K&S Therapeutic Services, Inc.

YOU WILL BE MISSED Miss Cicely Tyson was a pioneer in the TV and Film industry and paved the way for actresses like Viola Davis, Halle Berry and Angele Bassett. Without her and others like her, there would not have been representation of Black women on the big or small screens. Before becoming an actress, Ms. Tyson had a career as a model - with her amazing bone structure and beautiful skin -- that was a no brainer.... In 1957 she made her acting debut in a film called 12 Angry Men. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role in Sounder in 1972 and she made history as the first Black actress to win a Primetime Emmy as Miss Jane Pittman. (I’m going to watch it again tonight, hopefully it’s on Netflix or Amazon Prime ). Ms. Tyson had a successful career in TV and Film for SEVENTY YEARS. That’s a testament to her skill, professionalism, talent and grace. Her most recent role as Anna Mae’s mom in How to Get Away with murder, was one of my favorites. Ms. Tyson, thank you for all you’ve done, and the example you’ve set for us. I appreciate you. You will be missed.

PREPARE YOUR CHILD FOR ADULTHOOD Our job as parents is to teach our children to be adults. PERIOD. Every conversation, consequence, dance class, story you read, doctors visit and drawing you PRETEND to LOVE, is designed to prepare them for a successful adulthood.... One of the best ways to help them along, is getting their points of view by engaging in conversation. Asking questions about civics, racial injustice, and presidential races get the best responses. Because you get to watch your kiddo think critically. Use these questions to get started. Let me how they answer the question about the president .

A WOMAN’S SMILE The most beautiful curve on a woman’s body is her smile. This is one of my Favorite quotes, by one of my Favorite Artists @BobMarley.... I love it because it’s true in many ways. For example, Smiles make you look beautiful, warm and inviting. And they give you a shot of brain chemicals that boost your mood, lowers stress and blood pressure. So if you’re not smiling to accentuate your curves. Do it for your health and to boost your mood. : Geneiva Sweeney

NO QUESTIONS ARE OFF LIMITS For many kids, there are lots of restrictions on what they can ask or talk about with adults. Asking questions about Sex, Arguments, Finances, or Break-ups are often OFF LIMITS. And don’t let someone get ‘fall out sloppy drunk’ or have a drug problem adults will flat out lie to kids about that (no judgment if you have, we’ve all been there).... I have a few concerns with the stay out of grown folks’ business response to kids’ questions: 1. How are they going to learn to be a ‘grown folk’ if they don’t get practice and answers as a child or teen? 2. Usually adults take this approach because we think we’re shielding kids from topics they are too young for, to protect our own feelings, or because we don’t know what to say. Sooo not answering is really about us, not them. 3. Sometimes, especially with young kids, we hear their questions through an adult filter. So we think they aren’t mature enough to know the answer. But when you ask for clarity, they aren’t always asking what you thought. A young adult, who will remain nameless, asked me why boys have penises and girls have vaginas when she was 4. You immediately thought about sex right? Nope that wasn't it. After me asking a couple of questions turns out she was trying to figure out why she doesn’t stand to pee and if she could try it. I said Absolutely. And that was that. I wrote all this to say, you want your kids to be able to ask you about EVERYTHING, without judgement, shame, scrutiny, or punishment no matter what age. It’s not the Topic that matters. It’s your Answer. Replace the stay out of grown folks’ business approach with a no questions are off limits one. Because believe me, if they don’t feel safe asking you, they are going to ask someone else and that person may have no idea what they are talking about. You don’t want that. Need some help crafting answers? Shoot us an email [email protected]. We’ve got you covered!

NEVER STOP LOOKING UP No matter how Big or Tall your challenge, Never Stop Looking Up. Why? Because the alternative is looking down. You don’t want to do that. Down has an ending. Up is endless, filled with opportunities, options and creative ways to resolve that Big, Tall challenge that stands before you. ... : Geneiva Sweeney