Addressing Fellow Parents...We are all in this together

My daughter and I have the type of relationship that mom’s dream of. My little lady is a fourteen-year-old honor roll student getting ready to embark on her high school years. She’s excited and nervous all at the same time. Will I make new friends, will I make the cheer team, will I be able to continue my honors courses with all that high school pressure? Can you say STRESSFUL? Remember, I said that my daughter is fourteen. Parents, lets face it. Our kids deal with a ton of stress, and you may not even be aware of it. Everyday my husband and I sound like a broken record. How was school? Anything happen? Anything you want to talk about? We then sit back and wait for the latest MIDDLE SCHOOL (drama) to unfold on our way home or at the dinner table. The peer pressure that our kids deal with is enough to make them feel horrible in side. Some of this peer pressure leads to kids shying away even more from their parents because they feel like –they just will not understand. There is also a lot more teenage suicide. Some may say “How can a kid be stressed out when all they have to do is go school?” Well, lets see. Once your child hits puberty, their attitudes seem to change. Some may even rebel, or worse, become sexually active. Some say , not my kid. Well, how would you know if you don’t have a relationship with your daughter or son? We, as parents, sometimes get so caught up in our own world that we forget that our children may have something on their minds that they need to talk about.

Its time for us to communicate better with our children and their friends. Let them know that we are here whenever they may need an ear. We also have to keep an open mind. Don’t fly off the handle when your kid tells you what’s going on with them or a friend. Offer opinions or solutions. Remember, we are dealing with young adults now. They are communicating with you. It would be better for all parties involved to keep the lines of communication open. Once that bond is broken, its hard to get back.

Mother’s, talk to your girls about respecting themselves. Our girls have to understand that they can attract negative attention by the way they dress and speak. Let them know what they should look for in a young man when its time to choose a prom dates. Also let them know what not to put up with. They need to know how to weed out the gentlemen from those that have bad intentions.

Father’s, talk to your boys about appearance and respect. We should not see underwear, and they should not be calling these young ladies anything but their names. Tell and show them, how women are to be treated, what to do and what not to do. They must remember, respect is paramount and first impressions go a long way.

Parent’s two great books for reference are:

Take Back Your Family: How to Raise Respectful and Loving Kids in a Dysfunctional World by Rev. Run, Justine Simmons, and Chris Morrow

Take Back Your Family: A Challenge to America's Parents by Rev. Run, Justine Simmons, and Chris Morrow

Addressing Fellow Parents...We are all in this together

My daughter and I have the type of relationship that mom’s dream of. My little lady is a fourteen-year-old honor roll student getting ready to embark on her high school years. She’s excited and nervous all at the same time. Will I make new friends, will I make the cheer team, will I be able to continue my honors courses with all that high school pressure? Can you say STRESSFUL? Remember, I said that my daughter is fourteen. Parents, lets face it. Our kids deal with a ton of stress, and you may not even be aware of it. Everyday my husband and I sound like a broken record. How was school? Anything happen? Anything you want to talk about? We then sit back and wait for the latest MIDDLE SCHOOL (drama) to unfold on our way home or at the dinner table. The peer pressure that our kids deal with is enough to make them feel horrible in side. Some of this peer pressure leads to kids shying away even more from their parents because they feel like –they just will not understand. There is also a lot more teenage suicide. Some may say “How can a kid be stressed out when all they have to do is go school?” Well, lets see. Once your child hits puberty, their attitudes seem to change. Some may even rebel, or worse, become sexually active. Some say , not my kid. Well, how would you know if you don’t have a relationship with your daughter or son? We, as parents, sometimes get so caught up in our own world that we forget that our children may have something on their minds that they need to talk about.

Its time for us to communicate better with our children and their friends. Let them know that we are here whenever they may need an ear. We also have to keep an open mind. Don’t fly off the handle when your kid tells you what’s going on with them or a friend. Offer opinions or solutions. Remember, we are dealing with young adults now. They are communicating with you. It would be better for all parties involved to keep the lines of communication open. Once that bond is broken, its hard to get back.

Mother’s, talk to your girls about respecting themselves. Our girls have to understand that they can attract negative attention by the way they dress and speak. Let them know what they should look for in a young man when its time to choose a prom dates. Also let them know what not to put up with. They need to know how to weed out the gentlemen from those that have bad intentions.

Father’s, talk to your boys about appearance and respect. We should not see underwear, and they should not be calling these young ladies anything but their names. Tell and show them, how women are to be treated, what to do and what not to do. They must remember, respect is paramount and first impressions go a long way.

Parent’s two great books for reference are:

Take Back Your Family: How to Raise Respectful and Loving Kids in a Dysfunctional World by Rev. Run, Justine Simmons, and Chris Morrow

Take Back Your Family: A Challenge to America's Parents by Rev. Run, Justine Simmons, and Chris Morrow

Donna Hill

Visit http://thereviewmagazine.net to check out our interview with award winning author Donna Hill.

We have to do BETTER.......

My daughter just celebrated her 14th birthday. She and a few friends celebrated at a local arcade/restaurant, and I was really amazed at how many parents actually drop their kids off (ALONE). A friend and I sat and watched young ladies strutting around with their hind parts hanging out of their pants or short skirts, boys on their arms or just standing behind them smiling away at what their seeing. How does a parent think that this attire is OK? Ok some may say that the kids may actually be hiding this other set of clothing from the parent, but as a parent do you check on your kids?? What's going into the washer or being hung in the closet? The later it got the more kids we saw coming in ...unaccompanied. How do you drop your 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 year olds off where so much mischief can happen? OK I'm not naive here I know if a kid wants to do something they will make it happen, but why make it easy for them??

Harlem Book Fair

The Review Magazine will host a bus tour to the Harlem Book Fair in July 16-17. We are trying to get a head count of those who may want to attend. There will be more information to follow in the next few weeks on ticket, and hotel arrangements. Please provide the following If your... part of a book club # attending.
please email: info@thereviewmagazine.net
***Bus will leave Chesapeake, VA****

A Review Reader said...........

I just got a chance to read the interview. Enjoyed it!!! DeBerry and Grant are now two authors I enjoy reading. A couple of weeks ago I got the book "What doesn't Kill you", just picked it up on a wime. Finished that novel and got "Gotta Keep on Tryn' " which I did my fiction report in my english class. So I am
really looking forward to the new novel and plan to venture back and read
Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made.

The Review Mag reader A. Peyton

March Contest

Review Mag– March Contest


Here’s your chance to win a copy of DeBerry & Grant’s new book “UPTOWN”. Answer the following questions with the correct book title to be entered into a drawing for 1 of 5 copies of “UPTOWN”. Forward your answers to reviewmag@thereviewmagazine.net
The winner will be announced on March 22 here on our blog.



1. What prompted the decision to write a sequel to Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made?

2. What is it that drives Tiffani to go to Marcus?

3. What inspired you to write a novel set in the world of real estate development in New York City?

4. Tell me about the YOUR BEST BROKE STORY

5. What is DeBerry/Grant’s 7th book???