New Normal in Parenting New Normal In Parenting

In our final episode, we share what we have learned from speaking to all of our guests from Season I. This was a labor of love for us, and we both agreed that we did not regret recording this podcast series one bit. Even though it took up a lot of time out of our already busy schedules, we have been able to grow from this experience, and we hope our listeners have, too. This was our self-care, or Collective Care, as podcast guest Rebecca Anuru of Dream Keep Consulting pointed out.

Podcast co-host, Flora Huang, shares some valuable information she learned from the different episodes that had helped her cope as a parent during these trying times, as well as some personal information discussing why it is important for her to lead by example. We want to thank all of you for tuning in, especially those who subscribed to this podcast series, taking time out of your schedule to hear our thoughts and the valuable insight from our guests. We hope that you have learned just as much as we have. We especially want to thank all our guests for taking time out of their busy schedules to speak to us.

Remember to like our Facebook page @NewNormalinParentingPodcast, and you will get updates on when Season II will be out. Ebony and Flora will be taking a much-needed and much-deserved break. 

Our final episode before the Finale of Season I. After discussing co-parenting, we had to devote an episode that focuses on dads, as we know that the voices of Dads are often not heard, focusing more on mothers, but we both know the important role that dads play in the lives of children. We particularly wanted to give BIPOC men, particularly Black fathers, a voice, as we know that many of the negative stereotypes of Black fathers are simply not true; a study conducted by the CDC confirmed what many of us already knew. In the words of one of our guests, Black fathers are given every label except "present", and we know that that is simply not true. We want to thank Aubrey LeGrier of Dads Unlimited, Derek Thomas of Real Dads Network, and Scott Leach of the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development for sitting down with us to have this very important discussion and helping us provide some education for two mothers and our audience.

We want to thank all of you who have joined us on this journey and listened to our thoughts and the expert opinion of our guests. We hope all of you have learned as much as we have from tuning in, as we have from recording them. Look out for our season finale, as we reflect back on everything we have learned from our guests who have all provided us with valuable insight.



 

We are in the process of closing out Season I, and we thank all of you for your support throughout this journey. Our latest episode focuses on co-parenting during the pandemic, as this is a topic that affects both of us. We were joined by Tera Gurney, former director of Henry Street Settlement's Parent Center who continues to provide workshops for Henry Street Settlement, which are still in high demand. Tera, herself, is a parent who is also a stepmother, so she has both a personal and professional understanding of the situation. Tera's Co-Parenting workshop was always one of the most popular workshops offered.

As usual, she provides some very valuable information, whether you are parallel parenting, co-parenting, or doing something in between. As Tera points out, no situation is better; it is just what works for you.

Continuing with our discussion about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), we turn to the private schools that have also had to confront their own practices, which may have also led to institutional bias and systemic racism. Critical Race Theory has recently been a hotly debated topic in different social circles, as BIPoC communities, including children and parents, share their experiences of being marginalized in many different institutions and settings. We were joined by Verta Maloney, founder of 45 Lemons and GameHers, who is a private school parent who also provides Anti-Racist training to organizations.    

When we asked her what needs to happen to promote real reform and inclusiveness, she answered, "Are you willing to lose your job for it?" This is not to say that she wants people to lose their jobs but the need for reform is so dire that it requires some of us to stick out our necks to and risk possibly losing our job if we want to see real change and reform. How many professionals are willing to do that?

As a follow-up to our College Admissions episode, we discussed the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) and the Gifted and Talent admissions process, and what parents have been adjusting during this pandemic. We sat down with Allison Shillingford, founder of Navigate the Maze to Achievement, a non-profit organization created to prepare Black and Latin middle school students for the high school admissions process. We discuss the distinction between the for-profit and non-profit test prep programs, whether the SHSAT is relevant, and how we can continue to achieve real equity and inclusion to allow for more under-represented students (Black, Latin, low-income students, etc.) to attend the Specialized High Schools. We also discuss how the Specialized High Schools and Gifted and Talented programs are special education programs that were designed for neurodivergent children, a concept often not discussed in the SHSAT and G & T debate.  

To learn more about Navigate the Maze to Achievement and the work they do prepare students, not just for the SHSAT but making sure they thrive in their new high school environment, visit their Website: www.ntmanyc.org 

To read some of the think pieces written by Flora on this subject, which she mentions in the episode, click on the links here and here. You can also read her testimony to the City Council of New York and a hearing held by New York State Senators, Robert Jackson and John Liu, here.

   

Trigger and Content Warning: Anxiety, Depression, Suicidality, Holiday Stress, PTSD  

The holidays can be a joyful time of year for many families, but we also know that it can also bring on stress and anxiety for others, and, for some, it can even be triggering for those who have endured painful memories during the holidays. For others, it may even bring on feelings of depression and loneliness, as they see others enjoying the holidays with friends and families, and, as one of our guests pointed out, you can be together with someone and still feel lonely. As we approach our second year of dealing with the holidays during the pandemic, many of those feelings have been escalated even further.  

We were joined, again, by Rebecca Anuru, Founder and Lead Facilitative Consultant of Dream Keep Consulting and Karmita Morgan-Randall, Co-Chair of the Citywide Oversight Committee of the Coordinated Children's Services Initiative (CCSI), who were our guests for the first Mental Health Episode we launched in August, and shared what they are hearing from families. We were also joined by Brett Scudder from the Scudder Intervention Services Foundation, Inc. (SISFI) and The Suicide Institute, who shared his own experience with surviving a suicide attempt and what he is hearing from the clients he works with and the current statistics on suicide and suicide attempts. Mr. Scudder started SISFI because he pointed out that the programs designed to address mental health concerns can often be more triggering than the mental health issue itself andsought to reform the system. 

Despite all of these dire statistics, we wanted to record this podcast to let people know that you are not alone, and there are organizations out there who are willing to listen. We are also hoping that social service and education professionals listen to this episode to get a better idea of what some of the families you are working with might be going through right now and how a little empathy can go a long way. 

To learn more about SISFI, visit their Website at: www.sisfi.org  

To learn more about Dream Keep Consulting, visit their Website at: www.DreamKeepConsulting.com

Clarification: About 25% of the Common Cold are caused by Coronaviruses, not SARS CoV2 - the virus that causes Covid-19. Rhinoviruses, another RNA virus, accounts for most causes of the Common Cold, about half, while Adenoviruses, a DNA virus, are the third most common cause of the Common Cold. DNA viruses do not mutate as much as RNA viruses, which is why there are less strains of Adenoviruses than Coronaviruses and Rhinoviruses.