A girl is a blessing and a gift. Many of us grew up hearing some version of the saying credited to the Ghanaian educator Dr James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey: educate a man and you educate an individual; educate a woman and you educate a nation. Yet too many girls are still treated as anything but
International Day of the Girl: She Deserves Love, Education and Protection Read More »
Mental health problems are on the rise, and they are showing up earlier in life than they did a generation ago. The World Health Organization estimates that half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14. As a mental health nurse and a parent and teen coach, I see it every week. Why so
Nobody Is Immune: Mental Health, Parenting and Diaspora Life Read More »
When some people hear about Africa or Black people, the first images are still poverty, hunger or a lack of intelligence. If they think further, it’s usually sport, music or entertainment. Those are worth celebrating, but they are not the whole story. We are cerebral Black people have always been thinkers, scholars and innovators. Jason
Beyond Our Colour: Black History Month 2026 and Raising Proud Children Read More »
Why I’m writing this now This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week. Every time it comes round, I think of the children I have met who were called lazy for years. Nobody had stopped to ask why reading was so hard for them. Dyslexia is a learning difference. It affects how the brain processes written and
Dyslexic, Not Lazy: What Every Parent Should Know Read More »
This week, two stories landed close together. One concerned an alleged gang rape at Cornell University, now reopened by prosecutors. The other, a Guardian report, examined the scale of sexual abuse between children in English and Welsh schools. As a parent, a coach and a nurse, I read both with a heavy heart. And with
Child-on-Child Abuse: Why Intentional Digital Parenting Matters More Than Ever Read More »
Every parent hopes their child will grow up surrounded by people who treat them well. But hope is not a plan. Our teens are learning about friendship, love, and respect every single day, and if we are not the ones teaching them, someone else will be: social media, music videos, films, and their peers. Teaching
Healthy Relationships for Teens: How to Teach Boundaries, Spot Red Flags, and Walk Away Read More »
Boundaries are among the most important things we can teach our children. They show other people how we expect to be treated, and they show our children how to treat others. A child who understands boundaries knows their own worth, and a child who respects other people’s boundaries understands that everyone else has worth too.
How to Teach Children Boundaries: Raising Kids Who Can Say No and Accept No Read More »
This weekend, news came out of Yobe State that stopped many of us in our tracks. The Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre in Nguru lost her twin daughters, one a medical doctor and the other a pharmacist, within two days of each other. Reports say both died from complications of sickle cell disease.
Love Is Not Enough: Why Your Teenager Must Know Their Genotype Before They Fall in Love Read More »
Last week, we looked at the mirror parents hold up to their children: the names, the jokes, and the unhealed adult pain that can quietly teach a child they are not enough. This week, we turn to the shield. What does self-love actually protect our teenagers from? And why can’t we teach it with words
Every parent wants to protect their child. We lock the doors, get to know their friends, and worry about what they are doing on their phones. But one of the most important protections we can give our children isn’t a rule or a restriction. It’s a belief, planted early and deep, that they are worthy
Stop Creating Trauma Vessels: How Your Words Shape Your Teen’s Self-Worth Read More »
