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Teaching Black Children to Love Themselves

Every child should sense that gleam in the parent's eye. That's where self-esteem starts--the sense of being loved and admired. As parents, that means putting in the time.
--Dr. Marilyn Benoit
President, American Academy of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry.

What's in This Chapter

* Helping your child meet the challenges of growing up

* Understanding what's unique about parenting black children

* Constructing the towers of self-love

* Building your child's self-esteem

* Helping your child become resilient

* Setting the right example

* Laying the groundwork for success

* Helping your child make positive decisions

In this opening chapter, we talk about the importance of fostering self-love in children. We explore the special challenges parents who raise black boys and girls face, and show you how to construct the towers of self-love: resilience and self-esteem. We explore ways to build on children's strengths and to maximize their opportunities to grow up healthy and strong.

Making the Transition from Child to Adult

Childhood is often portrayed as a happy, carefree time--and parents do need to ensure that their sons and daughters experience their full share of joy. But childhood is also a training ground for adulthood. The more effective the training, the better prepared a child will be to face the real-world challenges that lie ahead. Throughout history, societies have used different approaches to moving children into adulthood.

In some cultures, children are trained to be adults through specific rites of passage and tests. Alex Haley, in his book Roots, describes how youn...