Meeting of the Madres

How can you grieve productively? Is there such a thing? When our guest, Portia Summers-Thurston, lost her 17-year-old son to a stabbing in 2016, she found healing through mentoring other at-risk young men in south Atlanta. Listen as she shares how she overcame her natural feelings of guilt and vengeance to come to a place of peace. If you've lost a child to violence, this episode is especially meant for you.

This week, Dr. Vivian Bea joins the Madres in an enlightening discussion on breast cancer in the black and brown communities. Ladies, get your mammograms! Dr. Bea is a breast oncologist surgeon at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Her work outside of the operating room mostly revolves around bridging the gap of disparities between minority women and their health. Aside from that, she's co-authored an Amazon best seller with her son called “Please Don't Touch My Magical Hair.” You can follow Dr. Bea on Instagram at @drvivianmd and on Twitter at @drvivian.

This episode was recorded the night following the Vice Presidential Debate for the 2020 Presidential Election, held Wednesday, October 7, 2020. This time around, the Madres are sharing their thoughts on the debate and the importance of our voting rights. For more information on voting in your area, visit your secretary of state's website, or www.centerforvoterinformation.org. Vote like your life depends on it... because it does!

On this episode of the Meeting of the Madres Podcast, Danielle talks with Khalilah Brooks about why representation is important in children's TV and theater programming. Khalilah Brooks has created a musical puppet theater company that produces a show with an ethnically and socially diverse cast of characters that stand up to 6 feet tall! Listen up as Khalilah takes us to school on diversity and inclusion in children's programming. Catch her show, Aunty B & Friends on YouTube and Facebook at @auntyb1. Get free printables from the show's Pinterest feed at @auntyb_ and visit the website at www.auntyb.ca for more information.

Are you tired of stumbling into your day? Try these tips for a smoother morning routine. You might be surprised at the quality of your days after making a few changes to your mornings! As always, we'd love to get your feedback. Leave us a review so other moms can find us easier! Also, email any topic suggestions to lasmadres1@gmail.com and join our private Meeting of the Madres Facebook group for more inspiration and community!

Are life situations creating anxiety in your children? In this episode, the Madres are discussing some ways to alleviate anxiety in kids. We're speaking about anxiety not from the sense of a continuous “anxiety disorder,” but anxiety as a response to a specific event or series of events. We referenced some information found at the Child Kind Institute at www.childmind.org. Check it out when you have some time! CDC.org and KidsHealth.org have resources for parents with children who struggle with anxiety disorders.

This week, the Madres dig into some issues that children have had with social distancing. Here are some things to look for in your children, and a few ways that you can help them deal with the anxieties associated with their current situations. Join Meeting of the Madres on Facebook. Just search for Meeting of the Madres and request your membership! Be sure to leave a review to help other ladies find this podcast easier, and send in your topic ideas to lasmadres1@gmail.com.

This time around, entrepreneur Sophia Esquivel sits in the chair to talk about balancing boss life and family life. She's a mom of 6, a wife and has been an entrepreneur for several years. Sophia runs The Leon's Heart blog (theleonsheartmom.com) and store (theleonsheart.com). Check out the wisdom nuggets she drops in this necessary conversation about the hats we wear! You're always welcome to join Meeting of the Madres Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/meetingofthemadres.

Have you had some concerns about how your children will attend this school year? Some schools will delay the start of school and phase in face-to-face learning. Others will have virtual learning for several weeks, then eventually switch to the traditional face-to-face class sessions. However you slice it, this school will be like none other (thanks to the coronavirus pandemic), but you don't have to feel like you're stuck with something that doesn't work for your family's needs or priorities! In this episode, the Madres give some options for at-home learning from traditional homeschooling to virtual charter schools. We'll mention k12.com, Georgia Cyber Academy (georgiacyber.org), the abeka Christian homeschool curriculum (abeka.com), and Connections Academy (connectionsacademy.com). Take this opportunity to educate yourself on your options, and be sure to read your state education department's website for guidelines about homeschool, if you choose that route.

Believe it or not, it's already time to prepare your household for another school year. In this episode, the Madres discuss the preparations that they're making as we enter the last few weeks of summer break. From meal planning to making school supply lists, we've got a lot of ideas to help you start the school year off right!

Are you a mom who usually works outside of the home? We have a special treat for you! I'm this episode, the Madres talk with Tracie Potts, a mom who, under non-pandemic circumstances, works in a hectic Washington D.C. newsroom as an NBC news correspondent. She shares some of her own methods of bringing home peace after a busy day at the office.

Do you consider yourself a Supermom? Well, even if you don't, all moms need a break. Sometimes we're forced to rest when we fall ill, but are our families prepared to pick up and run like a well-oiled machine? You may pride yourself on doing it all, but even Supermom needs a break.

This week, the Madres discuss the new developments in the case of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillén, whose family reported her missing in April. The 20-year-old woman's remains were found near Fort Hood, Texas, last week following sexual harassment claims that she made to her family. We're digging into this and the #MeToo Movement as it relates to the military and the workplace in general.

Can a woman raise her son to be a man alone? The Madres tackle this burning question in this week's podcast!

The Madres speak with Debra Ladson, a certified behavioral health counselor at Covenant House Georgia, about teaching our kids the harsh realities of life as a minority, and introducing them to the history of their people.

Our children have seen and been impacted by a lot this year! From the Coronavirus pandemic disrupting their school days and play dates to hearing the adults discuss police brutality, protests and racism in general. In this first part of our conversation on helping your kiss process social injustices, Danielle and Elke share their feelings on the latest news and how they help their children understand what's happening.

In this episode, Elke and Danielle discuss the ways in which moms can deal with everything that's going on from the racial injustice protests to the uncertainties around the coronavirus pandemic. The thing to remember is that there is hope in Jesus, and we can pull through if we keep our eyes on Him.

Can't get your child to read? The Madres have some ideas and habit-forming tricks that will have your child begging for time with a good book.

In this episode, Elke and Danielle have a soul-searching conversation about accepting help from friends, getting wise counsel from those who've been there and done that, and paying it forward for someone else in need of a village. Discussions like these make Meeting of the Madres “Community for Every Part of You!”

We're all experiencing more time at home than usual. Because of this global pandemic, even if you're an essential worker, you're home more than usual, and that can mean more irritation in some cases. We all love our families, but for those who instantly became homeschooling moms, this means balancing being a teacher with all the other hats we wear. In this episode, Elke and Danielle discuss some ways to keep things peaceful at home in this unique situation. If you have a topic idea, email us at lasmadres1@gmail.com.

Life is challenging, but it's all preparation! We all have goals, hopes and dreams. But we're not going to get there without preparation in order to handle all that comes with achieving those goals. Remember: Nothing happens by mistake; it's all part of the process - the good, the bad and the ugly - but God uses them to prepare us for what He wants for our lives.

We all want the best for our kids, right? When it comes to eating right, that means being intentional about what they're eating. In this episode, Meeting of the Madres mom, Hope Smith, will tell us how she's kicked chronic illness and disease to the curb for herself and her family through healthy food choices.