a humanitarian effort, CARE is the perfect organization for you! The best part about this organization is that 90% of money donated goes directly to program activities and CARE is a top-rated organization with Charity Watch. Donations of any amount will help these girls have a better chance at survival.
$150 can provide full nutritional support for a malnourished child. $70 can provide a family with a crop kit so they begin growing food again. For South Sudan’s 5th birthday, give its children hope for a better future. Our children are our future. The least thing we can do for them is helping them reach their full potential.
Thank you to CARE for sponsoring today’s post and inspiring me to help South Sudan!
Spring break is a time that college kids and educators look forward to all year long. Vacations and outings can be challenging because not all activities are suited for toddlers.
As an educator, the closer it gets to spring break, the more it feels like a permanent full moon! We start to feel the itch as much as the kids do.
This week the girls and I have done a little of everything while daddy has worked hard on the farm (no spring break for him). I’ve composed a list to help you recharge, and enjoy the break with your toddlers.
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As a school counselor, the one thing I find myself repeating to people (co-workers and parents) is that the only constant in education is change. The same can be said of relationships too. Over the years, several friendships have ended and I’ve found myself very disappointed. Disappointed because I thought these friendships would last a lifetime.
This is the last post in my February relationship series. I’ve focused on marriage and kids, and now I’m moving into friendships. Now that I’m in my 30’s, I feel more comfortable telling the people around me how I feel. I also value the friendships that I’ve been able to maintain over time. The older I get, the more I realize that maintaining friendships is a quite a feat.
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I’ve heard many people who struggle in their marriages talk about how they’ve just grown apart from their spouse. The truth of the matter is that we continue to grow and change as people. Life changes us as we weather different seasons.
In marriage, we should be growing together through those seasons. Marriage should be a verb because growing together takes work. It takes work to embrace the person you love as they continue to evolve.
My husband and I have been married for 6 years. In those 6 years, he has been a travel agent, State Farm insurance agent and now a farmer. My career as a School Counselor hasn’t changed, however I’ve become a mother twice, and that is an evolution in itself.
Here are 5 ways to evolve gracefully with your spouse:
Welcome to the Mom’s Guide to All Things Holiday 2015!! I’m one of the last bloggers to write in this holiday guide collaboration. You can find link to all the other ladies’ lovely blog posts listed below.
Being fashionable isn’t always a necessity for a busy mom, but it sure does make you feel good when you look good! Whether you’re prepping for family Christmas cards, holiday parties or a date night with your honey, I want to give you some tips on how to look fabulous this holiday season. Here are a few favorites of mine that are sure to add some sparkle to your (and your daughter’s) wardrobe:
*Colored Skinny Jeans. Right now my favorite ones come from the GAP.
*Statement (winter) white blouse. According to Vogue, a white blouse adds a pop of simplicity and class to any outfit. My statement blouse came from one of my favorite stores, The Loft.
*Last but not least, I love lipstick! It’s probably my favorite accessory. MAC is one of my favorite brands. Two of my favorite MAC fall colors are: Own the Look (purple) and Stone (smoky, neutral).
Little Girls:
Nothing says festive holiday outfit like a tutu & glitter! This outfit was a steal; I scored it for $20 from my local Wal-Mart.
The boots were affordable too-a steal from The Children’s Place.
Being a southern girl, I love smocked dresses. This year instead of the traditional Christmas colors, I scored this beautiful royal blue dress with nativity scene smocking for only $16.99 at Zulily.com (my secret obsession). For those of you who know anything about smocking, you know that dresses like this can easily be $40 a piece.
What will you be wearing this holiday season? What are your favorite statement pieces?
What a fun amazing experience it was to collaborate with these lovely ladies! If you have a holiday post you would like to share, join the party and share your link below! This link up closes on Friday at midnight so join us while you can!
Follow the other bloggers in this blogger collaboration:
Britney Dearest of BritneyDearest.com
Monday: Mom’s Gift Guide & Shopping Tips
Danielle of Mamademics
Teri of Mommy Wife Life
Tuesday: Holiday Family Activities & Traditions
Toya of Mrs. Toya Carter
Cynthia of Mrs. Wright Writes
Jennifer of Baby Making Machine
Wednesday: Holiday DIY and/or Home Decor
Sheena of Sophistishe – Christmas Candy Santa Sleighs
Bee of Bee So Simple – DIY Gifts: Hot Chocolate in a Jar
Erin of Live Pretty on a Penny – DIY Beverage Coasters
Britney Britney Dearest
Thursday: Holiday Recipe
Shanna of Ms. Naturally Random – Spiked Holiday Punch
Arnitris of Blessed Be the Tie – Mommy and Me Pecan Pie Tarts
Friday: Holiday Fashion
Troy Cooke of Thriftanista in the City – How to Rock Your Holiday Thrift Style
Becoming a parent means a major lifestyle change. The days of spending all day or evening at event become quite challenging with kids, especially toddlers under the age of five. Have you ever planned the perfect outing for your kids, only to be disappointed by tears, tantrums & meltdowns? Here’s what I’ve found works for minimizing the meltdowns:
When I first cut my hair, I was really self-conscious. I had 2 inches of relaxed hair yet and I was tired of struggling with the two textures. After feeling empowered by YouTube videos and natural hair blogs, I did the big chop the weekend after my birthday. I was in utter shock and felt like my whole face was exposed-then I realized that perhaps I have been hiding behind my hair. Maybe that’s why India Arie wrote the song, I Am Not My Hair.
I received shocked looks from many people, but several compliments from others. As my hair has grown, I’ve developed a love/hate relationship with it. Today I’m on the love end of the spectrum. For those of you with straight hair, let me explain. Curly hair has a mind of its own. For example, sometimes when I try to part my hair, the curls are coiled so tightly that they close the part. Or, I try a new hair product and my hair looks half afro-ish and the other side has defined curls. The struggle is definitely real! As I learn more about what my hair loves, I’m also feeling more confident about experimenting. I’ve been scouring Pinterest for different TWA (teeny weeny afro) cuts for quite some time now, and I found one that I love! Short in the back and on the sides, so now styling takes half the time!
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I decided to write this blog because surprisingly, there aren’t many like it. I’ve had to do my research when it comes to hair care. Both of my girls share the same genes, but their hair is very different.
I’ll be touching more on this topic in future posts as well.
I’ll talk about what I’ve found works, as well as what hasn’t been as successful.
Since giving birth and getting back into the real world (braving shopping trips with a child), I’ve been asked the weirdest questions. One of which sticks with me. Is that your daughter? I mean for real for real, is that your daughter?
I was innocently shopping in Tj Maxx and had approached the check out counter. The young black guy proceeded to ask me at least five more times if my daughter was indeed my daughter. Never mind the fact that she was clinging to me and calling me mommy.
Then he finally said, her daddy must be light skinned. I wanted to say, get a clue! However, my shopping time with my daughter had expired as we approached nap time. I took to Facebook to rant.
I am a black woman married to a white man, and together we have two beautiful daughters, Melody & Daphne.
I’m 33 and have been married for 7 years.
Thankfully we live in a college town, so I don’t really have to think about the fact that we’re in an interracial relationship-I just get to enjoy being married to the person I love.
