Coming home

The other day, I heard a really good podcast interview of Tiffany Dufu, the women’s leadership guru and powerhouse author of “Drop the Ball.” Because Tiffany is, like me, an African American working mom with a Ghanaian husband, I wanted to feel camaraderie. Her message – that modern women should learn to do less and

The Creative Quarantine

I used to think that work-family “balance” was a goal to strive for, but now I think that balance is probably the worst thing for my brain. Balance implies that I will spread my energy and attention equally across the various demands on my time, gracefully keeping all the plates spinning in sync (or, at

18 reasons my kids hang out on a farm

Some people ask me why I would “torture” my urban, Black children by dragging them up to the farm every weekend. After all, wouldn’t they rather stay home and play video games? After these folks get hit with an extended eye-roll, they get hit with the following list of 18 reasons. And then, I give them some free kale (because I’m generous like that).

The power of small, sacred spaces

It’s not a large space. It’s really not in any way fancy. Hell, it’s not usually even clean. But it is a sacred space.

Simplifying Father’s Day

This year, still reeling from transitions to a new home and the launching of several new work projects, the hubby and I were NOT at all interested in doing that little yearly dance usually accompanying Mother’s and Father’s Day.

10 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novels for Kids of Color

When I was growing up, being a sci-fi geek seemed antithetical to being an urban Black kid. Or so I thought. Thank goodness that in recent years, thousands of melanated folks with a hankering for time travel, humanoid species, dystopian visions and other “out-there” phenomena have leapt out of the closet, blowing the white wash off of the fantasy/sci-fi genre and ushering in an age of Afrofuturism where a kid can be (get this) Black and nerdy at the same time. Lucky punk…

Mantras for New Parents (and Even the Not-so-New)

Who has time to read parenting books? Certainly not people with actual babies and children in the house! Sometimes what parents need most is a simple, quick phrase to remind themselves of what is true and real. When you need re-centering, speak these brief phrases aloud or silently. Repeat daily, hourly, and every minute if

The Simple Life (Isn’t So Simple)

“Living simply makes loving simple.” ~bell hooks Simple living is all about consciously choosing to live with less material possessions, reduced work time, and sometimes even less technology than the average modern American. How one chooses to design their simple life may look differently for each individual, but the underlying premise is to develop a

Should Black Parents Consider Montessori Schools?

As a mom, I’ve done A LOT of school shopping. I don’t mean the autumn ritual of purchasing school supplies. I mean shopping for schools – pouring over promotional materials, combing through websites, asking friends and community members for referrals to their favorite schools, attending open houses and orientations, comparing curriculums and educational philosophies, meeting