Come On People - Cosby & Poussaint - Review 3

I have taken on the task of writing a review for the book. In this and subsequent posts, I will review one chapter in the book. The third chapter is titled: We All Start Out as Children

Review
Chapter Three is a primer on child rearing in the Black community. Amid the crime, drugs, alcohol, murder, teen pregnancies, and high drop-out rates in public schools, there are some things that could be done while our children are babies to reverse these disturbing trends. I once read that everything that I needed to know I learned in kindergarten (maybe that was on a bumper sticker?)... this chapter highlights this fact and holds the Black community's feet to the fire that they've dropped the ball on raising our children the right way.

The chapter is broken into manageable sections that read like a menu for successful child rearing: How to Prepare for Birth, How to Care for the Expectant Mother, How to Care for an Infant, How to Discipline a Child, How to Create a Village for Our Children, and How to Care for Our Teenagers.

The Raising Victors section closed out the chapter with a final salvo on why we need to raise our children the right way:

"Besides helping children develop a positive identity, you must teach them to assert themselves constructively when the odds seem stacked against them. If you express confidence in them, these kids will have confidence in themselves and overcome the obstacles life throws their way."

~ End of Review ~

Here is a link to a downloadable PDF of excerpts from this chapter:
We All Start Out As Children (pages 77 - 88)

plezWorld encourages you to visit www.BillCosby.com where you can purchase copies of the book and you will find a forum called "The Cos," that is designed for community members to discuss issues beyond those addressed in the book, as well as a place for people to come together and offer solutions.