Family values are instilled amongst parents and children and in the BP group, Single Parent’s Circle, these topics are a full range between like-minded individuals. So come and join the group here and also participate in the discussions!

HelloBeautiful recently sat down with Audrey Griffin, the former Vice President of Behind the Bench: the National Basketball Wives Association and new blogger for HelloBeautiful’s Mommy Beautiful.  Audrey also has a forthcoming book called “The Day I Took Off My Cape,” which was edited by award winning writer Asha Bandele. “The Day I Took Off My Cape” is a liberating parenting and contemporary family book that gives essential tips in everything from child rearing, family management, marriage and personal growth among other key things including reclaiming your sexy as a mom!

HB: What drives you?

Audrey: What drives me is the un-relentless desire to inspire mothers everywhere to re-claim their power and bring real balance to their lives so that they are not only the great mothers they already are, but also so that they can fully become the great women they envision themselves to be. I’m passionate about this because my life came full circle on the day that I re-claimed my power as a mother and a woman and brought them together because society tends to separate the two. Once I did that it allowed me to put in place the balance I needed to further cultivate my personal development as an individual and become an even better mother, wife and woman. That is what’s driven me to write “The Day I Took Off My Cape.” What also drives me is the joy I feel when I can help others do well in life and of course the love for my family.

HB: Why do you think that it’s important to take on the stereotype of the spoiled, rich athletes wife?

Audrey: Because it is not every athletes wife’s truth. The majority of us do not fit these stereotypes and it is long overdue to shed a light on the positive things we do for our families and our communities.

HB: Why do feel that it’s important to be a hands-on mom?

Audrey: Because we are the first examples our children will see in the world and it needs to be a good one. That is my responsibility as a parent. That doesn’t mean I am perfect. My kids know that as a mother I may make mistakes but I have their best interests in heart. Children are gifts from God and I simply want to cherish them and nourish them to have the best start in life possible. If I don’t, who will?

HB:  Do you think that it is possible to have it all?

Audrey: Yes! If you are happy, appreciative of what you have and incorporate realistic balance into your life, you will realize you do have it all!

HB: Why do you think that so many moms feel that they have to be superwoman?

Audrey: Because I think no one wants to ‘fail’ at being a good parent, wife, family member, friend or whatever your definition of being a superwoman is. Sometimes in order not to feel like a failure women place unnecessary pressure on themselves to portray a perfect superwoman image that they believe society, neighbors and even friends expect of them. However once the realization is made that no one is perfect and one begins to appreciate themselves for who they are and the great contributions they are already making daily in their family, that’s when things come full circle and one can really be the superwoman they were created to be.EX

Between working and being a new dad, Jerry is on mental overload! so instead of writing his post this week, he introduced us all to the beautiful Sabrina Rose in this video blog! Check it out below.

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From CNN:

Tatiana Tye and a second 16-year-old girl, Jazmine Finley, were indicted earlier this week by a grand jury, Maricopa County, Arizona, prosecutors said in a statement. Although the girls are juveniles, prosecutors released their names and said they will be tried as adults.

“We have a situation of two girls, 16 years old, who are, in essence, pimps,” Hill said. “And they ran their own brothel.”

Police believe the girls had rented an apartment used solely for acts of prostitution, he said.

Prosecutors, citing a police probable cause statement, said the teenagers recruited girls by telling them of “all the money they would be making. Additionally, they were told that it was better working for them as opposed to male pimps because they would not get beat up.”

Hill said, “I think we were all surprised at, you know, were these 16-year-old girls that were arrested, were they running this business? And the answer is yes, they were.”

In a jailhouse interview with KTVK, Tatiana Tye blamed Finley for introducing her to the world of prostitution, and said she was “a follower, not a leader, following whatever Jazmine does, and those were bad things.”

This is wrong on so many levels. For starters we have to teach our daughters to value their bodies more than they value money. Call it a case of too many Lil Wayne videos or whatever but they have to be reprogrammed to love themselves. What was the home situation of these girls that were recruited? Were they not being shown love at home? Did they have a father in the household to love them and explain what they should expect from a man? We need to teach our young women that money fades away and self worth and self esteem are more beneficial…

To finish this thought, go to BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com.

Are YOU raising a daughter? Give Jerry some advice!

From time to time on urban radio I’ve heard an interesting discussion. I hear radio jocksDJ’s tell women something like this,

DJ: “Stop tripping and let that man see his kids.”

Woman: “But he ain’t paying child support”

DJ: “He needs to see them anyway, that child needs to see their father”

Woman: “But he’s not about nothing, he doesn’t have a job, he has kids all around town he doesn’t take care of, he’s using drugs, disrespecting women, etc… etc… etc…”

DJ: “Don’t take it out on the child, they need to have a relationship with their dad”

I think this is Pure-D Garbage. The argument that having a bad dad is better than no dad at all doesn’t sit right with me. How about that guy get off his butt, get a job to help support those kids then he can see them?

One of the things that’s really terrible is that a man can get a woman pregnant and really walk away from all responsibility…

What do you think? Is a bad dad better than no dad? Read the rest of the article at BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com and speak your piece.