Girls become strong by witnessing the challenges of their mothers. Mothers and Daughters are the Queens & Princesses of modern times.
The best way for a young girl to figure out her place in the world is to have her watch her mother proudly proclaim hers.
And that was definitely the case for me, all those years ago, when I was navigating life and work as a single mom and a mentor for my young daughter
Looking back on the 15-hour days and nights when I came home too exhausted to even fix myself something to eat, I certainly didn’t feel like I was doing any sort of modeling of strength and perseverance back then! I was new to my career and determined to grow and bloom without forsaking my young family. It was an exhausting a delicate dance between burn-out and determination.
Luckily determination won and my family saw my success through the eyes of pride instead of feeling pushed aside.
The most affected during those early ‘working mom” years was my daughter who also happens to be my oldest child. There were many nights when she would stay up past her bedtime just so we could cuddle and talk. This treasured ritual is something I purposefully wrote about in the very first of my Kayla: A Modern Day Princess books.
Time flies and my family grew, my career flourished, and everyone turned out just fine.
But now as my Princess (my daughter, Kayla) has grown into a Queen, I know for sure that she learned to pursue her dreams by watching me chase mine. She is truly my butterfly who has fully emerged from her cocoon in full regal beauty.
It has been fun to watch her dreams come to life. It has been fun to watch her fly. And my heart grows happier each day I watch her achieve success and accomplishment over and over. Kayla’s dream was always to be on stage. To sing. To dance. To act. To entertain.
So, tired Queen Mamas, if you feel like your crown is slipping, don’t give up. Stand with pride, operate from a place of dignity, and ask for help when you need it. Our daughters will carry on our torch of passion and fire when it is their time. We just need to keep embracing the Majesty of our Womanhood and keep it moving.
Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess–A Little Magic is HERE!
Kayla always had a plan. The problem was a lot of other people had a plan for Kayla too. But as an independent young woman, Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess has grown into a Queen. “ModernDayK,” as her peers call her.
So, when she tells her mom that she is on her way home from college with “big news,” the results are some surprises, some honest conversations, and the realization of a life-long dream. Mother and daughter soon see how all the special princess gifts from the past will play a magical role in Kayla’s future. Each gift has a special memory, and each represents a noteworthy milestone in her life. But most importantly, they are filled with confidence, determination, a mother’s love, and A Little Magic.
Parents and Teachers: Seeing characters who look like them in the books they read is not only essential for building self-esteem, but it also helps young readers understand that they matter. Diverse and #OWNVOICES books, like Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess, help kids discover for themselves that their dreams are possible. This book, and the other diverse picture books in the Kayla series, touch on important and timely topics like family dynamics, challenging stereotypes, acceptance, social justice, confidence, speaking our truth, and inclusion.
This book series is not just for girls or children of color either. Frequently, adults forget the “Windows” part of “Windows and Mirrors.” A Mirror is a story that reflects your own culture and helps you build your identity, but a Window is a resource that offers you a view into someone else’s experience. It is critical to understand that students cannot truly learn about themselves unless they learn about others. White kids need to read books that provide a “window” into new cultures, races, traditions, family dynamics, and religions to drive the point home.
“If you care about fostering empathy in children, you need to genuinely care about the journey of other people who don’t look and live as you do.” ~Deedee Cummings
Adults also need to provide books for our kids that do not contribute to harmful stereotypes and misconceptions. This can occur much more quickly when the book is not written by someone who lived that life and learned firsthand from experience. Instead, we owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to share books that help us see the world as the vast, beautiful, and fascinating place that it truly is- from the perspective of many. The most authentic story is told by the one who lived it. By investing in #OWNVOICES stories, book buyers support the stories and amplify the voices, of the authors who lived them.
Grab your copy in both ebook and paperback HERE.