Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis: Recent Episodes
Carol Sutton Lewis
Parenting advice and inspiration for raising smart, confident Black children. Join host and Ground Control Parenting founder Carol Sutton Lewis for weekly conversations with guests––familiar and new––about the joys and real work of parenting.
Periods. Sex. Fertility. Perimenopause. Menopause. There’s a lot we wish someone had told us about sooner. How do we do better with the next generation?
Carol welcomes back Dr. Sharon Malone, acclaimed OB-GYN and author of Grown Woman Talk, for a frank and funny conversation about women’s hormonal health from puberty through menopause. Dr. Sharon shares what we need to tell our daughters and what we should be telling our sons. Dr. Sharon clears up persistent misconceptions about perimenopause and hormone therapy and reminds us that suffering through symptoms should never simply be accepted as part of life.
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Every parent has had the moment. Your child seems permanently attached to their phone, and you wonder how to balance protecting them, trusting them, and preparing them for a world that is becoming more digital by the day.
In this episode of GCP On the Ground, Carol Sutton Lewis is joined by panelists Jen Hayes Lee and Keisha Sutton-James for an honest conversation about raising children in the age of screens. Together, these three moms represent three generations of parenting, each putting their own spin on the opportunities and challenges technology presents for today's families.
Their conversation moves beyond the familiar debate about how many hours kids spend on devices to explore the harder questions. Should parents track their children's location? Is the content our kids consume more important than the amount of time they spend online? When every other family seems to have different rules, how do you decide what is right for yours?
Carol, Keisha and Jen offer a practical framework for navigating a world our own parents never had to imagine. Whether your child is asking for their first device or already carries one everywhere, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about screen time, trust, family expectations, and the values that should guide every parenting decision long after today's technology becomes tomorrow's history.
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Grace Bastidas has spent her career finding the parenting stories that mainstream media tends to miss: first as the founder of a multicultural parenting brand for Latinx caregivers, then as the first woman of color to lead Parents in its hundred-year history, and now as the writer behind The Mommune, a substack about the realities of motherhood. In this GCP Book Talk, Grace returns to the podcast to talk with Carol about what she is building next.
Grace shares with Carol what she's learned so far from mothers across the country: a farmer in Colorado, a death doula in Detroit, a mother in Arkansas working three jobs to provide for her kids. The conversation turns personal as Grace talks about stepping away from a major leadership role, the exhaustion she didn't expect, and her effort to stay present for her daughters without hovering.
For listeners navigating their own transitions, whether that's a career change, a shift in how much space they're giving their kids, or simply the guilt of not knowing if they're doing enough, this conversation offers lots of great insights. Grace and Carol talk candidly about what it looks like to stay present for your children without hovering, and about giving yourself permission to have a full life alongside them. It's a reminder that raising kids well and building something meaningful for yourself don't have to be in competition with each other.
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So many of us are parenting through a fog of uncertainty right now—war, economic strain, and headlines that can make the future feel more frightening than hopeful. This week, Carol sits down with Stanford professor and futurist Dr. Maisha T. Winn to ask a question many parents want to know: How do we raise children who can imagine a future worth building?
Maisha's answer reaches back to her own childhood. Raised in one of the independent Black Saturday schools born during the Black Power movement, she grew up learning that communities don't simply worry about the future—they create it. In her new book, Futuring Black Lives, Maisha argues that today's parents can borrow directly from that era's playbook: reimagine the world instead of just reacting to it, and raise our children to reimagine it as well.
Carol and Maisha talk about turning struggle into a source of strength, helping kids think critically about AI, rebuilding a sense of village in an increasingly disconnected world, and raising children who believe they can help shape the future.
Resource: Find Future Me
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Our kids are growing up as AI natives, and most of us are still playing catch-up. Carol talks with two leading voices from the Stanford Accelerator for Learning about what it really means to raise informed, grounded kids in an AI world.
Victor Lee, faculty lead for AI and education at the Accelerator, starts simply: AI is a tool, not magic, and parents don't need to panic, they just need to get informed, and he explains how to do so. Isabelle Hau, the Accelerator's Executive Director and author of Love to Learn, introduces the concept of relational intelligence, our capacity to connect meaningfully with others, and makes the case that as kids spend more time with AI, human connection becomes more important, not less.
The conversation turns to AI companions and what Victor calls the fast food problem: instant gratification that can't replace real relationships. Victor and Isabelle also dig into the digital divide and the double standard kids face between home and school. The key, they remind us, is that parents need to stay curious instead of judgmental as we talk to and learn with our kids about this brave new, rapidly changing world of AI.
Resources Mentioned
* Isabelle Hau, Love to Learn: The Transformative Power of Care and Connection in Early Education
* Victor Lee, Advancing Data Science Education in K-12
* CRAFT program (Classroom Ready Resources About AI for Teaching), Stanford Graduate School of Education
* Stanford Accelerator for Learning
* Common Sense Media research on teen AI companion use
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Talking to our kids about money is never just about dollars and cents. It brings up our values, our fears, our own childhood experiences, and sometimes even our regrets.
In this On the Ground episode, Carol is joined by co-hosts Keisha Sutton-James and Jen Hays Lee for an honest conversation about raising money-smart kids. They talk about building generational wealth while carrying the fear of backsliding, finding the balance between giving our kids opportunities and teaching them the importance of earning, and recognizing how the way we were raised shapes the way we handle money now.
They also tackle a real parent dilemma: What do you do when your child wants those wildly expensive sneakers all their friends seem to have? The conversation turns practical as Carol, Keisha, and Jen share the tools that have worked in their own homes, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and the places where they are still figuring it out.
Whether money is discussed openly in your home or never talked about at all, this episode offers ideas and tools to help you raise kids who understand money, choices, and responsibility.
On The Ground is a recurring segment, new this season, where Carol and two other moms dig into the issues we're all talking about around the kitchen table. Follow Ground Control Parenting:
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You've decided to get a divorce. Now what? When do you tell the kids? How much do you share? What do you say about the other parent? And what if you're already worried you'll get it all wrong?
Divorce is one of the most common experiences families go through, and also one of the hardest to talk about with our kids. In this episode Carol sits down with pediatric psychologist and parent coach Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart to figure out how to do it with care.
We get into how and when to tell your children, why telling them together matters, how much to share and what to hold back, and how to build a healthy co-parenting relationship even when you and your ex can barely be in the same room. Dr. Lockhart explains why a changed family structure is a loss that kids grieve, how to keep them out of the middle, and she offers a powerful script for any parent who feels they got it wrong and wants to reset. It is an honest, practical conversation you can use right away.
Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart is a pediatric psychologist, parent coach, and author of Love the Teen You Have.
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How do you raise a child who wants to read? Award-winning educator Alvin Irby has a simple answer, and he found it in a barbershop. In this episode, Carol talks with the founder of Barbershop Books, the national nonprofit that places books in barbershops and inspires Black boys to read for fun.
Alvin's approach: ask Black boys what they like to read, then give them those books. He explains why the titles children actually love, like Captain Underpants and No, David! rarely appear on book lists created for Black boys, and how well-meaning curation can trap kids rather than free them. You’ll hear why he advises parents to replace the word "or" with the word "and," affirming what a child already loves while introducing something new.
Carol and Alvin also explore how children can build their reading identities and find literacy assets hiding in plain sight, on cereal boxes and in the bathroom. They talk about the reading trauma many adults carry, and why giving children agency over how and where they read can help us raise the next generation of readers.
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What can sisterhood teach us about raising children? In the first episode of Ground Control Parenting Book Talk, Carol explores this question with award-winning journalist Deborah Roberts, author of Sisters, Loved and Treasured: Stories of Unbreakable Bonds.
One of six sisters, Deborah draws on both her own family and the many women she interviewed to share the honest, sometimes complicated truth about sibling relationships. She and Carol dig into the patterns every parent will recognize: comparison, labels, and favoritism. They each candidly reflect on the labels that stuck in their own families, and on how being seen as "the favorite" can be both special and burdensome. Deborah also opens up about the close bond between her daughter Leila and stepdaughter Courtney and the journey to it. You can't force closeness between siblings, but as she and Carol discuss, you can nurture and protect the conditions for it.
Stay tuned for more episodes of GCP Book Talk, a new recurring feature in Season 8, where we look at great books through a parenting lens.
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Boomer, Gen X, Millennial. Three moms, three generations, one question that divides mom group chats: how do you discipline in the age of gentle parenting?
In this episode of GCP: On The Ground, Carol sits down with Keisha and Jen to wrestle with the parenting issue so many of us are living through right now. They move from the research linking spanking to worse outcomes, onto the harder question underneath it: does gentle parenting reject the way Black families raised us, or does it evolve it?
This conversation ranges from spanking to its alternatives, from talking back to respect, from societal expectations to the realities Black parents carry as they prepare their children for a world that too often judges them differently. The moms also take on a listener's question about second-guessing your own values when family weighs in on how you discipline, and they get honest about the role grandparents, aunties, and uncles play, including why kids seem to respect a whole different set of boundaries depending on who's in the room.
GCP: On The Ground is a recurring segment, new this season, where Carol and two other moms dig into the issues we're all talking about around the kitchen table. Follow Ground Control Parenting:
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What does it mean to raise children when your family's life is a matter of public record? Maryland's First Lady Dawn Moore knows that tension intimately, and she's navigating it with clarity, humor, and grace.
First Lady Dawn Moore was one of the architects of the historic 2022 campaign that elected her husband, Wes Moore, as Maryland's 63rd governor and the first African American governor in the state's history. As First Lady, she champions children's mental health, military families, and women's economic empowerment. But in this conversation, she's a mom, figuring out the same things we all are, under a much bigger spotlight.
Carol and The First Lady talk about protecting kids' privacy in the age of social media, keeping children grounded when misinformation is about their own parents, and the values Dawn is passing down from her Queens upbringing to her kids. The importance of being kind. And why belonging in every room has nothing to do with your last name.
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How much screen time is too much? Are some types better than others? And how should our approach change as kids grow from toddlers to teens? This week, Carol sits down with Jasmine Hood Miller, Director of Family Resources and Content Strategy at Common Sense Media and a mom of three boys, to reset the entire screen time conversation.
Jasmine's research-backed message: the timer is the wrong measuring stick. What matters is the type of screen time — and whether it's supporting the four essential skills every kid should be building: human connection, curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. Carol and Jasmine walk through screens at every stage, covering co-viewing with little ones, short-form video and developing attention spans, the "first phone" conversation, monitoring vs. trust with teens, location tracking etiquette, gaming chat features parents often miss, and the freeing truth that you're allowed to reset — no matter how far things have gone.
Resources: Common Sense Media — also available as a free app with media ratings, reviews, and parent advice. Follow Common Sense Media on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
We’re trying something new this season — and we couldn't have picked a more important topic to start with. Welcome to the debut episode of GCP: On The Ground, a new recurring segment where Carol gathers three generations of moms to dig into the issues we're all talking about (or should be) at the kitchen table.
These days your kids' phones may know more about them than you do. So for this first conversation, On the Ground moms Jen Hayes Lee and Keisha Sutton-James join Carol to talk about parenting in a world where algorithms direct what our children see, shape how they see themselves, and influence what they value. These moms dig into the hard questions: What does consent mean when our kids’ lives live online forever? How permanent is permanent on the internet? And how do we stay connected to our children without pushing them away?
Three mothers, no scripts, no easy answers. Just a candid, thoughtful conversation about the realities of raising kids in the digital age.
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Misty Copeland returns to Ground Control Parenting, and a lot has changed since her last visit.
She's taken her final bow with American Ballet Theatre. She's come through a hip replacement. And she's parenting her young son Jackson (who “stole the show” when he joined her on stage at her final performance) while figuring out her next chapter now that ballet is no longer the center of the frame.
In this conversation, Carol and Misty cover a lot of ground: how you care for a body that used to be your livelihood, how you raise a resilient child without passing on the pressure you grew up with, and what it actually looks like to let go of perfection — on stage, at home, and in the mirror. They also talk about the work Misty is building beyond ballet, including the Misty Copeland Foundation, her latest books for young readers, Letters to Misty and Bunheads, Act 2, and her future writing plans. And there's plenty of laughter along the way, especially when the conversation turns to her son.
A returning guest, a new chapter, and the kind of conversation — funny, honest, real — that only happens the second time around. Season 8 starts here!
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Season 8 of Ground Control Parenting starts May 13th—and this is our biggest, boldest season yet.
This season, we’re bringing you conversations from every angle. You’ll hear from experts, thought leaders, and parents who are tackling big questions: how to help our kids navigate their digital lives, how to support children through divorce, what it means to parent with a futurist mindset in a rapidly changing world, and much more.
We’re also introducing new ways to have these conversations. Our new roundtable series, On the Ground, brings moms across three generations together for honest, unscripted conversations. In our Book Talk minisodes I talk with authors about the parenting insights behind their books. And here's some BIG NEWS: Season 8 is now available on YouTube—so you can watch the conversations unfold.
Whether you’re listening or watching, this season is about helping you parent with greater clarity, intention, and confidence. Listen to the Season 8 promo now—and get ready. We’re just getting started!
As Season 7 of Ground Control Parenting comes to a close, join Carol as she hits rewind to reflect on the powerful insights shared by parenting experts and thought leaders across a range of fields.
This season, the conversations went beyond what we can do to help and support our children and focused on the how. Carol spoke with leading experts about what it really means to parent with purpose and intention—offering actionable tools, real-life strategies, and much-needed reassurance along the way.
Whether you’ve been listening from the start or are just joining the journey, this recap is your go-to guide for the season’s most impactful moments. Tune in to hear about the Season 7 offerings of expert advice that helps you parent with intention, practical tips you can use right now, and inspiring stories to support you on your parenting journey.
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💻And don’t forget to subscribe to the Substack newsletter for behind-the-scenes info, bonus parenting tips, and more!.
Grace Bastidas knows what families need—because she’s spent her career listening to them. As the founding editor of Parents Latina and the (recently stepped-down) editor-in-chief of Parents—the first woman of color to hold that role in the brand’s 100-year history—Grace has spent years talking to experts, amplifying parent voices, and shaping how we think about raising kids today.
Grace joins Carol to talk not just about what she’s learned from covering parenting for many years, but also about her own experience raising two daughters in a bilingual, bicultural home. Grace shares how she draws on her Colombian roots and her NYC upbringing to create a home where identity, language, and cultural connection thrive. She explains how she’s raising her daughters to stay rooted in who they are, even as they grow up in a global, fast-moving world.
Grace’s professional experience gives her a broad view of what works for families, but it’s her personal stories that bring those insights to life. She speaks candidly about parenting through imperfect moments, the importance of slowing down, and how reconnecting with your values can help both you and your children feel more grounded.
If you're looking for trusted, real-world parenting wisdom from someone who truly understands what families need—this conversation is for you.
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In this powerful episode from the Ground Control Parenting archives, Carol sits down with renowned civil rights leader and legal scholar Sherrilyn Ifill for a deeply meaningful conversation about what it means to parent during times of uncertainty and division.
Sherrilyn shares how we can help our children navigate a world filled with misinformation, stay rooted in truth, and build resilience by staying connected to our history and community. She offers thoughtful, practical advice for raising socially conscious kids and protecting your family’s values in the face of societal change.
This episode is filled with wisdom, motivation, and hope. Sherrilyn reminds us that this is “planting time”—a moment to invest in our children’s futures by nurturing strength, integrity, and purpose in their lives by modeling these virtues in our own.
If you’re looking for guidance, inspiration, and a reminder that your parenting matters deeply in the world right now, you won’t want to miss this one.
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Why is giving birth still so dangerous for Black women in America?
Dr. Uché Blackstock—physician, mother, and bestselling author—returns to the podcast to talk with Carol about the Black maternal health crisis. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is significantly higher than in other high-income countries, and within the U.S., the rate is by far the highest for Black women. Black mothers are still three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white mothers. It’s a terrifying reality, but it doesn’t have to be our future.
Dr. Blackstock talks with Carol about how bias and systemic racism in medicine impacts Black maternal health, and what we can do about it. They also talk about real solutions: what doulas and midwives can do, how to choose the right OB-GYN, and the push for national policy changes. Dr. Blackstock’s valuable perspective as both a physician and a Black mother makes this an extraordinarily compelling conversation. Whether you're parenting now or thinking ahead to building a family, this episode offers the insight and guidance we all need to hear.
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How do you talk to your child about drugs when you’re not even sure where to begin? In this candid and powerful conversation Carol is joined by two experts, Pat Aussem of the Partnership to End Addiction and Carleah Summers, recovery advocate and founder of Andrea’s House, to talk honestly about how to help our children navigate today’s complex drug landscape. From the dangers of flavored vapes and counterfeit pills to when and how to have “the talk” about drugs, this episode is packed with essential insights, strategies, and real-life experience every parent needs to hear.
Episode Links:
Partnership to End Addiction: drugfree.org
Al-Anon
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You may have heard of Jack and Jill of America—but do you know how this powerhouse mother's organization shapes Black children into confident, capable leaders? In this episode, Carol talks with Darlene McGee Whittingham, National President, and Tasha B. Penny, National Program Director, about the history, mission, and modern-day relevance of Jack and Jill.
They explore what this organization offers Black families, how it fosters leadership from the toddler years to the teen years, and how parents—whether members or not—can draw inspiration from its core values of leadership, cultural pride, and service. If you’ve heard the name but don’t know the full story, or if you’re curious to know more about how Jack & Jill supports Black children across the country, you won’t want to miss this episode!
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Summer break shouldn’t mean learning loss. In this episode, Carol talks with award-winning educator Dr. Cicely Woodard about how to help kids avoid the “summer slide”—where they can lose two to three months of progress in math and reading over the summer.
Dr. Woodard shares lots of simple ways parents can help kids stay sharp in math and reading throughout the summer months. She and Carol talk about how everyday activities, like turning grocery runs into math lessons and reading together at bedtime, can make a big impact.
This episode is packed with practical advice you can start using today to keep kids engaged and learning while making sure they have the summer break they need. If you want to set your kids up for a strong start in the next school year this episode is for you. Don’t miss it!
Episode Links:
* Zern Math: A free, interactive math platform designed for elementary and middle school students
* Khan Academy: Free online lessons and practice in math, reading, science, and more—personalized to your child’s level. Great for kids K–12.
* Prodigy: A game-based math program where kids solve problems to win battles and earn rewards. Best for grades 1–8.
* PBS LearningMedia: Free videos, games, and activities across subjects, created by PBS for PreK–12 learners.
* Smithsonian Learning Lab: Resources and lessons using Smithsonian museum collections
More GCP:
* Subscribe to the newsletter for additional show details and more!
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We all want the best healthcare for our children—but for Black parents, this can involve pushing past bias, asking hard questions, and showing up prepared.
In this powerful episode, Carol sits down with Dr. Uché Blackstock—emergency physician, health equity champion, and bestselling author of Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine—to talk about how parents can navigate the healthcare system to make sure our kids get the best possible care.
Dr. Blackstock shares how her late mother—a trailblazing Harvard-trained physician—laid the foundation for her journey and inspired her passion for health justice. She offers clear, practical advice for parents on how to find and interview the right pediatrician, prepare for and manage doctor’s visits with confidence, and identify trustworthy health information while avoiding harmful misinformation. She also breaks down how racism shows up in children's medical care, and what parents can do to advocate effectively.
Whether your child is a toddler or a teen, this episode will help you walk into every exam room informed, empowered, and ready to make sure your child gets the care they need.
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Many parents have heard the term neurodivergent, but aren't quite sure what it means—or what to do when their child doesn’t seem to follow the "typical" path. Pediatric psychologist and parent coach Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart returns to the podcast to help us make sense of it all. Dr. Lockhart explains what neurodivergence is, how to recognize when your child might need support, and why "different" doesn’t mean “less than.”
Carol and Dr. Lockhart also discuss how to manage the emotional rollercoaster that can come with parenting a neurodivergent child—especially for Black and Brown parents. Dr. Lockhart shares how to advocate effectively, communicate with teachers, and most importantly, how to shift the focus from “fixing” your child to celebrating their unique strengths.If you're looking for clarity, encouragement, and real-world guidance to better understand and support the children you care about—this conversation is for you.
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Every parent wants their child to succeed in school—but keeping up with their progress, supporting their learning, and knowing when to step in can feel overwhelming.
Former U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. returns to the podcast with smart, practical advice to help you feel more confident and prepared to support your child’s academic journey. Whether your child is just starting kindergarten or heading into high school, this conversation offers valuable insight you can use right now.
Drawing upon his experience as a teacher, principal, education leader, and parent, John shares tips on understanding your child’s learning style, how to partner with teachers (even the challenging ones!) to make sure your child’s academic needs are getting met, and how to encourage critical thinking in a world full of conflicting messages. Carol and John talk about why parents these days need to pay attention to curriculum changes, book bans, and misinformation—and how to take action when needed.
If you want to know how to truly show up for your child’s education, this episode is packed with the clarity and encouragement you’ve been looking for.
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Emily Oster returns to the podcast to answer pregnancy and early parenting questions from Ground Control Parenting listeners! Emily, an economist known for her data-driven approach to parenting, brings clear, compassionate, and evidence-based guidance to the most common (and confusing) early parenting concerns. She helps parents cut through the noise and make decisions with more confidence and less guilt.
Carol gets Emily’s take on many timely topics, including pregnancy anxiety, postpartum care, sleep training, discipline and screen time—with plenty of insight, thoughtful discussion, and lots of laughs along the way. This engaging, thoughtful conversation will help parents and caregivers feel more informed and empowered.
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Carol sits down with award-winning journalist, author, and podcaster Michele Norris to discuss how we talk—and often struggle to talk—about race in our homes, our communities, and with our kids. Michele shares the remarkable story behind her bestselling book, Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity, which evolved from a simple invitation for people to share their thoughts about race in just six words.
Carol and Michele discuss how these six-word stories offer a raw, honest, and surprisingly hopeful window into how Americans grapple with identity, difference, and belonging. They explore how parents can use what comes out of these stories to help us approach some of the hardest—but most necessary—conversations we need to have with our kids.
Michele’s practical guidance for talking about race and identity with kids will resonate with parents of young children who are focused on how to begin these conversations, as well as parents of older children who want to find better ways to have them. Regardless of where you are in this journey, this episode will inform and inspire you.
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Child psychologist and parent coach Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart returns to the podcast to help us understand emotional intelligence—what it is, why it matters, and how we can nurture it in our kids from an early age. In this powerful and practical conversation, Carol and Dr. Lockhart discuss:
* The 5 key components of emotional intelligence (EQ)
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How EQ supports resilience in a world that increasingly demands it
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Why today's kids struggle more with bouncing back—and how parents may unintentionally be contributing to this struggle
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What Black parents need to consider as they raise confident, emotionally attuned children in a world that can often misread them
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How to model emotional intelligence even when you're having an off day
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The truth about failure, effort, and why “trying” is everything
Whether your child is melting down over the wrong color cup or you’re navigating teen turbulence, this episode is full of tools, insights, and encouragement to help you raise emotionally strong, resilient kids.
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Economist and best-selling author Emily Oster joins Carol in part one of a fascinating two-part conversation about how data can reduce parenting stress and help us make smarter, more confident decisions. Emily shares the origins of her data-driven parenting philosophy, why not all research studies are created equal, and how decision trees can bring calm to the chaos. Whether you're brand new to parenting, raising toddlers or teens, you'll come away with new tools—and a much-needed sense of relief.
Be sure to check out:
* Emily Oster’s Books: Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm, The Unexpected
* Emily’s newsletter and site: ParentData.org
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Welcome to a new season of Ground Control Parenting!
This season starts strong with Dr. John B. King, Jr. — former U.S. Secretary of Education under President Obama and current Chancellor of the State University of New York — who joins Carol for a captivating conversation about the power of education. John reveals how education not only shaped his life but saved it — a story he explores in his inspiring new memoir, Teacher by Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives.
John talks with Carol about his journey from a childhood filled with loss and instability to becoming one of the most influential voices in American education. He shares how teachers and other mentors guided his path and fueled his mission to ensure every child has access to great educational opportunities.
This season Carol’s bringing in a team of amazing experts to explore the parenting issues that matter most. Get ready to be informed and inspired!
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Welcome to Season 7 of Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis! Starting April 30, Carol is back with a new season packed with resources and advice to help you raise curious, confident Black and Brown children. This trailer gives you a taste of the powerful conversations coming your way this season as Carol engages with a team of experts to tackle a wide range of important parenting topics.Tune in each week and join us on this journey!
Carol welcomes renowned civil rights leader and legal scholar Sherrilyn Ifill for an important conversation about parenting during times of uncertainty and division. Together they explore how families can stay grounded and thrive.
In this riveting episode they discuss:
• Helping children navigate misinformation and find reliable sources of truth.
• Building resilience through connection to history and community.
• How to protect your family’s values and well-being amid societal change.
• Sherrilyn’s practical advice for parents and children on civic responsibility.
These are just a few highlights from this discussion—you won’t want to miss the full episode. With wisdom drawn from her career, historical insight, and parenting experience, Sherrilyn reminds us that this is “planting time”—an opportunity to build a foundation of strength, integrity, and hope for future generations.
Tune in for this insightful and empowering conversation filled with actionable tips for every parent.
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Carol Sutton Lewis sits down with Mellody Hobson—co-CEO of Ariel Investments, and author of the new children’s book Priceless Facts About Money: From the Beginning of Time to the Coins in Your Couch. In this engaging and fun conversation, Mellody explains why parents should talk with their kids about money early and often, and shares practical tips for teaching them financial independence and responsibility.
Mellody and Carol discuss:
* The importance of using cash to teach young children about the value of money.
* How Mellody’s childhood shaped her financial mindset.
* Advice for parents on allowances, savings, and smart credit habits.
* Why understanding and talking about money matters is important for every family—regardless of income level.
These highlights offer just a taste of their conversation—there's much more waiting for you in the episode. Tune in to hear the wisdom, humor, and down-to-earth advice Mellody shares with Carol so you can prepare your kids (and even yourself) for financial success!
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Join Carol for a recap of Season 6, which offered parenting advice and expertise across all five stages of child development, from newborns to the grown and flown. Carol revisits highlights from conversations with her incredible lineup of Season 6 guests. Tune in for expert advice, practical tips, and inspiring stories to empower you on your parenting journey. If you missed any episodes this season, this rewind is your perfect guide to catch up.And stay tuned for exciting bonus episodes coming your way soon!
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Parenting, mental health, and finding your way in a complicated world—Emmy and Tony-winning actor Courtney B. Vance covers it all in this powerful conversation with Carol.
Courtney reflects on his Detroit upbringing, the sacrifices his parents made for his education, and how those lessons shape how he and his wife, (the one and only Angela Bassett), have raised their twins who are now off at college. He shares how they’ve kept their kids grounded despite growing up in the spotlight, and how he’s navigating the balance of letting go while still being there to support them.
Courtney talks with Carol about his new book, The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power, co-written with Dr. Robin Smith. He reveals the devastating impact of his father’s death, how therapy helped him heal, and why breaking the stigma around mental health in the Black community is so critical.
Whether you’ve long admired Courtney on stage and screen or are meeting him here for the first time, this conversation is packed with relatable parenting moments, inspiring stories, and advice you can use. Tune in for his reflections on finding purpose, staying open to life’s possibilities, and helping kids thrive.
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This week Carol welcomes two of her two longtime friends Crystal McCrary McGuire and Anne Williams-Isom for a lively and enriching group chat about the highs and challenges of raising their children (all nine of them!) with intention and care. Together, they reflect on the power of parenting conversations, balancing generational influences, and adapting their parenting styles to fit each child’s unique needs.
In this heartfelt discussion you’ll hear about:
* The importance of leading with values when raising children.
* How to nurture individuality while creating a strong family foundation.
* Crystal’s experience raising a spirited firstborn and the lessons learned.
* Anne’s reflections on parenting with emotional intelligence and fostering vulnerability.
* The skill of practicing restraint as a parent.
* The lasting impact of generational wisdom and support
This episode is packed with wisdom, laughter, and moments that will leave you inspired to parent with purpose. Tune in, share with a friend, and join the conversation!
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This week Carol dives into parenting teens and young adults with Lisa Heffernan, co-founder of Grown & Flown. Lisa shares the story behind Grown & Flown—a website and 290k+ member online community that’s become the go-to resource for parents raising older kids. She and Carol discuss managing the stress of college admissions, and shifting parenting strategies to build stronger relationships with adult children. (Spoiler: it’s not easy, but it’s worth it!)
With thoughtful advice and practical tips, Lisa offers a roadmap for fostering independence in teens and young adults while keeping family connections strong. Whether you’re navigating the challenges of parenting teens or building relationships with your adult children, this episode is packed with insights for you.
Links:
* Grown & Flown website
* Grown & Flown Parents Facebook Group
* Grown & Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults
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Vanessa Bell Calloway, the talented star of stage and screen, joins Carol to chat about the joys and challenges of parenting adult kids. Vanessa opens up about raising her two daughters in Hollywood and how her role as a mom has evolved as her girls grew up and found their independence.
Carol and Vanessa dive into what it’s like to go from being an involved, hands-on mom to figuring out when and how to step back and give your grown kids the space they need. Vanessa talks about her own journey, sharing the hard and happy moments, the growth, and the friendship that has blossomed as her daughters have matured.
This compelling conversation is a reminder for parents about the importance of patience and learning to let go while staying a loving support in our adult kids’ lives. It’s full of relatable insights on how to adapt, support, and truly enjoy the new family dynamics that come as our kids grow up.
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Carol sits down with College Board experts Stacey Foney and Dr. Autumn Caviness to get their exclusive insights into the college admissions process, with a special focus on guiding Black families through this complex journey. Stacey and Autumn offer parents helpful answers to many admissions questions, including:
* When and how to start thinking about the college admissions process
* How standardized test scores fit in today’s process
* Scholarships, financial aid, and reducing college debt
* How to empower your children to find the best college match
This episode gives parents practical tools and insights which will make the process more manageable for all. Whether you and your child are just beginning to think about college or you’re guiding a senior who is in the thick of it, here you’ll find valuable guidance for every stage of the journey.
Links:
* College Board
* Big Future
* Real Talk
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Nancy’s back, with an important new book! Carol Sutton Lewis sits down for another great conversation with NY Times best-selling author and Mompreneuers podcast host, Nancy Redd. Nancy returns to discuss her latest, The Real Body Manual: Your Visual Guide to Health and Wellness, a groundbreaking and comprehensive photographic guide that explores the realities of growing up and navigating body changes.
In this candid and open discussion, Nancy and Carol tackle everything tweens and teens need to know about their bodies. Nancy shares with Carol how the book covers essential topics like puberty, body image, self-care, gender in a judgment-free way. They talk about how body changes during puberty, if not properly discussed and understood, can potentially impact a young person’s mental health. Carol and Nancy also discuss the importance of equipping young people with accurate information about their bodies and the best ways to take care of themselves.
Nancy’s wisdom, humor, and honesty help parents feel comfortable discussing topics they might have been avoiding. This must-listen episode provides parents and caregivers with the tools to help tweens and teens (and everyone else) understand their bodies and how they work.
Links:
The Real Body Manual: Your Visual Guide to Health and Wellness by Nancy Redd
Mompreneurs: The Joys of Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis (article in Madame Noire)
Mompreneurs Podcast Episode hosted by Nancy Redd featuring Carol Sutton Lewis
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How do we help our children become good and confident readers? In this episode from the archives, Carol explores this important topic with literacy expert Maya Smart, author of Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan From Birth to Six. Maya shares invaluable tips and strategies for helping children become strong, confident readers. From nurturing early literacy at home to building strong partnerships with teachers, Maya's advice is both practical and empowering. This conversation is a must-listen for parents and caregivers committed to setting their children on the path to lifelong literacy success.
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Carol sits down with children’s book author Charnaie Gordon, a passionate advocate for children's literacy and diversity in books. This mom of two is a diversity, equity, and inclusion expert and the creator of the Here Wee Read blog and podcast. Her mission? To connect kids with books that reflect their diverse identities, and to foster a lifelong love for reading in children.
Charnaie talks with Carol about her own literacy journey, and how she made good on her vow (made before she had any children!) that she would raise kids who loved to read. She and Carol swap stories about fun reading traditions and routines that help encourage early literacy, and Charnaie shares some practical tips for parents who want to boost their kids' reading confidence. This is a must-listen episode for parents and caregivers who want to help kids fall in love with reading, find books that celebrate diversity, and learn how to make sure that children see themselves and others represented in the stories they read.
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In this powerful bonus episode, celebrated artist and filmmaker Titus Kaphar joins Carol for a captivating and thought-provoking conversation. Titus shares how discovering art transformed him from a struggling student to a MacArthur "Genius", and how a life-changing turn of events gave him an invaluable perspective on fatherhood and family. Titus and Carol talk about his new film Exhibiting Forgiveness and its compelling take on parenting, generational trauma, and generational healing. Don't miss this fascinating discussion in which they dive deeply into the power of family relationships, creativity and love.
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When it comes to disciplining toddlers, are we being too tough or not tough enough? Carol talks with pediatric psychologist and parenting expert Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart about how to manage the challenges of raising our curious, energetic, 1-3 year olds. Dr. Lockhart shares valuable insights and strategies for handling tantrums–a normal part of toddler development–as well as setting boundaries and fostering emotional growth in children. She breaks down currently popular parenting approaches—like “gentle” and “conscious” parenting—and shares her thoughts on which approach leads to the best outcomes. In this conversation filled with helpful advice, Dr. Lockhart talks with Carol about why “tough love” doesn’t build a resilient child, why conversations around discipline may be more challenging for parents raising Black children, and so much more.
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Join Carol for an inspiring conversation with Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli, creator of the acclaimed Naked Beauty podcast. In this engaging episode, Brooke shares how she navigates the demands of parenting a toddler and entrepreneurship while making time for self-care. She offers invaluable insights on how to be an attentive, focused parent while preserving your sense of self. From beauty routines to the importance of family dinners, discover how Brooke manages it all with grace and authenticity. Don’t miss her practical tips for carving out meaningful 'me-time' in your busy schedule! Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.com
Carol sits down with Dr. Leah Austin, President and CEO of the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), to explore the many ways infants learn and how parents can nurture their development from birth. Dr. Austin also shares her expertise on infant health and nutrition, the impact of climate change on our little ones, and so much more.
Tune in to hear Dr. Austin’s practical tips on supporting our babies' health and learning, and the essential work NBCDI is doing to give parents the knowledge and resources they need to care for children in the critical first three years of life and beyond. Whether you’re a new parent or caring for young children, this episode is filled with helpful advice.
Over the course of this season we’re focusing on parenting across all stages of child development, from babies to the grown and flown. Join us on this insightful journey!
Episode Links: * The Power of Talking to Your Baby - NY Times (2013) * Researchers Illustrate How Caregiver Speech Shapes Infant Brain - UT Dallas (2023) * Where to find a NBCDI affiliate (The National Village Network) * NBCDI: Confronting the Impacts of Environmental Toxins on Black Children and Families * Children’s Environmental Health Day–October 10, 2024
More GCP:* Subscribe to the newsletter for additional show details and more!
We're back with Season 6! Lauren Wesley Wilson, founder and CEO of ColorComm and author of What Do You Need: How Women of Color Can Take Ownership of Their Careers to Accelerate Their Path to Success, returns for the Season 6 opener. Lauren shares her experience as a new mom and busy entrepreneur, reflecting on how her upbringing has shaped her parenting style.
Carol and Lauren discuss how new parents can balance the joys and challenges of family life and career, offering practical advice on time management and avoiding guilt. Learn how the skills you develop as a parent and professional can support both areas of your life.
This season will explore parenting across all stages of child development, from babies to the grown and flown. Join us on this insightful journey!
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Welcome to Season 6 of Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis! Starting September 11th, Carol is back with a new season packed with stories, resources, and expert advice to help you raise curious, confident Black and Brown children. This trailer gives you a taste of the powerful conversations and expert insights coming your way as we explore the journey of raising our children across all five stages of development. Tune in each week and join us on this journey!
In this bonus episode, Carol sits down with the dynamic Lauren Wesley Wilson, Founder & CEO of ColorComm Corporation, to dive into her new book, What Do You Need? How Women of Color Can Take Ownership of Their Careers to Accelerate Their Path to Success.
Discover savvy, game-changing career tips from Lauren's best-seller as Carol and Lauren discuss practical strategies for professional growth. And of course, they explore how these powerful insights can be applied to parenting, making this episode a treasure trove of wisdom for women balancing career and family responsibilities.
Don’t miss this inspiring conversation that will equip you with the tools to take control of your career and empower your children to succeed.
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And that’s a wrap! In this Season 5 rewind Carol shares some of the highlights of the season and reveals some parenting principles–practical, helpful, parenting concepts–that came out of these conversations. Tune in for a sampling of some of the great stories, advice and resources Carol and her guests shared this season. And stay tuned for more parenting conversations about the joy and the real work of parenting Black children in our next season, coming soon!
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Known for her stellar performances in film and TV hits including Antwone Fisher, I Am Legend, and Eureka, Salli Richardson-Whitfield is more than just a celebrated actress. As an award-winning director of shows like Queen Sugar, Blackish, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, and The Gilded Age, she's also a behind-the-camera force in the entertainment industry. And in this captivating conversation with Carol, Salli reveals a side seldom publicly seen: that of a wise and compassionate mother of two. Salli shares her invaluable parenting insights in this episode, emphasizing the importance of honesty in acknowledging our parenting strengths and limitations. Through candid anecdotes and reflections, she tells us how she has maintained the delicate balance between her thriving career and active family life. Tune in for a lively exchange filled with relatable stories and a healthy dose of wisdom that will resonate with parents everywhere.
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Carol welcomes art curator Stephanie Sparling Williams for an engaging conversation about how she and her husband are navigating the complexities and joys of raising the two children they adopted at ages 12 and 14. Stephanie, who was raised by her African-American mother and white father, shares why she and her husband opted to adopt older children, how they found their (also biracial) children and prepared to bring them into their home. Carol and Stephanie discuss the journey of establishing trust and building connections, addressing past traumas and creating a new family dynamic, and the challenges and rewards along the way. Stephanie offers profound insights into the world of parenting older adopted children, and what it takes to establish a loving forever home. Through Stephanie’s story we gain valuable insights into the transformative power of chosen family.
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Join Carol as she sits down with Bernard I. Lumpkin, an art collector and patron, for an enriching conversation about parenting, identity, and culture. Bernard, raised in a multicultural home with an African-American father from Watts, L.A., and a Jewish mother from Tangier, Morocco, shares how his upbringing shaped his deep appreciation for Black art. Now a father of three biracial children, Bernard is committed to instilling a sense of cultural pride in them. In this episode, he reflects on the challenges and joys of his childhood and of raising his children today, emphasizing the importance of embracing diversity within families. Through his passion for collecting art that reflects his family's heritage, Bernard illustrates how parents can help their children feel secure in their identities and develop a strong sense of self. Don't miss this insightful discussion on parenting, identity, and the transformative power of art.
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Carol talks about how we can break the stigma surrounding mental health in Black communities with David R. McGhee, the Executive Director of The Steve Fund, a pioneering organization dedicated to advancing mental health support for young people of color. Carol and David discuss how poverty, the pandemic, and the media all impact the mental health of our children, and how we can prioritize and support their mental and emotional well-being. Tune in to their engaging exchange as they focus on nurturing wellness in children, parents and partners, and erasing the stigma attached to this important topic.
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In this powerful episode, author and community advocate Ruth Horry talks with Carol about parenting through a child's mental health crisis. Ruth bravely shares her journey from surviving childhood abuse to supporting a child contemplating suicide. Carol and Ruth address mental health stigma and stress the need for open conversations on this topic. Ruth offers valuable advice to parents on seeking professional help, finding resources, and building a support network. This episode sheds light on the often-taboo topic of mental health in families, and provides guidance and reassurance to parents facing similar challenges.
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Carol welcomes noted scholar Dr. Karida L. Brown and award-winning artist Charly Palmer to the podcast to give us a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at their creation of The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families. This book is their contemporary reimagining of W.E.B. Du Bois’ art and literary magazine, which he created for children in 1920 to share Black history and celebrate their identities. The New Brownies’ Book is a collection of contemporary essays, poems, photographs, paintings, and short stories reflecting on the joy and depth of the Black experience. Carol talks with Karida and Charly about the making of this book and how it continues the legacy of presenting Black art and culture for all to share and enjoy. For families, as well as Black art and culture enthusiasts everywhere, this is a must-listen episode about a must-have book!
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Carol welcomes Crystal back to the podcast to talk about “Game Up”, the app she and her son Cole Anthony created to help parents navigate the world of youth basketball. Crystal shares how her experiences raising three basketball-playing children (including Cole, now a rising star in the NBA) led her to create this app to offer valuable resources for parents seeking the best training opportunities for their aspiring basketball stars. Crystal talks with Carol about the challenges parents face as they try to support their children’s hoop dreams and the solutions the app offers to make the journey smoother. Whether you're a parent navigating youth sports, a basketball enthusiast or simply curious about the intersection of technology and athletics, this episode is a slam dunk you won't want to miss!
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How did your favorite teacher impact your life? Award winning journalist Deborah Roberts returns to the podcast to talk with Carol about the transformative power of great teachers, the topic of Deborah's latest book, “Lessons Learned and Cherished: The Teacher Who Changed My Life”, a collection of essays from Deborah and some of her well-known friends and colleagues. In this episode Deborah and Carol offer valuable insights about the ways in which great teachers influence their students and how parents can actively support and champion teachers' efforts and results. This is an engaging and thought-provoking conversation that you won’t want to miss.
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In the Season 5 premiere, Carol sits down with acclaimed director and producer Lee Daniels for a candid conversation about his remarkable parenting journey. We hear how Lee overcame childhood abuse from his father and was able to redefine fatherhood in a transformative way when he adopted his brother’s infant twins. Lee shares his insights, triumphs and the lessons learned from his unexpected but deeply fulfilling journey as a parent. Tune in to learn, laugh, and find inspiration in Lee’s extraordinary story of resilience and love.
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Welcome to Season 5 of Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis!! Starting January 10th, Carol will bring you a new season of weekly stories, tips and advice from fascinating folks to help you raise curious and confident Black children. Join us!!
And that’s a wrap for Season 4—and what a season it has been! This season was packed with helpful ideas, thoughtful reflections, and trustworthy advice across all stages of child development, helping parents to fully realize their potential for parenting with effectiveness and joy. In this episode Carol talks about some of the memorable moments of the season and shares clips from some of the amazing guests–experts in education, healthcare, and the arts. Tune in for an overview of some of the advice, stories and resources Carol and her guests shared this season. Be sure to catch up on any shows you’ve missed, and stay tuned for Season 5!
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Carol hones in on the critically important parent-teacher relationship this week. She talks with expert educator and Co-CEO of Excellence Community Schools, Dr. Charlene Reid, about how teachers have fared over the past few years of educational tumult, and what teachers want parents to know to help children recover from the pandemic slide. They discuss the importance of having educators who represent, affirm, and uplift Black students, and the need to teach children not to view any low grades in school as an indication of their abilities, but as just useful information as they strive to master the material. Charlene draws upon her own experience as a teacher, principal, and mom to offer insights on how parents can strengthen the parent teacher relationship in order for all to work together for the best interests of the students.
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Carol brings back this archived episode of her conversation with Deval Patrick, the former Massachusetts Governor and 2020 Presidential candidate. He and Carol discuss how his journey—growing up in the South Side of Chicago and making his way to the corridors of power—influenced his parenting methods and goals for his family. Deval shares his efforts to raise resilient and socially conscious children and tells Carol what it took to do this as a public figure, He and Carol discuss how his life lessons have helped him support his children unconditionally, and how he’s managed the challenges when private family matters have had to play out on a public stage.
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Hi, Seneca fans! We have a brand-new podcast called "Your Financial Maven," and we think you'll want to check it out. Financial literacy and empowerment are vital for women, and host Samantha Besnoff is here to help. Check out this trailer to decide for yourself if this is your next finance podcast obsession!
Show Description: Your Financial Maven is a weekly podcast where you will be challenged to change the way we think about money. April is Financial Literacy Month and what better way to reach out and share than to launch a podcast? I’m Samantha Mittman Besnoff, CPA and host of Your Financial Maven Podcast. My podcast will challenge you to change the way we think about money, our understanding of it, and the effects it has on our lives. It’s important to know our money so that we feel financially empowered and less stressed when it comes to our money. As Your Financial Maven, I will be bringing you my insights and expertise as well as through my guest interviews. It’s important to think about the psychological aspect of how our upbringing and experiences change how we make spending and financial decisions. I hope you join me each week as we touch on budgeting, taxes, and really anything around money. I’ve spent over 25 years in the accounting world through a variety of industries including public, corporate, and nonprofit.
Listen to Your Financial Maven on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are available!
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Carol sits down with author and historian Rita Roberts to talk about the importance of preserving African-American history and passing it on to future generations. Rita shares insights from her latest book, "I Can't Wait to Call You My Wife: African-American Letters of Love and Family in the Civil War Era", which tells the stories of Black men and women through letters written in the mid-1800’s. She details the courage and resilience of enslaved Black people as they defied unjust laws to create families and stay close to loved ones. Rita and Carol focus on the critical role parents, teachers, and adults play in teaching children about their heritage, and provide advice on how we all can work to ensure that a full and accurate account of African-American history is preserved and passed on for generations to come.
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Carol talks with Dr. Yasmin Hurd, Director of the Mount Sinai Addiction Institute, about the complex landscape of drug use today. With marijuana available recreationally or medically in most states and new synthetic drugs regularly hitting the market, parents need to know when and how to discuss drugs and drug use with their children. Dr. Hurd shares her insights on two drugs currently making headlines: cannabis and fentanyl. She walks Carol through the benefits and potential risks of cannabis and talks about why fentanyl use is rising and the toll it is taking on its users. Carol and Dr. Hurd answer listener questions and offer advice on how to create an open and supportive environment where kids can honestly discuss their thoughts and questions about drugs.
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How can we help our children develop a moral compass to guide them through life? In this insightful episode from the archives, minister, professor, and former President of Morehouse College Dr. Robert M. Franklin, Jr. explains the importance of helping children think about faith and morality and offers a framework for starting these discussions at an early age. Dr. Franklin shares his own personal stories and memories of witnessing the courage and leadership his grandmother so naturally embodied. He guides Carol through the stages of faith development which parents can follow to help children find meaning and purpose in their lives. Robert also candidly speaks about the challenges and opportunities he faced while helping young men at Morehouse College center their moral compasses in a changing world.
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Carol continues the conversation with mother-son duo Angelique and Sage about parenting Black LGBTQ youth with love and support. They discuss the difference between gender and sexuality, and why this distinction is so important to make and understand. They also talk about the use of non-gendered pronouns, the need for grace when it comes to unlearning gender-specific language, and the need to work towards an inclusive, nonjudgmental, and respectful society. This concluding conversation brings even more valuable advice for parents, neighbors, and community members to better understand, support and advocate for the LGBTQ community.
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Carol dives into parenting LGBTQ children with producer and radio show host Angelique Francis and her son Sage. Angelique talks with Carol about her journey to support her LGBTQ children, including Sage, who came out in his teens. Angelique explains how she focused on her love for her children and released her original expectations of them. Her son Sage recalls his coming out story and reveals the challenges he and his peers face in this process of doing so. Angelique and Sage highlight the need to create safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ children and the unique challenges Black LGBTQ children face. This insightful and inspiring conversation offers valuable advice for parents to better understand, support and advocate for their children.
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How did the first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company manage to balance her skyrocketing career and her growing family? In this refreshingly candid and thought-provoking episode from the archives, Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox Corporation, tells Carol why this is the wrong question for young parents to ask, and explains how and why work-life balance issues should be reframed and analyzed. She shares the lessons and perspectives that helped her stay true to herself and her parenting goals during her rise to the top and takes us on a deep dive into how parents should redefine their parenting goals and practices. Ursula begins by sharing a loving recounting of her single mother’s masterful parenting, explaining how her wise counsel and great instincts guided Ursula’s own parenting journey.
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For years Michelle Miller has been keeping you in the know as a national correspondent for CBS News and as a co-host of CBS Saturday Morning, and now you’ll get to hear from her about her own fascinating life story. Michelle returns to the podcast to talk with Carol about what she learned from the village that helped raise her after she was abandoned by her mother at birth, and how she came to write her memoir “Belonging: A Daughter's Search for Identity Through Loss and Love”. Michelle shares how she coped with growing up as “her mother’s secret”, and how her feelings about her mother shifted in unexpected ways over the years. She talks to Carol about how she valued the parenting lessons of her childhood enough to create a village of her own to help care for her children. Michelle candidly reflects on her decades-long search for belonging in this compelling episode that you won’t want to miss.
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Author Kala Allen Omeiza joins Carol to talk about neurodiversity advocacy and her journey to being diagnosed with autism at 24. Kala shares with Carol how race and disability intersect in her life as a Black autistic woman, and how she poured her life experiences into her young adult novel, "Afrotistic". Kala felt out of place and socially uncomfortable as a young Black girl growing up in predominantly white communities. She talks with Carol about how feeling so different for so many reasons impacted her childhood and may even have complicated the discovery of her neurological issues. She describes the journey to her autism diagnosis and how her family supported her along the way. In this captivating episode, Kala offers valuable advice about how parents and caretakers in the Black community can be more patient, perceptive and proactive when caring for their neurodiverse children.
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Harriette Cole joins Carol to talk about the positive and affirming ways that Black parents can share their morals and values with their children. Harriette, the former lifestyle editor and fashion director at Essence Magazine, is also an author, a nationally syndicated advice columnist, a multimedia producer, and host of the radio show DreamLeapers and podcast DreamLeapers Inspiration. Harriette was raised by parents who believed “excellence was the only option”. She tells Carol that when it comes to her own parenting style, excellence is not a demand but remains an expectation, and describes how she passes on the best of her parent's beliefs to her daughter as well as to the audiences who follow her trusted advice. Carol and Harriette also connect over the realities of becoming a mom after having a career in full bloom, and the challenges of navigating motherhood with a demanding professional life.
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In celebration of Black History Month, Carol brings back her captivating conversation with the former CEO of the pharmaceutical giant Merck, Kenneth Frazier, in which he shares his powerful story of being raised by his fiercely determined single dad. Ken’s dad Otis Frazier, a widower raising three children on his own, firmly believed in the power of tough love. He looked beyond the limits of being a janitor raising a family in an impoverished neighborhood to see his children as capable of achieving anything. He consistently set the bar high and expected his children to clear it. Ken tells Carol how tough love worked to shape him and his siblings, and Carol and Ken explore the limits of and alternatives to this approach. Ken shares plenty of his father's words of wisdom, along with some gems of his own, in this compelling and inspiring episode.
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She’s a world famous prima ballerina and the first African American principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater. Misty Copeland has a long history of overcoming obstacles, breaking barriers, and inspiring her many fans. Now, in her first full-length public conversation about parenting since the birth of her son Jackson, Misty joins Carol to talk about her life as a new mom: how it’s been, how it’s going, and what she hopes lies ahead for herself and her family. They discuss how mentors can play a vital parenting role and Misty shares the influential and supportive impact mentors have had on her life, which she details in her latest book, The Wind at My Back: Resilience, Grace, and Other Gifts from My Mentor Raven Wilkinson. You’ll hear from Misty Copeland as you’ve never heard before in this candid, informative, and heart-warming episode.
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Carol joins forces with poet and author Amena Brown, host of the podcast HER with Amena Brown, to talk about their journeys as Black women in the world of podcasting. In this poignant, revealing, hilarious joint interview, they talk about the power of being raised by Black moms, how to parent artistic kids, the perils of performing, the importance of “play aunties” and the need for self-destructing journals. And that is just a taste of this delightful convo. Tune in for new and surprising insights on Carol and to meet the amazing Amena!
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Black children in America are in a reading crisis, and it’s getting worse. In a 2022 national reading assessment, only 33% of all U.S. 4th and 8th graders scored at a competent reading level, and for Black students, that competency score dropped to 17%. These scores are lower than the last national reading assessment in 2019. In the face of this crisis, how do we ensure our children can beat the odds and become good readers? Carol dives into this important topic with early literacy expert Maya Smart. Maya’s new book, Reading for Our Lives: A Literary Action Plan from Birth to Six, is a practical guide to raising skilled, confident readers. In this episode Maya talks with Carol about how and why parents need to focus on reading from day one. She explains the impact of engaging even the youngest children in conversation, and offers a detailed action plan to help young children get reading ready. She and Carol also talk about the importance of proper parent-teacher communication about your child’s reading progress, and steps to take if your child is falling behind. Listen to this conversation to gain the skills you need to raise strong readers.
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Carol’s focus on college admissions continues with a favorite from the archives: her convo with Eric Furda and Jacques Steinberg, authors of The College Conversation. Eric, the former Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, and Jacques Steinberg, an award-winning education journalist, share their expert advice on how your teen should be applying to college from start to finish, and how you can engage and offer support. They break down “The C’s” that students should look for as they research colleges: Culture, Curriculum, Community, Conclusions, and Cost. Carol’s expansive conversation with Jacques and Eric also covers best practices for freshman success, and even what to do if your child wants to transfer. Listen to lessen the stress as your family moves through a new chapter of your teen’s life. Follow @GroundControlParenting and visit www.groundcontrolparenting.com
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College admissions experts Timothy Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown join Carol to discuss what Black families need to know about helping their teens succeed during the college application process. Timothy, a senior admissions officer at Emory University, and Shereem, a former high school college counselor who now runs a college counseling consulting firm, are authors of The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions, A Conversation About Education, Parenting and Race. Carol, Shereem, and Tim tell parents how early they should start focusing their kid’s attention toward college, why they must stay involved throughout the process, and what admissions officers are really looking for.
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College Board CEO and Ground Control Parenting fav David Coleman returns to the podcast to talk about learning from failure, the illusion of what it takes to be successful, and the toxic side of striving for perfection. David is a thoughtful, intriguing guest who seamlessly wraps life lessons into his expert insider knowledge on how high school kids today can turn their struggles into triumphs. He shares how children should be taught that greatness comes from trying but not succeeding, and then trying again. David fills us in on the College Board’s latest work to help high school students’ learning journeys become more joyous and less fraught. Parents of high schoolers who worry that their children are never going to make it through the college application process, high schoolers themselves, and all who want to hear a deeply interesting conversation, tune into this engaging episode designed to reduce stress and reinvigorate your belief in education.
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As 2022 comes to a close, Carol recaps this year’s Ground Control Parenting podcast journey. She looks back on standout topics covered this past season and highlights some of this year’s most interesting and resource-filled conversations. Happy New Year from Ground Control Parenting!
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Carol digs back into the archives for this poignant conversation with author and filmmaker Suzanne Kay, daughter of actress Diahann Carroll. Suzanne, who is biracial, pulls back the curtain on her life with her superstar mom to reveal the challenges of being raised by parents who did not talk with her about race or her racial identity when she was young. Suzanne shares her journey to racial awareness and discusses how she helps her children connect to their unique identities. She brings a meaningful and relevant perspective to a needed conversation around acceptance, identity, well-being, and belonging.
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Carol sits down with world traveler and art historian Cheryl Finley to talk about a topic they both know well—traveling with children. Cheryl began taking her daughter on the road when she was just a few weeks old and is a reliable resource for how best to enjoy traveling with kids on work trips, family visits, and vacations. Cheryl and Carol debunk the myth that parents should wait until kids are “old enough” to travel and share tried-and-true tips for getting around with babies, toddlers, and young children. From traveling with babies on planes, entertaining kids on road trips, to finding the best child-friendly hotels, this episode offers lots of ways to feel more comfortable moving around with young ones. Cheryl will inspire you to hit the road with your kids feeling prepared and ready for a fun trip!
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Carol welcomes back pediatric stress expert Dr. Victor Carrión to help families handle the stress that can arise during the Holiday season. The holidays are a time for traditions, reunions, love, and gratitude. But for many, anxiety can build due to the financial and emotional burdens that can accompany celebrations—gifting, organizing extended family gatherings, childcare for the extended holiday, and more. Dr. Carrión explains how to recognize and analyze the good, bad, and ugly sides of stress. He believes that while stress can be helpful in building resilience, when you don’t introduce de-stressors, stress can become overwhelming. He speaks directly to what therapy is, what it does, and quiets concerns about how it can help parents and their children feel better. As families return to pre-Covid traditions, Carol talks with Dr. Carrión about how to approach the holiday season with a plan that will leave everyone less stressed and more prepared to enjoy a wonderful end of year.
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In 2013, while Burrell Ellis was serving his second term as the CEO of DeKalb County, Georgia, he was accused by the DeKalb County District Attorney of illegally soliciting campaign contributions from a county contractor. Insisting that these charges were false and politically motivated, Burrell refused to resign as CEO and was suspended from his position. After an initial mistrial, in 2015 Burrell was found guilty of perjury and attempted theft by extortion. He was sentenced to eighteen months in prison, and was taken off to prison immediately after the sentencing. In late 2016, The Georgia Supreme Court reversed his conviction, ruling that he did not receive a fair trial. He was reinstated to his CEO position with back pay, and was reimbursed for his defense costs.
Burrell and his wife Philippa join Carol to talk about how this crisis impacted their family and how they parented their two children through the storm. They describe how they focused on maintaining their strong family unit, prioritizing honesty and openness with their children, relying on their faith and on therapy to help them make it through. They used this family crisis to teach their kids integrity, resilience, and how to advocate for themselves. In this moving and poignant episode, Burrell and Philippa reflect on how their family banded together to fight injustice and stand on the truth.
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As the holiday season approaches, the New York Times best-selling author Nancy Redd returns to catch us up on what’s going on in her life. When Nancy last joined Carol on the podcast, her bestselling children’s book Bedtime Bonnet was taking off and she was helping her son August and her daughter Rupali manage school and extracurriculars online. Now, Nancy has a new book out, The Real Santa, which takes readers on an adventure with a young Black boy eager to find out what Santa really looks like, and Rupali has landed a leading role in the Disney+ series, “The Santa Clauses”. Nancy describes how she has supported both of her children’s newfound love for acting while not dimming her own light as a writer, journalist, and host. Her family has a deep love for the Christmas holidays and whether or not you celebrate the holiday season, our conversation will lift your spirits and inspire you to enter the New Year with renewed focus and motivation to achieve whatever you set your sights on.
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Naima Keith returns to the podcast for the second part of her conversation with Carol; this time to talk about parents posting their kids on social media, and the nuanced complications that can arise. Naima is the VP of Education and Public Programs at LACMA and is the mother of two young children. She grapples with a relatable parenting struggle: enjoying regularly posting about her kids online, and worrying about the impact it may have. Social media offers a true sense of community, but it also invites genuine concern around privacy, consent, and the lack thereof. Naima and Carol consider the pros, the cons, and what a balanced approach can look like. Carol calls in social media expert Tali Horowitz from Common Sense Media to talk about the actions parents can take to protect their kids online. Tali offers entry points to navigating conversations of consent with your children from a young age, and helpful information to ease the anxieties that social media and potential oversharing on social media can create.
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Carol talks with Naima Keith, Vice President of Education and Public Programs at the Los Angeles Museum of Art (LACMA), about how to introduce children to the wonderful world of art and art museums. Naima shares practical tips for parents on how to encourage their kids to appreciate art from an early age and how to get the most out of a museum experience, even if all the little ones want to do is run around and touch the artwork! In this lively conversation Naima and Carol also dive into the realities of balancing work demands with parenting, and how to combat the pressure to “do it all.”
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This week Carol talks with Kristina Joye Lyles about a small but mighty group of educational leaders: Black men who teach in public schools. Kristina is the Vice President of Equity and Impact for DonorsChoose, a national nonprofit organization that enables public school teachers to share wishlists for their classrooms to interested donors around the country. In the course of this work Kristina has surveyed Black male teachers on their needs, wants and goals as educators. She shares in this episode how she is using this research to lift up and support these teachers who so significantly impact their school communities. She also talks about her own journey with her two young children, and details the road to her son’s autism diagnosis. This episode pairs insights on an important educational issue with moving parenting stories. You won’t want to miss it!
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Carol sits down with Harvard Law School professor and author Randall Kennedy to talk about his journey as a single father. Randall raised his three (now young adult) children after losing his beloved wife Dr. Yvedt Matory when their children were young. Randall shares with Carol how he and his family coped with the grief and how vital their community was in getting them through their toughest times. He details how his parenting path as a single dad was built on a strong foundation laid by his late wife and included valuable lessons from his childhood, lessons which helped him raise his children to become confident and independent thinkers.
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Helena Andrews-Dyer, author of The Mamas: What I Learned about Kids, Class and Race from Moms Not Like Me joins Carol to talk about the complexities of raising her Black children in their gentrifying D.C neighborhood, and how parent groups (including one in which she was the only Black mom) fueled her parenting and personal growth. Carol and Helena discuss the unique anxieties of Black motherhood and ways to push through the stress to focus on the joy. Helena and Carol share parent group experiences and detail how parents can benefit from these important and helpful communities in this relatable and captivating conversation.
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It’s a Hayes family affair! Carol invites actress Laya DeLeon Hayes, her father Kevin Hayes, and her mother Gina DeLeon Hayes to talk about how their family has nurtured and supported Laya’s acting career. At 18, Laya is a series regular on CBS’s The Equalizer, playing the daughter of Queen Latifah’s character Robyn McCall. Laya attributes much of her success to her parents’ unwavering support and encouragement. Gina and Kevin share with Carol the realities of raising a working child actor, and how they encouraged their daughter to confidently explore her passions from an early age. Laya delves into the complex dynamics of being biracial in Hollywood, how she connects with both sides of her family, and how her parents facilitate and participate in that journey. This episode is full of inspiring and heartfelt wisdom from the Hayes family, who are truly each other’s biggest fans.
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This week Carol sits down with Petrushka Bazin Larsen to discuss the benefits of having a strong and supportive community, especially as a new parent. Petrushka is the co-founder of a Harlem-based family ice cream shop, an arts educator, life coach, parenting advisor and the mom of three young children. In 2018 she founded a mom’s group aimed at helping new moms navigate the first few months with their babies. Carol and Petrushka offer lessons from their parent group experiences, and Petrushka shares helpful parenting tools, some of which she learned from being raised by a single mother and her mom’s community of friends. This lively and advice-filled conversation is the perfect reminder that as parents, we are stronger together.
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Carol turns to Alexis McGill Johnson, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America for guidance about how to have healthy, honest, and sometimes uncomfortable talks with our children about sexual health. Carol and Alexis discuss Planned Parenthood’s role in a post Roe v. Wade world, and Alexis offers valuable advice on how to discuss the future of reproductive rights with our children. A mom to two daughters, Alexis believes parents need to be a trusted and open resource for their children. She talks with Carol about how to empower youth to have agency over their bodies, develop positive body images, and understand consent. Alexis has been advocating for political and healthcare justice long before she stepped up to lead Planned Parenthood, and she shares timely and important advice with Carol in their lively and insightful conversation.
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Wondering how to take a modern approach to parenting while retaining the values you grew up with? Want to learn new ways to help your children understand their history, develop resilience, and develop the ability to chart their paths in this brave new world? Carol sources great advice on how to parent with an open mind while holding your morals and values close in this energizing conversation with Samantha Tweedy. Samantha has been a founder of a K-8 school for boys, a senior leader of the Robin Hood Foundation and Uncommon Schools, and is currently the President of the Black Economic Alliance Foundation. Her passion for empowering Black people and communities guides how she and her husband parent their two young children. Carol talks with Samantha about how to set educational and behavioral expectations for your kids while giving them the tools to navigate the world’s complexities in their own way.
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This week Carol welcomes Anna Malaika Tubbs, author of The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation. Join them for this great discussion about the power of motherhood, its impact on society, and how understanding this power will help mothers (and fathers) become stronger parents. Anna and Carol discuss the historical mistreatment of Black mothers in particular, and Anna shares her thoughts about how mothers can reclaim their strength and power as they shape their children’s (and their own) lives.
Anna has been researching and writing about motherhood for years before she had children. She is now the mother of two, and talks with Carol about how actually experiencing motherhood has impacted her perspective. Anna and Carol both strongly believe in the power of confident mothering, and offer helpful insights and suggestions for all mothers who can use a confidence boost.
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Author of “The Bold World” and LGBTQIA+ advocate Jodie Patterson joins Carol to share her enlightening perspectives on gender, identity and parenting her five children, including her transgender son Penel. Carol and Jodie discuss how parents today can feel overwhelmed, confused and unprepared when it comes to discussing gender, sexuality and identity with their children. Jodie explains how she worked to expand her knowledge, perspective and language in order to become the mother that Penel–and all of her children–needed. Jodie talks with Carol about the importance of pivoting to meet your child’s needs, and learning to parent in a way that supports your children while giving yourself room to reflect and grow. If your child’s identity or perspective takes you out of your comfort zone it can be tough to find trusted resources and useful guidance. In this episode Jodie explains how she created the tools she needed, and how you can, too.
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Producer, director and author Tonya Lewis Lee returns to the podcast for the first time since our very first episode! She joins Carol to talk about wellness, childbirth and maternal health for Black women. Tonya reflects on what motivates her to empower Black women to focus on their health, and offers advice on how to meet some of the challenges of doing so. Tonya is the co-producer and director of Aftershock, the acclaimed documentary following the stories of young Black mothers who died unnecessarily due to preventable complications during childbirth. She and Carol discuss the importance of women taking control of their child-birthing decisions and how best to do this. They examine the biases against Black women and natural childbirth in America’s healthcare system which have contributed to the Black maternal death rate, and Tonya explains the importance and value of including midwives and doulas in the birthing experience.
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Many Black mothers tend to put the health care needs of their loved ones ahead of their own. And when they finally get to the doctor, they don’t always get all of the answers they seek. Carol sits down with Dr. Sharon Malone, one of the nation's leading OB GYNs, to talk about women’s health issues and how to change how Black women experience health care.
Dr. Malone is on a mission to help women know more about how to take care of themselves, as she believes that “women shouldn't feel guilty about feeling better”. She shares invaluable advice about how to attain and maintain good health, how to understand our body’s changes and changing needs over time, and how to get the absolute most out of doctor’s visits. She also tells us what women of all ages need to know about menopause, and how her new telemedicine venture Alloy can make it easier for women to understand and treat symptoms of all stages of menopause. Dr. Malone is the trusted doctor friend we want and need!
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Carol talks with Tony and Emmy award-winning actress LaChanze about her most rewarding and challenging role yet—being the mother to her two daughters, who are now young adults. LaChanze raised her two girls on her own after losing her husband Calvin Gooding in the September 11, 2001 attacks. She made this sudden parenting pivot with a steady focus on creating a bright future for her daughters and a determination to be her healthiest, best self in the process. In this lively and engaging conversation LaChanze shares why we must teach Black girls to be confident and develop their own voices, and offers ways to do this. You won’t want to miss the parenting and life insights LaChanze candidly shares with Carol in this episode!
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The back-to-school season has begun: are your kids ready for a new school year? When our children hit academic bumps in the road (and they will), it’s hard for parents to figure out the best ways to help redirect them toward success. This week Carol sits down with Windy Lopez-Aflitto, the VP of Content and Partnerships at Learning Heroes, a national organization which helps parents support their children’s learning at home. Carol and Windy get to the bottom of why there’s such a large gap between what parents think about their child’s grade level progress and how their kids are actually doing in school. They offer parents the tips they need to better understand their child’s learning experience and help improve it. Carol and Windy examine the complex relationship teachers and parents can have and share specific ways parents can work with teachers to make sure their children are engaged in their schoolwork and getting as much as possible out of it. This episode is a must for parents and caregivers of school-age children looking for expert advice on helping their kids thrive in school.
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Carol sits down with the mother-daughter duo Edith Cooper and Jordan Taylor to explore how they manage their relationship while creating a business together. Medley is a membership-based coaching service that harnesses the power of small groups to help people grow personally and professionally. And as you listen in, you’ll understand how personally aligned Edith and Jordan are with their company’s mission. Edith built her 30+ year career as one of the nation’s leading business executives creating environments where people can perform to their full potential. Jordan appreciates the power of supportive spaces and finished business school with the goal of sharing this power with as many people as possible. Edith and Jordan talk about how impactful teamwork can be not only in helping people succeed, but in helping them feel seen and supported by others as they work towards their goals.
Edith’s values are rooted in her understanding of the power of education that uplifted three generations of her family. She shares her insights on how parents can foster healthy habits in their children from a young age, and the best ways for parents to manage work and family life without becoming overwhelmed. Carol’s intergenerational conversation with Edith and Jordan offers a unique and refreshing parent/child perspective and invites listeners to consider which parenting styles will help them create healthy and lasting family relationships.
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Lorraine Toussaint, star of The Equalizer and Orange is the New Black, joins Carol to talk about the benefits and challenges of being open and vulnerable with your children. Lorraine and Carol discuss how to practice healthy and honest communication with your kids in an age appropriate way that meets them at their own emotional level. They talk about the best ways to get your point across while considering your child’s needs and how this can strengthen your family’s relationship.
Lorraine recounts her own life and parenting experiences with taking accountability, knowing how to apologize, and setting an example of honesty for her child to follow. She shares how vital it is to cultivate a home where children feel seen, heard, and loved, and speaks to her own transformation turning her challenges growing up in Trinidad into lessons in becoming an attentive and loving mother.
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Carol sits down with power CEO and mom Roz Brewer to talk about how to do your best work at the office and at home. As the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Roz truly understands the challenges of excelling at work while maintaining an active role in her family’s life. Roz and Carol talk about the expectations levied on mothers in the workforce to do it all, and Roz offers valuable advice on how to apply the lessons she’s learned from the corporate world to parenting and vice versa. You won’t want to miss when Roz explains why she keeps “facts up, emotions down” in a crisis and why parents should too! Listen today and stay in touch at @GroundControlParenting and www.groundcontrolparenting.com
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Former Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms joins Carol to push prioritizing wellness for parents to the forefront. Keisha and Carol talk about the challenges she faced raising her children while simultaneously running a major city. Keisha shares her best parenting practices as well as how she learned to prioritize her own mental health and wellness to show up daily as an active and present mother AND the mayor of ATL.
As parents we can get so caught up in our children’s lives that we forget to check in with ourselves. Today, we’re talking about how to change that.
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Welcome to the latest season of Ground Control Parenting! Each week host Carol Sutton Lewis brings you stories, tips and advice from parents and parenting experts about raising smart and confident Black children. Join us!!
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Ground Control Parenting is joining iHeart and the Seneca Women Podcast Network! Join host Carol Sutton Lewis for this special preview episode featuring some of her guests from the upcoming season, including former mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms, actress Lorraine Toussaint & Walgreens/Boots Alliance CEO Roz Brewer, all sharing stories, tips and advice on raising smart & confident Black boys and girls. Check out this special episode for a preview of what’s to come!
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Season 3 is a wrap! Host Carol Sutton Lewis reviews the themes and highlights of Season 3 in this bonus episode. Tune in for a quick overview of the advice, stories and resources served up by the great guests who joined Carol this season. Stay tuned for more parenting conversations about the joy and the real work of parenting Black children in Season 4, coming soon!
How did a Black janitor, a widower living with his kids in a rough neighborhood, raise a world class concert pianist and a Fortune 500 CEO? Kenneth C. Frazier, the highly respected Chairman and CEO of pharmaceutical giant Merck, joins us for our final episode of Season 3 to share his powerful story of being raised by a fiercely determined single dad.
Ken’s father Otis Frazier firmly believed in the power of tough love. He saw his children as capable of anything, so he consistently set the bar high and expected them to clear it. He had little use for sentimentality. As Ken recalls, his father had no interest in being his children’s friend, saying “I want to be respected and feared [by my children], but not necessarily in that order.” We hear from Ken how tough love worked for him, and together we explore the limits of and alternatives to this approach. In this fascinating episode Ken shares plenty of his father's words of wisdom, and offers up some gems of his own.
How can we help our children develop a moral compass to guide them through life? Minister, professor, author and former President of Morehouse College Dr. Robert M. Franklin, Jr. explains the importance of helping children think about faith and morality and offers a framework for having these discussions with your children from an early age.
Our discussion begins with Dr. Franklin’s memories of witnessing the moral courage and leadership of his grandmother, whose faith was strongly rooted in her church. He thoughtfully walks us through the stages of faith development which parents can follow to help their children make meaning and find purpose in life. We also learn about the challenges and opportunities he faced in trying to help the young men of Morehouse college develop and center their moral compasses in a changing world.
Diana Napier shares her journey with her daughter Emerson Davis, one of the young stars of the Tony award winning Broadway show, Once Upon an Island. Diana, a corporate executive turned writer, found herself in unfamiliar parenting territory as she put her writing career on pause in order to figure out how to best help young Emerson pursue her growing passions in music and theater. When Emerson joins the conversation at the end of the episode, she talks about the importance of her parents’ support, which includes following her lead as she pursued her various interests, helping her deal with the inevitable rejection that comes with auditioning, and so much more.
Also in this episode, Diana and Carol engage in a candid and revealing discussion of postpartum depression, a topic not discussed often enough among young parents. Diana shares her struggle with this illness in Emerson’s infancy, and how with help she was able to move through and beyond it.
And, for the first time, a mother/daughter team plays the #GCP Bonus Round!
Parents who want to help their children explore their talents and passions—more seriously or just for fun—will appreciate the many lessons shared in this episode.
How did the first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company manage to balance her skyrocketing career and her growing family? In this refreshingly candid and thought-provoking conversation, Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox Corporation, tells us why this is NOT the question on which young women should be focused. She reveals how she was able to stay true to herself and her parenting goals, and explains how modern-day parents need to redefine parenting models. But first, Ursula recalls the “masterful parenting” of her single mother and explains how her mother’s wise counsel and great parenting instincts guided Ursula’s own parenting journey.
With COVID restrictions lifting we can finally begin our return to life as we knew it. How are our children coping with moving out of the cocoons they’ve been in for the past year? There are likely to be some stressful moments for them (and us) for a while, whether they are inclined to rush back into their pre-Covid lives or would prefer to remain in semi solitude. Pediatric stress expert Dr. Victor Carrión returns to the podcast to talk with Carol about how to help our children through this transition period. He offers an age-specific guide to recognizing signs of stress overload, and advice on how to manage it.
How much do your children know about money? Sure, they may know how to spend it, but what about how to invest it and watch it grow? How can you help them learn more and plant the seeds of financial literacy that will serve them well for life? Carol talks with Tanya Van Court, Founder and CEO of Goalsetter, a family saving and smart spending app, about her mission to make kids (and parents!) more financially savvy and have fun while doing it. Tanya offers advice on helping your family develop smart spending and saving habits.
With the pandemic requiring our children to rely heavily on tech these days, it feels as if we are losing the battle to manage their device usage. As we move towards a post-pandemic world, the question looms large: how do we help our children balance their tech use when they need their devices now more than ever? In this week’s episode, Carol talks with top kids and tech expert Jim Steyer, the Founder and CEO of Common Sense, the nationwide organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. Jim offers lots of helpful ways for parents to address this urgent question.
Jim also candidly talks about the challenges he faces as a white father raising a Black son in the era of Black Lives Matter and the fight for social justice in our country.
As we parent through this pandemic, who has the greater challenge: parents of toddlers and little ones, trying to help them make sense of it all, or parents of older children who have to help them keep it together as their academic, personal and work lives threaten to fall apart? And what can these different generations of parents learn from each other? Carol poses these questions to three dynamic women––Monique Péan, who is raising her young children in NYC, Lady Ashley Adjaye, a native Californian who moved her young son and daughter from London to Accra, Ghana to raise them in a more supportive racial environment, and Anne Williams-Isom, who, like Carol, has children in college and beyond.
You’ll hear them talk about their unique and shared experiences in the world of pandemic parenting, what a family move to “the continent” is like, how to talk about Black Lives Matter and social justice with children little and grown, and much more.
Carol talks with celebrated poet, award winning author, distinguished educator, and President of the Mellon Foundation Elizabeth Alexander about her parenting journey, her theories on education, and the importance of financial literacy and philanthropy.
Elizabeth is a resilient mother of two sons who had to reconstruct her life and parenting village after the sudden death of her husband, Ficre Gheybreyesus. In this episode she shares the parenting lessons she learned with her husband that continue to guide her, and the importance of creating a “village”, especially as she found herself building a new one to help her raise her sons. From her vantage point as the head of one of the world’s wealthiest foundations that supports arts, humanities and social justice, she shares advice on how to talk with our children about money and philanthropy—teaching them to take care of both our local and global villages.
As we focus on (so many!) daily parenting details, how do we make sure we are teaching our children our values and giving them a moral core? What do we have to resolve in ourselves to be able to parent with joy, a key to raising joyful, confident children? How do we turn those hard lessons from how we were parented into a roadmap for better parenting? In a lively, spirited conversation filled with tips on how to evolve our parenting skills, ways to communicate our values to our children, and lots of laughs, Dr. Janice Johnson Dias, sociologist and author of Parent Like it Matters teaches us how to raise critical thinkers and fearless doers.
Carol talks with Sandra Jackson-Dumont, visionary arts educator and Director & CEO of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, about why and how we need to have art and museums in our children’s lives from day one. Exposure to art builds so many skills from a very young age! Sandra tells us how to explore museums in-person and online in ways that open up new vistas for children and parents, how museums can spark and inform great (and sometimes tough) conversations with our children, and so much more.
In this season opener, Carol talks with college admissions experts and authors of The College Conversation , Eric Furda (former Dean of Admissions at UPenn) and Jacques Steinberg (award-winning education journalist and author). Eric and Jacques discuss their latest tips and insights on how your teen should be applying to college from start to finish, and how you can help. They reveal “The Four C’s” that students should be looking for as they research colleges: Culture, Curriculum, Community and Conclusions. They also talk about the impact of two additional “C’s”: Cost and Coronavirus.
While applying for college is more than half the battle, Eric and Jacques also suggest staying focused once the acceptances come. They talk with Carol about what happens after your teen gets in: how to make sure the colleges don’t change their minds, best practices for freshman success, and even what to do if your child wants to transfer. Listen, learn and lessen the stress as your family moves through this exciting chapter of your teen’s life.
It’s a wrap! Our second season of talking about the joy and the real work of parenting Black children has featured great guests offering lots of helpful advice. In this bonus episode, host Carol Sutton Lewis recaps some of the themes and highlights of the season. Stay tuned for more great parenting conversations in Season Three, coming soon!
Author & journalist Caroline Clarke discusses her accidental discovery of and reunion with her birth mother–Cookie Cole, daughter of Nat King Cole–and its impact on her existing and newly expanded family. Caroline told this story in her memoir Postcards from Cookie, and here she reveals additional details not captured in the book, including an incredible update. You won’t want to miss our discussion of adoption, parenting, family, and the healing power of love.
Best-selling author and on-air host Nancy Redd talks about the values that stem from her Southern roots and shares some of the unexpected silver linings which have emerged from quarantining with her husband and their 9 & 6 year olds over the past ten months. You’ll also hear about the making of Bedtime Bonnet, her sensational new children’s book that celebrates Black night time hair care rituals. A fascinating conversation that you won’t want to miss.
Why show art to an infant? Why should we encourage our children to “get lost” in paintings? What’s the art and social justice connection? Who are some of the African-American artists whose work we and our children should get to know? Franklin Sirmans, director of Miami’s Perez Art Museum, answers these questions and many more in this lively discussion about art and art education.
In this thoughtful and wide-ranging discussion, College Board CEO David Coleman provides the latest information and valuable perspective on the SAT & AP testing in the coming year, and much more. Parents won’t want to miss his great advice on how to help students of all ages combat test anxiety and improve test performance.
As 2020 comes to a close, here's a recap of the Ground Control Parenting podcasting journey. We cover the road to our midyear launch, explore some of the themes and lessons from our 2020 podcasts, and offer some hints of what's ahead for 2021.
Producer and political & social activist Keisha Sutton-James talks about the important lessons she learned growing up with her grandfather, civil rights leader, politician and businessman Percy E. Sutton. Keisha shares how these lessons shaped her life and how she shares them with her daughters. We cover a lot of great parenting ground in this conversation, including talking with our children about our history, religion and spirituality, and much more.
Excited for the holidays? Not Really? Stanford University’s Dr. Victor Carrion, our resident stress expert, tells us how to help our families (and ourselves) get through this pandemic holiday season. Hear why we need to take our temperatures, and it’s not for a Covid check!
Erica Reid is a best-selling author, healthy living expert, and founder & CEO of nécessité, a health and wellness living platform. In this fascinating and fun conversation Erica shares how her passion for parenting, combined with her determination to improve her children’s health, paved her way to becoming a best-selling author and entrepreneur. Discover how she is generously helping women focus on caring for their children and themselves.
Johnson C. Smith University President Clarence “Clay” Armbrister and his wife, former banking executive Denise McGregor Armbrister, share their triumphs and challenges raising a family of five which includes children with special needs and two adopted siblings. Hear the inspirational story of how this family came together with determination and love. This is superhero parenting at its best.
Emmy award-winning actress Lynn Whitfield reflects on the wonderful, nurturing, complex bonds between mothers and daughters, the revelations of quarantine, and much more.
In a conversation rich with wise advice and a lot of laughter, good friends and fellow actors LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Pauletta Washington share how they managed to raise their children away from the glare of the Hollywood spotlight that shines so brightly on their husbands Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington. Hear these long-time friends explain how their Southern roots, self-awareness and good common sense informed their parenting, and much more.
We’re back with Season 2! Sal Khan, founder of online education powerhouse Khan Academy, tells us how parents can help their children learn during this pandemic. Khan’s tips for learning success are not to be missed!
Checking in with Stanford University psychiatrist Dr. Victor Carrion for advice about how to deal with the stress so many parents and children are feeling about next week's election.
Host Carol Sutton Lewis gives a recap of the inaugural season's themes and highlights. Stay tuned for more great parenting conversations in Season 2, coming very soon!!
Award winning actor and filmmaker LisaGay Hamilton shares her thoughts and advice about parenting with a focus on raising her transgender daughter.
Award winning television show runner, author and arts advocate Susan Fales-Hill talks about culture, race, the importance of sharing family histories with our children, and much more.
Dr. Victor Carrion, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Stanford University and Director of its Early Life Stress and Resilience Program, offers advice and resources to help parents manage their concerns and expectations as children return to school in the time of COVID-19.
Former Massachusetts Governor and 2020 Presidential candidate Deval Patrick shares how his journey from Chicago’s South Side to the corridors of power shaped his parenting skills, how to raise resilient and socially conscious children, and much more.
Power couple Michelle Miller, CBS News National Correspondent, and Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, share the impact of growing up in politically active families, how to help children establish independence, and much more.
Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, President of Spelman College, shares how she encouraged her sons to pursue their unique paths, the importance of “parental pivoting”, some common sense rules of social media engagement, and much more.
Depelsha McGruder, Ford Foundation Chief Operating Officer and Founder of Moms of Black Boys United, Inc., shares how she leads a powerful community of moms working to improve how Black boys and men are perceived and treated by the police and society. Hear how one of her sons inspired her to create this movement, why she is tired of “The Talk”, and much more.
Writer and award-winning filmmaker Suzanne Kay, daughter of celebrated actress Diahann Carroll, shares her journey to racial awareness and reveals how it helped her parent her biracial children.
Anne Williams-Isom has been passionate about keeping children safe, cared for and well-educated throughout her career. In this podcast, recorded shortly before her recent transition from the role of CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, Anne talks about how to build a community of support around parents and much more.
Award winning ABC News Correspondent Deborah Roberts talks about raising children in today’s world, shedding the weight of parenting expectations, and much more.
Filmmaker Crystal McCrary McGuire is the mom of 3, including Cole Anthony, a 2020 NBA top draft prospect. Crystal shares how she supports her children’s pursuit of their passions, how to create a happily blended family, and much more.
Producer, author, wellness expert, maternal activist and mom Tonya Lewis Lee joins Carol for the premiere episode of this podcast focusing on parenting Black children. Tonya shares stories about how she was parented and how this impacted her parenting philosophies, her thoughts and advice on raising confident children, and much more. Don't miss her answers to the "GCP Bonus Round" at the end of the chat!
Every week host Carol Sutton Lewis brings you stories, tips and advice from fascinating folks about raising smart and confident Black children. Join us!!