Large modifications have been made by the Trump administration, together with the rollback of DEI initiatives. Though the White Home put out an announcement recognizing Black Historical past Month, the Division of Protection has acknowledged that it is going to now not use its assets to mark cultural consciousness months. But, the Division of Protection nonetheless encourages service members to attend these occasions exterior of obligation hours.
This complicated lack of alignment from this administration has moms taking further steps to guard their family members. And it’s one thing that’s been on the Mama’s Den’s minds.
Black Love founder/CEO & podcast producer Codie Elaine Oliver, GRAMMY Award-winning powerhouse Melanie Fiona, writer Ashley Chea and life & wellness coach Felicia LaTour— the 4 ladies who make up the favored podcast—are ensuring their children have the knowledge and assets they should really feel protected.
“Again in November, the day after the election, we had an incident the place one in every of my kids had communicated to different classmates his worry across the president-elect. I acquired a telephone name…he was saying that he was afraid of being harmed,” Oliver shared candidly. “I don’t know the place he discovered it…we haven’t used that phrase.”
Research present that speaking to your kids, listening to and acknowledging their fears and issues and retaining an open line of communication is the easiest way to deal with a baby’s anxiousness, which the moms of the Mama’s Den do every day.
“I’m fairly clear with my children. I’d slightly them be told than not understanding. Clearly, you do it in a really light method, so it doesn’t scare them, however I believe it’s at all times finest to have the knowledge as an alternative of them being blindsided or the world educating them one thing else,” stated La Tour.
“On the finish of the day, we nonetheless wish to make it possible for we’re defending their pleasure and so they’re not nervous. It’s not a simple job, however I believe it’s an necessary one.”
These devoted mothers understand that being in the very best place to care for his or her kids begins with themselves.
“It’s arduous to search out pleasure when issues really feel heavy and when it feels just like the world isn’t there so that you can assist, look after and encourage you,” stated Fiona.
“We’ve got a duty and an entitlement to struggle for our pleasure greater than ever and to have the ability to enable different ladies to really feel empowered to struggle for theirs. Getting collectively and laughing helps and takes just a little little bit of the sting off the anxiousness that we’re carrying, understanding that we’re carrying it as a collective, that we’re in it collectively.”
Chea added, “We’re not a monolithic group of individuals—all of us have fully totally different experiences and expertise the world otherwise. I believe it’s necessary to simply have areas the place ladies can categorical themselves and be their true selves, honor their experiences and be just a little decide much less judgmental to 1 one other.”
Meaning making our properties locations of sanctuary the place everybody can expertise pleasure.
“We simply have a variety of love and pleasure in our dwelling, and we dance loads. And my ladies love dancing the way in which I really like dancing. So actually, like, we make up dances, we make up performs, and we do a variety of pretending in, in, in our dwelling. As a result of the true world is so nerve-racking, we do a variety of imaginative play,” Chea concluded.
“Serving to them to grasp the duality of life exterior your property there’s loads, however inside your property is the place you create peace. It’s the place you create these relationships with the individuals you’ll be able to belief essentially the most. In order that’s just about been the dynamic of my life for the previous 16 years with all of my kids. And it’s not altering now.”
