Being a teenager is hard enough, and a variety of influences can leave some girls feeling that there is no escape from gossip and the pressure to look, think and act a certain type of way.  In addition, many of our young women are growing up in single-parent families where resources are limited.  According to the 2002 US Census Bureau more than one-fourth of all of the children in the country lived with only their mother or father, including 48% of all African- American children.

The truth is that parents are significantly younger these days.  With teenage pregnancies on the rise a majority of children are being raised in households in which parent(s) are unemployed or underemployed with very little education.  This often leads to a situation where girls are growing up in an economically disadvantaged area that is often filled with crime, poverty and what can seem like very little positive options for a successful future.  Some girls are left feeling like the only places the can turn to for the answers are Twitter, Facebook and Myspace.

The good news is that increased connections with reliable positive role models can make a significant difference in the lives of our youth. You don’t necessarily need money, power or fame to help either.  Here are some suggestions on how you can make the difference whether you are a parent or someone who just wants to help:

Read the rest of this entry »

Stay tuned for more topics, comment or write us at editors@madamenoire.com if you have suggestions!

There is nothing more beautiful than giving birth to a child and nothing more comical than breastfeeding that child. Nursing has been one of the most rewarding experiences of motherhood. It was the healthiest thing I could do for my children and created a special bond incomparable to anything else. The year I breastfed was also full of bizarre and rather humorous thoughts and experiences. It is amazing how childbirth eliminates all modesty and you find yourself doing and saying the very things you once rejected as a childless woman.

For those who have never been pregnant or tried nursing a child, I thought I would let you in on some of the things that may run through your mind:

Read the rest of this entry »