Decrying Anti-Asian Hate
We have recently witnessed more abhorrent acts of hate and violence against members of our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; acts that horrify us, anger us and underscore the centuries-long impact of the lie of White Supremacy on all of our lives. A few days ago, as I was playing a game with my […]
12 Powerful Anti-Racism Books for Kids By Age by Petal Modeste
Take a look a Petal’s most recent article on Parents.com. Here she highlights and recommends 12 powerful anti-racism books for kids, all broken down by different age groups. You’ll be able to find the right book to share with your child about being anti-racist. Read the article here.
Parenting and the Storming of the Capitol
Following the deadly storming of the US Capitol last week, parents and teachers sought guidance and resources to help them support their children, many of whom were at home and could see the events unfold on their television and smart phone screens. By the next morning, several education non-profits, media houses and city and state […]
[VIDEO] Lessons Learned from a Pandemic that can help us Parent for the Future!
“It’s easy to get dizzy from all this pivoting! Petal Modeste is an accomplished lawyer, blogger and podcaster who has some pro tips as we head into a new year.” -FOX 24 News Now
PFTF’s 2021 Binge Watch List
The holiday season is nearly officially over but as we continue to social distance to keep our loved ones safe, PFTF host Petal Modeste shares some of the movies, documentaries and TV shows her family most enjoyed this past holiday season and will keep enjoying in the year ahead. They will surely make you laugh, [...]
This Week’s Feature: Medium.com
Having trouble maintaining a work/life balance? In our latest feature, with Medium.com, Petal reveals how she maintains her position at work, spending time time with family, and finding time for herself. Take a look at her recent interview, and see what she had to say about how a busy exec can make time to be […]
[VIDEO] This Week’s Feature: Good Day Chicago
Petal Modeste, a parenting expert and host of Parenting for the Future, discusses multicultural toys and books available for the holidays on Good Day Chicago. Watch as she shares her recommendations for this holiday season. Remember, raising accepting children, starts at home and what better way than to make it educational and playful. Take a […]
This Week’s Feature: Madamenoire.com
Recently we were featured in “What You Need To Consider If You’re Planning A Family Road Trip Home For The Holidays” on Madamenoire.com. Take a look to see what our very own Petal Modeste had to say if you plan on traveling this holiday season with your family. Full article: What You Need To Consider If […]
[VIDEO] Kids Respond: What Would They Do If They Were President of the United States
WOW. These kids were asked what they would do if they were president, and what our new president should focus on...their answers will inspire you. Our kids are our future—but we should listen to them today. Head over to our Youtube channel for more content.
This Week’s Feature: Goodhousekeeping.com
This week we had the honor of being mentioned in Good Housekeeping’s, “The 15 Best Parenting Podcasts for Busy Moms and Dads to Follow Right Now”. If you’re looking to add new podcasts to your rotation, we highly recommend to check out their article.
Election 2020: What Parents Need to Know About Climate Change
With a week remaining to vote in the 2020 Election, there is no issue more important to parents than climate change. In this episode Petal Modeste shares facts parents should consider before heading to the polls to cast their vote.
Parenting and Politics: Parenting For The Future Season 3
Climate Change. Racism. The Coronavirus Pandemic. There is so much at stake in the 2020 election—for parents and for all of us. In Season 3 of Parenting for the Future, we examine what these issues will mean for the world that our children will live in today, after November 3, and beyond.
Back to School in a COVID-19 World – Advice for Parents
On this episode, we discuss what steps we can take as parents when deciding whether to send our kids back to school, and how we should be preparing for a possible second lockdown.
Wrapping Up Season 2
Dear PFTF Friends, Season 2 of Parenting for the Future comes to an end today. And what a season! This podcast was launched to help parents understand two things - the phenomena that have and will shape the world in which their children will come of age and the science and strategies for raising their [...]
Pride
Pride Month is in full swing. It is a time for the world’s LGBTQ+ communities and their allies to come together to celebrate the many battles they have won to be accepted for who they are and to be treated equally under the law. But pride month is also a time to reflect upon, a […]
Knees Buried in Necks & Finding Hope for the Future
I have spent many hours over the past few days in tears, holding my children, grappling with feelings of utter despair and wondering if the well of optimism, having sustained black people for hundreds of years through the most vile and unfathomable evils, is finally not deep enough or wide enough to sustain another generation. [...]
The Legacy of Housing Segregation Lives On
Beginning in the 17th century and continuing for the next 200 years, untold millions of Africans were kidnapped, shipped across the Atlantic under abominable conditions, violently tortured, brutally dehumanized and enslaved. Slavery created extraordinary wealth and prosperity for America so it was imperative for those who benefited to legitimize and defend this vile institution. To [...]
How to Triage Your Life in the Time of COVID-19: Lessons from the E.R.
As Coronavirus infections and deaths continue to mount around the globe, so do our feelings of anxiety, worry and the sense that we have lost control of our lives in fundamental ways. Yet, my conversation this week with mom and Yale- and Harvard-trained ER physician, Dr. Darria Long- Gillespie assures us that we can control [...]
Teaching our Teens to Find Their Passion
As the Coronavirus sweeps the globe, it is having a microscopic effect—revealing for many the challenges we face as a human family; the very challenges we dissect and discuss on each episode of Parenting for the Future. The systemic racism in our societies. The stark disparities in the delivery of health care. The digital divide [...]
Quarantine Life: Ideas for making the most of family time
Wherever you are in the world, you, like us at Parenting For The Future, are undoubtedly adjusting to the new normal. You may be working from home, helping your children go to school or keep up with their studies digitally, recalibrating your finances, strategizing to ensure food and essentials are available for the long haul [...]
Coronavirus Toolkit for Parents
I hope you are doing well and staying healthy. I am writing to let you know that Parenting for the Future will now release episodes every other Tuesday. This will allow us to share more tools, resources and guidance that are responsive to the current events and phenomena shaping the future for our children. We [...]
Recommended Activities to Keep Black History Month Education Going All Year
Activities: Take the Implicit Bias Test Visit Equal Justice Work’s Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture Visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
A List of Talks, Movies & Documentaries to Watch for Black History Month
Ted Talks My road trip through the whitest towns of America —Rich Benjamin How to Overcome your Biases? Walk Boldly Towards Them — Vrenã Myers We need to Talk about an Injustice — Bryan Stevenson The Little Problem I Had Renting a House – James A. White Sr. Movies & Documentaries Netflix 13th 42 KKK: […]
A Black History Month Reading List for Parents, Educators & Children
For Parents and Educators Black Reconstruction in America by W.E.B. Du Bois How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad Out of the House of Bondage: The […]
Beyond Black History Month: Resources for Parents, Educators and Children
Suggestions for things to read, see and do to help us continue to focus on the parts of our history that have so profoundly shaped our present and that we will need to reshape if all our children are to have a real future.
These inspiring kids are shaping the future in a big way
A few favorite stories of the children who are shaping the future.
Welcome to the 2020! (Season 2 is coming soon!)
Welcome to the new decade! All of us at Parenting for the Future hope that this year is one in which your joy increases exponentially, your work deeply satisfies you, your relationships strengthen and sustain you and your unique and positive impact is amplified! Season 2 starts January 28! Between now and then, we will […]
How the Baha’i faith is empowering youth during adolescence
A Conversation with Luke Bolton on the Bahá’í Faith’s Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program Luke Bolton grew up in Durango Colorado but left home to go to Bard College in upstate New York. He graduated from college with a degree in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies, initially intending to work in diplomacy abroad. This [...]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Our Children join the UN in Sounding the Emergency Bell on Climate Change
The 74th UN General Assembly is in Session. More than 90 heads of state have descended at the UN's New York headquarters to discuss and debate the world's most pressing issues. As a lead in to the Climate Action Youth Summit and Climate Action Summit, millions of people (from toddlers to great-grandparents) took to the [...]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Provocative Parenting Questions
This week I am sharing three thought-provoking questions with respect to our children and their well-being, including whether some of us should be allowed to have children. I also read a series of articles that focus on some of the phenomena that impact childhood learning and development and the policies and advances in science and […]
Parenting for the Future: Staring Down Parenting Challenges from Toddlers to Collegiates
This week, my thoughts are divided among many important parenting issues that impact all of our children, from toddlers to school-age kids all the way to collegiates. For starters — the safety and security of our kids can never be far from our minds and when we can’t trust Disney to have kid-appropriate digital content, […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Companies Changing the World, 11 Amazing Examples of Disruptive Technology, 9 Disruptive Technology Trends for 2019, How to Stay Relevant in an Automated World, Are Universities Preparing Students for the Future of Work?, What a Couple of IPOs Means for the Future of Business, Parental Guilt is a Cultural Epidemic, One Indonesian Lawmaker Says “End Child Marriage Hell,” and Girls Not Brides — a White Paper.
With summer officially over and kids back to school this week, my thoughts turn to the promise of a new academic year and all that the future holds. With so much tech news filling my feed, I have spent much of my time this week reading about companies that are changing the world through innovation, […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Climate Change and Child Stunting, Climate Change and Children’s Health, Greta Thurnberg Inspiring Kids and Publishers, Saving Farmland for Future Generations, New WW App for Kids Causing Controversy, Online Radicalization and Mass Shootings, Six Proven Ways to Raise Kids to Be Change-Makers, and Toni Morrison Words of Wisdom on Parenting.
With each passing day, climate change becomes more of a threat to our planet and to humanity. This week, I am taking a closer look at the direct impact this global issue is having on our children. To begin, I read a study by the National Academy of Sciences which shows that droughts and rainfall […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: 10 Secret Text Codes Teens Use, 11 Secret Emoji Messages Every Parent Should Know, 10 Reasons You Should Track a Child’sCell Phone or Computer, 12 New Teen Slang and Acronyms for 2019, 30 Emojis Used for Sexting, What Parents Need to Know About Cyberbullying, 9 Sexuality/Gender terms and Definitions Most Teens Know — But Most Parents Don’t, and the 30 Best Family Movies to Watch With Kids.
Many Parents would argue that keeping track of teens and their tech use is the greatest challenge of parenting this generation — and they wouldn’t be wrong. For starters, many of us spend a lot of time negotiating (Read: arguing) screen time with our kids, and we often find ourselves walking the fine line of […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Parenting a Child with Cancer, Parents’ Emotional Trauma May Change Kids’ Biology, When to Worry About Your Child’s Anxiety, Your Children Need to be BORED, 10 Middle-Schoolers Making Big Changes, Kindness is Innate But Not Inevitable, 16+ Summer Math Activities for Kids.
This week, I read a cross section of parenting articles that brought to mind how we, as parents, are responsible for creating balance in our kids’ lives. In today’s world, that can be very difficult with so much scary news from mass shootings to the threat of war. So, how can we as parents create […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Grannies for the Future, Fertility Preservation for Transgender and Non-Binary People, More Kids Want to Be YouTubers, Skate After School, 6 Life Lessons for Raising a Transgender Child, A Growing Child-Free By Choice Movement, Gov. Cuomo Signs Green New Deal, UK Activists and Lawmakers Revitalize Green New Deal.
As climate change becomes more dire with each passing year, we are forced to look at its far reaching effects beyond those that are most obvious. This week, I learned how a growing movement of people are choosing not to have children in an effort to reduce their impact on our declining environment. In a […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Should Kids Get Mental Health Days? 6 Things Happy Families Have in Common, Getting Ahead of Kids’ Inattention Issues, Creative Ways to Manage Screen Time, How to Stop Emotional Eating, Malala’s Dad on Pushing Equality at Home, Will Robots One Day Replace us as Parents?
As parents, we are constantly questioning whether we are doing enough for our children to ensure their success in the future. We worry about whether we are instilling in them core values such as a strong work ethic, or empathy. And with so much information coming at us, it’s hard to know sometimes where to […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: What The Future Looks Like for Special Needs Parents, Hiring Screen-Free Coaches, Science Says Parents Are Taking it Too Far, The Pros and Cons of Working From Home, Robots as Elder Carers, Automation and Its Impact on Jobs, How AI Rooted Out a Sexist Culture, and Humans Still Do Some Things Better than Robots.
The old saying “Man plans and God laughs” seems to ring eerily true these days as we — and most notably our children — face many unknowns for the future. As parents , we can’t help but imagine our children’s futures once they leave our nests. Now, more than ever, the future seems more difficult […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Teens Making Big Changes, Tackling Global Sanitation Issues, The Future of Work-Life Balance, 6 New Space Jobs for the Future, Why Kids Need a Side Hustle, Getting Your Kids to Move This Summer, Avoiding the “Summer Slide,” and How Cow Farts Are Contributing to Climate Change.
We are inundated daily by news of crises the world over — the perils of climate change, war and genocide, political corruption — just to name a few. For this reason, it’s not unusual to be anxious about the world our children stand to inherit, and what we can do to help create a more […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Mom’s Post on Parenting Son with Autism Hailed for Honesty, Celebrating the good and bad this July 4, Kids and Self-worth, The dangers of “Helicopter Parenting,” Motivating Your Kids, Parenting in Poverty, What to do When Kids Say the Darndest Things, and the Funniest Parenting Tweets of the Week.
As parents, we are charged with navigating our children through this tricky world, responsible for helping them develop the resilience to rise to life’s many challenges, and also to provide a safe harbor for them so they know we always have their backs. This is the journey of parenthood — the good, the bad and […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: 5 child activists doing incredible things, Swedish preschools and gender biases, Teaching hard AND soft skills in school, Fostering self-awareness in kids, Keeping our kids safe from harmful YouTube content, A Sandy Hook mom’s very personal quest, and Throwing away the “working mom” guilt.
As summer gets into full swing and the streets, pools and beaches fill with kids, my thoughts turn to youngsters effecting big changes all over the world and in all areas of life. Frustrated by what many of them deem inaction by older generations, they have decided to use their little voices to speak loudly […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: The Secret of Being a Good Father, What Dads Can do To Help Their Daughters Succeed, Redefining Masculinity, Giving in to Gaming With Your Kids, and how Reading to Your Infant Can Benefit You Both.
This Father’s Day, I couldn’t help but think of how much the definition of a good dad has changed over time. Nowadays, dads are doing more hands-on parenting than ever before and have emerged as critical supports in their kids healthy development — a far cry from the past when they were seen as the […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Preparing Kids for the 4th Industrial Revolution, Automation and its Impact on Working Women, AI and the Future of Work and Inequality, Overcoming Childhood Poverty, Schoolgirls Fighting to End Child Marriage, Football Uniting Kids Across Cultures and Can Technology Save Global Health and Education?
As the school year closes and kids head outdoors to take advantage of more screen-free activities, I can’t help but think about how much our lives, young and old, are dominated by technology. Several articles this week address how automation and artificial intelligence will continue to shape our future. One author suggested we must be […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Helping Your Kids Find Their Passions, A Magic Formula to Keep Kids Reading Through the Summer, Seven Life Skills To Ensure Your Kids Lead Happy Lives, Keeping Your Kids Safe Poolside This Summer, Simple Tricks to Make Traveling with Kids Better, How to Teach Kids to Appreciate Art, Sesame Street Tackles Financial Literacy, and How to Practice Safe Posting on Social Media.
Summer fever is spreading like wildfire as the weather becomes warmer and the days become longer. With school about to let out, I am looking forward slowing down and escaping and I was happy to find wonderful articles on everything from poolside safety to a magical formula for keeping our kids reading through the summer, […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Raising Successful Kids, Talking to Your Kids About Mental Health, How to Handle Potentially Life-Threatening Social Media Posts, College Kids Reach Space, Millennial Finances, Advances in Autism Treatments, and Climate Change’s Impact on our Kids’ Health.
The link between social media and mental health continues to dominate headlines across the media landscape as we learn more about its impact on all of us, especially our kids. It seems we cannot escape the gloomy news nor the doomsday forecast for our kids as they age in the era of social first. For […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting for the Future Stories: Beating Hunger, Financial Security, Navigating Racism, Emotional Resilience and Innovating the SATs and learning
Hunger, poverty and inequality continue to afflict the human family and threaten the future of too many of our children. This week, I was inspired by an inventor, a billionaire, a mother, and even a college board, all tackling these scourges through creativity, generosity, sport and fearless determination. Along the way I picked up wonderful […]
Petal’s Weekly Tips for Top Parenting Stories: Raising CEOs and doctors, Trailblazing Educators, and Climate Change
There were plenty of stories to inspire me on the Parenting for the Future front this week, including several about Esther Wojcicki, who I met at the NYC launch of her highly anticipated book: “How to Raise Successful People.” A lifelong educator, trailblazer and fearless boundary-pusher, who also happened to raise a doctor and two […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Internet Access, Sports, and Engineering
Parenting in the digital era can cause us a lot of angst as we strive for balance in screen time and social media. But as I work on my podcast Parenting for the Future, I’m keenly aware that digital technology is what has truly allowed us to advance into the Information Age. One of the […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Lifelong Learning, Plastic Toys, and Meltdowns
As I get closer to launching my podcast Parenting for the Future, I think about how much I’ve enjoyed learning more about a wide range of topics through interviewing leading experts and authors on human development. One of the best stories that I came across this week was about how to condition your child to […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Asthma, Parenting Style, and Firstborn Advantage
The current state of the environment and the changing climate affects us all, but parents are especially worried about the impact of pollution on their children and what the world will look like when they reach adulthood. As I work on my Parenting for the Future podcast, I too find myself anxious by the news […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Endangered Species, Foodies and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
As I get closer to the launch of my podcast Parenting for the Future, I’ve been thinking about how we all have different parenting concerns about the future based upon our own life experiences. For example, an essay in Salon looks at the fear of one mother who came late to cooking and now worries […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Early Childcare in India, Future of Work in Australia and Parenting Class in Japan
As a parent with the goal of raising two global citizens, I find myself drawn to stories about how parents around the world are preparing their children for the future. This week, as I worked on my podcast Parenting for the Future, I took time to read about early childcare for low-income families in India, […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: The Future of Work, Adulthood and Feeling Secure
I’ve been making exciting progress on my podcast Parenting for the Future and the launch is in sight! When we talk about parenting, we also must talk about educating — both formally and informally. As you know, education has long been a passion of mine. I’ve been sharing articles about education — and other key […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Teenage Brain, Inclusivity and Climate Strike
One of my main motivations behind creating my podcast Parenting for the Future is the desire to address how dramatically the world is changing in the environmental and technological sense. Many older children realize this — and that’s why more than 1 million protested about government inaction about climate change recently. I have been sharing […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Happiness, Pollution and Social Media
As I prepare to launch my podcast Parenting for the Future, I feel encouraged that so many parents truly want their children to make the world a better place. In this week full of shocking headlines, there are many more stories that bring me hope as a parent and inspire me to do better every […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Arts Education, YouTube and Young Environmentalists
I now have two more experts lined up for my podcast Parenting for the Future. Each guest brings something completely different to the conversation about how parents can support and guide our children to thrive in the world of the future. To prepare for these dialogues, I’ve been keeping abreast of the latest parenting news, […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Math Fiction, Nature and Praising Toddlers
I’m getting ready to record another podcast episode for Parenting for the Future, so I’m right on track to launch my podcast this spring! I’ve also been immersed in research and I have lots of insightful parenting articles to share with you. I’ll be posting stories nightly on my Facebook page, Twitter feed and Pinterest boards, […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Anxiety, Nurturing Talent and Two Codes
From research mode to the production process, I’ve been relishing the learning curve as I work on my first Parenting for the Future podcasts. I have read several inspirational and informative articles and I feel fortunate to have these platforms to share them regularly with you. I’ll be posting stories nightly on my Facebook page, Twitter […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: The Formula, Toothbrushing and Climate Change
This has been a wonderful week! I am so grateful for the outpouring of support from friends after sharing the news that I am launching my podcast Parenting for the Future. I am thrilled that so many of us are excited to learn together about how to prepare our children to thrive in a changing […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Introverts, Bilingualism and Nonfiction Books for Kids
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been engaging in conversations with friends, colleagues and experts about how we can prepare today’s kids to thrive in tomorrow’s world. As I prepare to launch my podcast, Parenting for the Future, I feel inspired knowing that many of us share the same concerns and aspirations for this generation […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Robots, Screen Time and Happy Memories
As I’m getting ready to launch my podcast, Parenting for the Future, I am meeting remarkable potential interviewees. This week, I had the opportunity to meet a leading figure in early childhood education. I look forward to sharing more with you after we tape our session. I’m also reading lots of great parenting articles, and […]
Petal’s Weekly Picks for Top Parenting Stories: Alexa, Resiliency and Mommy Bloggers
I am excited to announce that I am gearing up to launch my podcast, Parenting for the Future! Every week, I’ll be sharing my picks of the most interesting and timely parenting articles on my Facebook page, Twitter feed and Pinterest boards, and on my blog. Here are my picks for the top parenting stories […]