With my son, Khani at Women Walking Tall held on 03/26/11

Family,

This month has been dubbed National Child Abuse Prevention month. It is my intention to provide you with links to articles and personalities to encourage and remind you of ways in which you can continue to protect our children.  As a parent, I can say without hesitation that raising a child is HARD!  It does not matter that I have always had emotional, physical, financial and spiritual support from so many people (especially my immediate family and my son's father over the years).  The fact is that once you "own" a child, your entire life changes and if you are a good parent, there is nothing you do without thinking about how it will affect your child.  Balancing time for self and time for your child as well as making sacrifices galore come with the territory.  Protecting your child from neglect and abuse should be your mantra and responsibility.

Even though my son is no longer a child, he is still MY child and so like most good parents, I still worry about a lot of the things I worried about when he was much younger.  These days I worry most about him becoming a good man, remaining a good son, a good grandson to my parents, a good nephew, a good brother to his siblings, a good friend, and a good person in general. 

If you are a parent, you may be able to relate that once you bring that child into the world, you start living your life for that child and less for yourself.  Every thing you do affects that child.  Every word you say around that child is etched in their memory.  Every person who is close to your child becomes a part of that child's existence.  Especially for single mothers -- every man you bring into your life leaves an impression on your child(ren). In short, all the internal and external influences affect and can change our children.  

Last week as I spent some of my time off with two of my God-children (3 years and 3 months old) and watched one of my best friends run her Day Care Center and take care of her children, I felt compelled to give her a medal.  I kept telling her that I was very proud of her for diving into parenthood wholeheartedly and instilling values in her children at such young and impressionable ages.  Wanting to be all you can be as a woman (on a personal level) and finding time to raise children, while taking care of your man/husband and household is no joke!  My friend is lucky to have a very supportive husband so her job is a little easier, but what about all the single mothers who are raising children on their own and have little or no support?  Who will help them to protect their children from child abuse and neglect?

The saying "Children learn what they live; children live what they learn" is one of truest sayings I have ever heard.  As parents we cannot forget that our children are learning not only what WE teach them -- they are seeing, hearing, experiencing and living other things we have no control of, and as much as we do our best to protect them; unless we cage them up, some of those unfavorable external influences will seep into them.  Yes, we have to start at home and ensure that the home environment is the most loving and learning environment ever!  We have to keep reminding our children how much we love them and believe in them.  We cannot be afraid to have the "facts of life" talk with our children or someone else will.  Especially when our children get on our last nerves, we have to be very careful about the verbally abusive things we say to them...they are listening, and they will remember.

Most cases of child abuse involve someone who a child knows and trusts.  Start paying closer attention to the people you have around your children because, frankly -- you never know.  Start paying even more attention to your children (no matter what age they are).  Child abuse and neglect is not just about the physical abuse.  It is also about sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.

Happy birthday to Brandon Best, Hadiya Williams, Odette Wong, Kimani Anku, Trini Mike and everyone celebrating this week.

Be well,

Rosie "Peppy" Parke
Creative Director
Peppy Entertainment & Promotions, LLC