Jonique is a Family Resource Aide/AmeriCorps Volunteer in Sacramento and shares a little with THE HUB’s Loving Brown Baby campaign* about her parenting journey and about how she has unconditional love for her 4 year old son, Kymani.
“Today’s parents should be teaching their children how valuable they are – not pushing materialistic things. Teaching them to read; education starts at home. Teaching them to help others. To be grateful for what they do have, and to be appreciative because it’s not a given. Parents should make playdates and establish a sense of community for their children early on,” Jonique explains. She makes sure she stays balanced in her busy lifestyle: doing hair, yoga, and keeping a social life. Planning and reflecting are also important factors in her quest to attain balance, and her favorite Psalm, Psalm 27, helps give her peace and keeps her grounded.
In striving to express unconditional love for Kymani, Jonique involves him in many of her activities. “We do yoga together, everything I do I try to involve him. I’m a carefree parent within reason; I let my son explore things, as long as he doesn’t hurt himself. At home, he’s free to just be. I let him voice his opinions, we have real conversations, and I let him communicate. The biggest reward of being a parent is knowing that I’m shaping an individual who is going to impact the world. If I can’t contribute anything else, I know I’m contributing him to the world.”
*Loving Brown Babies (LBB) is a social media campaign focused on the pleasures of motherhood and families in celebration of raising African American children. The campaign is a part of the efforts led by the Steering Committee on Reduction for African American Child Deaths (RAACD) which is funded by the County of Sacramento, City of Sacramento and First 5 Sacramento, and is managed by The Center. To learn more, visit http://www.shfcenter.org/raacd.
The LBB campaign is produced and managed by the Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation. For questions about LBB contact call (916) 234-3589 or e-mail contact@sacculturalhub.com.
Contributed by Donna Ramos
