Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis

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! Follow us @GroundControlparenting or at groundcontrolparenting.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us: @GroundControlParenting and groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on www.groundcontrolparenting.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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 loving 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. Follow us on IG @groundcontrolparenting and at groundcontrolparenting.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us on IG @groundcontrolparenting and at groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on www.groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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! Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on www.groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on www.groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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 around his expert insider knowledge of how high school kids 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 the power of education. Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on www.groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement

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! Follow us at @GroundControlParenting and on www.groundcontrolparenting.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5991101/advertisement