DETROIT – Parenting with a purpose is the motto of Detroit Parent Network, and with leaders like Sharlonda Buckman, parents all across Detroit are receiving a re-education on what it means to be a mother or a father.
"If you don't have parents who set the example as to how to be a good parent, you tend to just repeat what you have already seen," Mitch Albom said.
"When we think about parenting, it's about making decisions around how you are going to raise that child, what type of parent you want to be," Buckman said. "It's about how we educate them to prepare them in a way that's going to put them on a different trajectory."
At Detroit Parent Network's 11 locations, the staff invites parents to come to workshops on parent leadership and raising responsible children.
"We've almost kind of turned a blind eye to the responsibility that we collectively have to parent our kids to be the adults that we used to have when we were growing up that made the difference in our lives," Buckman said. "We find ourselves really teaching parents how to make traditions in your home."
Traditions include a family dinner or family fun nights that promote positive communication between parents and children.
"When I was a kid growing up, it didn't matter if you lived in a poor neighborhood or well-to-do -- you had a lot more communication with your neighbors and so," Buckman said.
"With other parents," Albom suggested.
"With other parents, and people looked out for your kids," said Buckman. "It's critically important that we don't just invest in our kids, but we invest in all children. I think it makes all the difference in the world for how we are trying to move this next generation forward."
By working to revitalize the family unit, Buckman and the Detroit Parent Network are building champions for today's youth in the heart of Detroit.
Heart of Detroit