For Dreamers, Thinkers and Achievers
By Cheryl Mattox Berry The other day, a friend complained that she had to return a pair of shorts she bought for her 15-year-old daughter. She purchased the right size, but the problem was length. The shorts fit like a pair of panties. I knew exactly what she meant. It seems that shorts have gotten […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry My grandmother, Lucile Lee, was a woman ahead of her time. For example, she would fill a Mason jar full of good-tasting Memphis aquifer water from the kitchen faucet and carry it with her when she left home. She didn’t live long enough to witness the bottled water craze. She would […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Try if you will, but there are some things you just can’t rush, like adulthood. I see teen girls all the time dressed like grown women, talking like grown women and acting like grown women. Underneath all the makeup, hair extensions and spandex, they’re still teenagers. They’re just trying to jumpstart […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry I usually don’t watch commercials, but the graphic image on my TV screen stopped me dead in my tracks. It was an elderly woman with wisps of hair and a gravelly voice demonstrating how she gets ready for the day. She puts in false teeth, dons a long blond wig, inserts […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Today, children throughout the USA celebrate mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, godmothers, play mamas, aunties and yes, even dads, who double as moms. The cards, flowers and gifts are greatly appreciated, but more than anything mothers want their children to be happy, healthy and successful. For daughters, mothers have special wishes and dreams […]
Continue ReadingBy Paola, 16, sophomore When I was little, I had all the friends in the world. In Pre-K, my best friend was Michelle. The first time we talked was when my crayons broke, and she asked me how I could write like I did (I’m left handed.) From then on, we kept talking about how […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry May is a busy month with proms, school dances, banquets and graduations. It’s also a month devoted to teen issues. Below are a few activities that you can plug into. Girls Inc. Week (May 6-10) Girls Inc. has been encouraging girls in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Good news: Fewer teenage girls are having sex, and those who are sexually active use effective contraceptives. That is the word from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a study published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The 2010 study found that 57 percent of female teens ages […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Bad boys ain’t no good Good boys ain’t no fun Lord knows that I should Run off with the right one Lyrics from “Mr. Wrong” by Mary J. Blige featuring Drake Why didn’t Mary J. Blige release this song when my daughter started dating? It would have made my life a […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Are you a closeted mean girl? I wouldn’t expect anyone to own up to being cruel, but deep down inside you know the answer. When you think of mean girls, bullies come to mind. They use nasty comments, trickery, deceit and gossip to manipulate other girls. However, there is a lot […]
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