This Really Surprised Me About My Interview With Justice Sotomayor

I got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview a Supreme Court Justice.

I interviewed Justice Sonia Sotomayor and not only did we chat about her upbringing as a young Latina in the Bronx, we also talked about some advice she has for parents and kids. She's only one of the most powerful women in our country so I was leaning in and taking copious notes. Justice Sotomayor dropped so many gems and you can read them in my article. But I was most surprised by her advice for kids. Sure she gave uplifting words about the power of books and the strength of community. But it was her advice for little ones that made me think "Okay!"

When I asked Justice Sotomayor her advice for little ones, she told me she wants to tell kids: 

"Parents haven't fixed the world and parents don't have all the answers. What we hope is that you'll find better answers than we have."

Y'all know we live in a society that really pushes for us parents and caregivers to be perfect. We have to feed our kids the right things, read all the right books and show them the world all while finding time to be patient 24/7 and never ever lose our cool. It's just not realistic! But we try and try and then feel awful about ourselves when we slip up. We worry that our kids will think less of us, that they'll realize we're (gasp!) human. 

So often, when us parents and caregivers engage in the work of trying to raise kids who are aware and kind and bold changemakers, we think we have to get it right. Her message for kids is that we haven't done it all and we want you to help us get to a better world.

I don't know about you but that made me feel a little bit better about my parenting practice. I'm not perfect. I don't have all the answers. I'm a work in progress at ALL times. And that's okay because we're all doing the best we can (even last night when both my kids fell asleep in my bed). 

What I'm Reading....
With the hectic start to the new year, it's been a slow month for reading tbh so I'm still reading Revolutionary Mothering: Love On The Front Lines. I particularly love Victoria Law's essay on juggling motherhood and activism and how hard but necessary it is to include our little ones in our work. 

What We're Teaching....

Adam and I are back at the BPL for Antiracist Parenting: From Learning To Action. Be one of the first 25 to register and snag a package of supplies that we'll use during the sessions (bring your kids to Session #2 for a fun family activity!). Attend all 3 sessions and receive a collection of antiracist kids books. Register for all 3. Spots close 02/18 and they're filling up fast!

What I'm Writing....

I wrote about what I really think about Maya Angelou on a quarter (spoiler alert. No thanks!). 

I finally weaned my toddler off the boob--we're sad:( --and I learned so much about taking care of my needs, not just hers, to get through it. I shared my tips (some of them will surprise you) with Parents.

What We're Listening To....

We love a bit of dinner music to set the tone for some calm at the end of the day. We've been loving Astrud Gilberto's music. Makes us think of lounging in the sand on a beach at sunset. Y'all know my mind is never too far away from my home country of Trinidad. 

What I'm Watching....

My sister, Sarah, and I have been doing intentional and beautiful work on the connection between our bodies and our minds. So often, we parent from a place of stress and I've been trying to be mindful of how that shows up for me. She sent me this video with Michelle Maldonado that I highly recommend you watch if you're trying to reframe the stress in your life, in hopes of reducing its impact. 

As we close off this week, I'd love to hear from you about what's been landing for you with your family equity journey. What's been working? What's been a stumbling block for your fam? Remember that we're in this together and the goal is progress not perfection. 

Thank you for reading! 
xo
Tabitha

p.s. I've changed the frequency of my emails to monthly bc nobody really needs more emails. Hope they find resonance with you!