http://www.thecharlottepost.com
Clje Cljarlotte
LIFE
THURSDAY, MAY 11,2006
Section
Motherless
mothers
remember
role models
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
More than 1,300 “motherless
mothers” participated in an
online survey between
October 2002 and June 2005
for Hope Edelman’s book of
the same name, published by
HarperCollins.
Eighty percent were younger
than 24 when they became
motherless and the largest
group—23 percent—were
younger than 6. Eighty-six
percent of respondents lost
mothers to death, while others
lost their mothers to mental
illness, alcoholism or drug
dependency, physical aban
donment, emotional unavail
ability and divorce.
Some of the findings:
• When asked to recall their
mother’s parenting style, 65
percent described her as very
engaged, 19 percent as some
what engaged, 9 percent
somewhat disengaged and 7
percent as very disengaged.
• As for fathers, only 15 per
cent were considered to be
very engaged before the moth
ers’ deaths or departures; 31
percent as somewhat engaged,
23 percent as somewhat disen
gaged and 20 percent as very
disengaged. (Another 12 per
cent reported their father
deceased or physically absent.)
But even after the mothers’
deaths or departures, fathers’
interest in parenting didn’t
change much, with 18 percent
very engaged, 27 percent
somewhat engaged, 17 per
cent somewhat disengaged
and 23 percent very disen
gaged.
Thirty-four percent of
respondents called their dad a
positive role model while 34
percent called him negative,
and other 31 percent called
him neutral.
• Many women said their
opinion of their mother
improved once they had their
own children.
Sixt3’-one percent reported
more admiration, compared to
5 percent with less admira
tion; 47 percent had more
sympathy for their mother, 3
percent had less; 66 percent
were more aware of how their
mothers must have loved
them; 14 percent were more
aware of how they should’ve
loved them; and 8 percent said
their opinion didn’t change.
• Without their own mothers
to turn to, 65 percent said they
seek parenting advice from
friends; 56 percent use books
or magazines; 55 percent ask
their spouse; 24 percent ask a
sibling; 23 percent a paid pro
fessional; 12 percent their
mother-in-law; and 9 percent
their father. Twenty-four per
cent said they rely only on
themselves. (Respondents
could choose more than one
source of advice.)
• Forty-three percent of chil
dren of motherless mothers
started asking about their
grandmother’s absence when
they were 2-6; 2 percent asked
when they were younger than
2; 13 percent between 6-12;
and 2 percent between 12-18.
Of the 38 percent who had
children that never asked,
many likely were too yoimg to
THE STOCK MARKET
O O O C
The grandest moms
More grandmothers take on child-rearing for second generation
By Cheris F. Hodges
cherishadges@ihecharloitepoxt.com
Some times, grandma is
momma.
Especially in the African
American community.
The number of grand
mothers who are hving with
and raising grandchildren
in households that do not
include either of the grand
child’s parents continues to
rise and is among the fastest
growing type of household
since 1990.
In 2000, there were 2.3
million grandparent care
givers in the United States.
Historically, black and white
grandmothers have played
different roles within fami
lies, with black grandmoth
ers playing a more central
role in holding kin networks
together, and less likely
than white grandmothers to
embrace noninterference,
the researchers observed.
Charlotte resident Hattie
Anthony knows this fact
because she raised her
granddaughter, Ebony
Moore-Roach from the time
she was 10.
“I was in my early ,30s
(when Ebony) came to live
with me,” Anthony said.
“Miss Ebony got all the
attention and love and the
benefit of my maturity. I had
the opportunity to have
some experiences in life and
mature. Ebony was the ben
efit of all of that.”
Black grandmothers who
are primary caregivers find
the role less psychologically
burdensome than their
white coimterparts, accord-
- ing to a recent study of
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Ebony Moore-Roach and her grandmother Hattie Anthony share a bond that
runs deeper the grandchild and grandmother.
American grandmothers by Boston
College researchers.
The study by Initiatives On Aging
Director Rachel A. Pruchno and project
director Dorothy McKenney, published
in the September issue of Journal of
Gerontology: Psychological Sciences,
examined the psychological well-being ■
of 867 grandmothers raising- grandchil
dren in households that did not include
either of the grandchild’s parents.
“As the number of grandmothers who
Please see MOTHER’S DAY/2B
Seminar urges greater parental involvement
ByAisha Lide
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Even adults can use help
with parenting skills.
On Monday, Children in
Crisis Network presented
“The Importance of Fathers
in Education,” a workshop
to inform parents - especial
ly fathers - about the impor
tance of supporting children
throughout life. The work
shop included speakers who
talked about growing up
fatherless and ended with
an open forum of parent
advocate representatives
from Charlotte-
Mecklenburg schools.
“I am praying that we get
fathers in and show them
the importance of the father
figure in a child’s life in edu
cation,” said Russell
Alexander, founder and
director of the network.
The workshop was the
first for Children In Crisis
Network, which Alexander
started because of his older
brother, who is HIV-posi
tive. Alexander and his
brother grew up in the
same household, same par
ents, and same opportuni
ties but their lives turned
out totally different. By the
time Alexander’s brother
was 27, he’d been in prison
three times. He is now 45.
Alexander says aH while
trying to find answers to
the reason why they ended
up totally different he inter
viewed his brother and he
said the reason for every
thing was because he did
not have a man in his life. “I
did not want a man in my
life.”
It is important to
Alexander for parents to
become aware of what they
need to do to make their
children successful. “Our
goal is to motivate parents,
grandparents, and to moti
vate children,” he said.
Edward Alexander,
Please see PARENTING/2B
Sunglasses bring coolness to summer wear
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK
Sunglasses are a favorite
tool of the cool. They can hit
just the right balance
between calling attention to
oneself and being incognito.
Your best chance of being
mistaken for a celebrity is
definitely wearing sun
glasses, probably in a place
you don’t need them—like
indoors.
Sunglasses do serve a
fashion purpose, too:
They’re a way to individual
ize a summertime look that
might not be more than a T-
shirt and shorts—not much
room for expression there.
In fact, increasingly, peo
ple are building a
“wardrobe” of sunglasses,
just as' they’ve done for
shoes, handbags and watch
es, sometimes making
accessories the essential
part of an outfit that every
thing else aims to comple
ment.
See SUNGLASSES/2B
PHOTOn’HE STOCK MARKET
After prision, woman graduates law school
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANN ARBOR, Mich.-A
nostalgic smile crosses
Serena Nunn’s face when
she remembers the young
man she feU in love with at
age 19. But there was no
happily-ever-after in that
teen romance: Nunn’s
boyfidend was a drug deal
er, and she ended up with a
15 1/2-year prison sentence
for assisting in a drug con
spiracy.
After serving a decade,
Nunn walked out ahead of
schedule with a commuta
tion from President Clinton
in July 2000 and quickly
made up for lost time. On
Saturday, she’ll fulfill a
dream she’s had since high
school when she dons cap
and gown to get her diplo
ma from the University of
Michigan Law School.
About 20 relatives,
friends and supporters will
be there to cheer Nunn on,
ibut, you know, realistically
it wouldn’t matter if I was
by myself,! the 36-year-old
Minneapolis native said
this week with a laugh. “I’m
walking across that stage
and getting my degree.”
While still in prison,
Nunn became a poster child
for the campaign for more
liberal sentencing for small
time drug offenders. Her
high sentence was mandat
ed by law, and the judge
could not take into account
her lack of a criminal record
and the minor role she
played in the conspiracy.
Tbday, Nunn, who says
she wants to practice public
interest law or criminal
defense, remains active
with the organization
Families Against
Mandatory Minimums. She
said she hopes continued
publicity of her case will
lead to further changes in
the sentencing system,
which already has been
somewhat softened since
she was sent to prison.
Nunn’s odyssey began in
1988 when financial diffi
culties forced her to return
home after her first semes
ter at Morris Brown
College, a historically black
college in Atlanta. She was
introduced to Ralph
Lamont “Monte” Nunn.
(The two coincidentally
share the same last name.)
' Monte Nunn was a drug
dealer, and his father was
the leader of Minnesota’s
The
tWER W
; cocame nng.
Drugs and the drug trade
were so commonplace at
See WOMAN/3B
Seconds of
prevention,
a lifetime of
good health
The Centers for Disease
Control’s Healthy People 2010
has identified immunizations as
a major health disparity area in
the United States. Did you
know that approximately one
third of African-American chil
dren do not receive the neces
sary vaccinations? The goal by
2010 for all children aged 19 to
35 months is a 90 percent
immunization rate.
When and why should I vacci
nate my children?
The most important time to
begin to protect our children
from these diseases is during
infancy. Common preventable,
infectious diseases among chil
dren that require vaccinations
include: polio, measles, mumps,
rubella (German measles),
diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus,
influenza pneumonia, chicken-
pox and hepatitis B.
It is important to vaccinate
children because the organisms
that cause these diseases still
exist and are always at risk for
returning and causing severe
illness and outbreaks. For this
reason, it is important to vacci
nate during infancy, continue
immunizations until the child
begins school, and re-vaccinate
with appropriate boosters,
thereafter. Usually several
doses of a particular vaccine are
necessary to confer protection
against a particular disease.
Do all children need to be
immunized?
You should always talk to your
pediatrician about vaccinating
your child. While most children
should be vaccinated, there are
exceptions and some children
have special conditions that pre
vent them from following a rou
tine vaccine schedule. For
example, children with HIV or
cancer should not receive vacci
nations. Your child’s pediatri
cian should be aware of any
existing medical conditions.
What vaccines should my
child have, and when should he
or she get them?
Vaccines against several dis
eases are often given together in
a single immunization as fol
lows: MMR = measles, mumps
and rubella (German measles),
DTP = diphtheria, tetanus and
pertussis. The dosing recom
mendation for adequate protec
tion of children is generally
referred to as “4:3:1:3:3”. This
means that your child should
receive 4 or more doses of DTP,
3 or more doses of the poho'virus
vaccine, 1 or more doses of
measles-containing vaccine
(MMR), 3 or more doses of the
influenza pneumonia vaccine
(Hib), and 3 or more doses of the
hepatitis B vaccine.
In addition, vaccination
against chickenpox is recom
mended at age 1 year and pneu
mococcal vaccine for children at
increased risk for pneumococcal
infection. Several of these
should be given at birth or as
early as 1 month of age so check
with your pediatrician early!
Advice for parents on vaccina
tions:
• Always make sure you keep
your child’s vaccination records
up-to-date.
• It is common for children to
have a low fever and some
swelling in the area of the injec
tion in the 24 hours following a
vaccine. If your child has more
serious adverse reactions (for
Please see HEALTH/3B