Moms & their Sons

My youngest son is learning to drive! Im actually excited about it because that’s someone else (I already have a 18 year old driver) I will be able to send to the store or McDonalds or even Dairy Queen! He may not be the first of my kids to drive but he’s totally the one I’m more cautious about; he has ADHD, which can cause him to be challenged when it comes to paying attention and that can be a challenge for me to let go of. But that’s another blog lol. It crazy to because he’s doing great inspite of the occasional common mistakes and I still have my moments of worry!

I decided to blog about him learning to drive because he said something to me yesterday that really stuck out in my mind. Let me set it up. We live 10 miles from his high school and the fastest way to get there and back is on he freeway. Now I’m not too keen on my oldest being on the freeway and he’s been driving 2 years and be is meticulous and focused (lol) so you know I am totally skeptical when it comes to letting my youngest get on the freeway. Anyway, I’ve been reluctantly teaching him to get on and off the freeway and today was a different day; he seemed to be prepared and less anxious about getting on. I gave him some pointers to merging into the lane and making sure he had enough space to get over and I closed my mouth and I let him drive.

I know, I’m proud of me too because we all know sometimes us moms don’t want to let them learn on their own; but I’m learning and putting my own S.W.A.G. program to use in my home. I was so proud of him, He did so well that I had to say “great job Omari!” he glanced at me really fast and said with a big grin “mom, I love it when you tell me great job. It makes me feel good about myself!” That really struck me! His face lit up he sat up straighter and he “looked” like he had S.W.A.G. (S.trength W.isdom A.ssurance & G.reatness). He felt proud and accomplished just because he knew he “pleased” me.

This made me realize even more how important it is to create Programs for our Teenage Boys. We focus a lot on encouraging our girls to walk with Confidence and SWAG and they need it in this society that focuses on outer beauty more than inner but our boys need encouraging too!

We talk about the importance of fathers being around for daughters as it builds self esteem because their father is validating them and this is true BUT its also TRUE when it comes to our Boys needing validation from moms! Having both parents encourage the kids is important but we can not ignore that when the parent of the opposite sex compliments us we “feel” like it’s more believable! 4 out of five boys ages 13 – 19 says when their moms compliment them they feel more confident in what they can accomplish (The Lanham Report 2011) When a Mother tells her son(s) how special they are, that they have worth and are not big “f” ups, their self worth is built, their behavior improves and they treat the opposite sex with respect. Just because they are a different gender doesn’t mean they dont need the same love and encouragement. Boys are human too; they need physical love as well as mental and it’s up to us Moms to help.

The compliment from a Woman influences Man, so imagine the Power the Words of a Mom has on Her Boys!

Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn

Letting Others Be Themselves

Everyday we are challenged with the decision of what our day will be like. And today I got up deciding to be happy and full of joy.

As always when we make a decision to take the high road something or someone is going to be used to try & get us off track. This is our chance to prove to ourselves we determine our outcome.

I was at PetsMart today and I was at the Vet’s reception/sign-in desk and another doggy parent was there and asked if they knew of any food that could help her dog lose weight? I say to her that my doggies needed to lose weight to help them with their knees and I used Blue Buffalo Foods. I also shared that this food is made from”real” human food not by-products & it doesn’t cause them to eat their own poo (which to me is the biggest perk!). Anywho…The nurses look at me & say “well I put over the counter meds on my dogs food and that helps them not eat their poop” & “you don’t have to use Blue Buffalo Food there’s others that don’t cost so much”. Ummm hello you’re suppose to help the patient not pawn off the easy route.

Ummm AND…. how does that help the lady’s situation? That doesnt solve her overweight dog! So I give examples of the great work Blue Buffalo Dog Food has done for our family and STILL they all responded with “Welllllll….” so I’ve learned that once a person shows their true colors – that they DONT WANT HELP, I accept it and let it go. I looked at them and said “then do what you want”!

I could have easily let this bother me, but I consciously decided to walk away. I realized it wasn’t personal. I accepted that she Did Not Want my help & guess what?! That’s ok, She doesn’t have to accept my help it’s her choice to find out on her own so I just closed my mouth and moved on.

Everyone asks for help but don’t really want it. You cant help those who don’t want help and when you accept that you don’t waste your time or theirs!

Have a groovy day…
JML

Demi’s New Hair

It’s summer time and everyone is ready to get a new look! As women we know a fun and quick way to express ourselves is changing our hair. We cut it, change the color, cover it and add to it! That doesn’t just go for us everyday people but also the people we look up to!

Demi Lovato has changed her hair and it is beautiful!! The color compliments her and the way her hair is hugging her face shows off her smile. We love it Demi…

You go girl!

Peace J-Nelle

A New Beginning!

Hello All,

We are in the second month of a New Year and these first 36 days have taught us a lot about what we want to do for Teenagers. As you know our goal is to have a Hodge Podge® in every neighborhood giving every teen a positive & uplifting place to be when the rest of the world seems to be against them. We know the importance of consistency in the lives of teenagers and everything we do is dedicated to giving them this necessity

With that, I (Jeanelle Lanham, Jessica Brown & Big Marv have decided to focus on raising funds to purchase our own land and build our building DEBT-FREE. Building Debt-Free allows us to focus on what is really important and that is the needs of our teens. Since we wont have to focus on money we can focus on creating some of the best Teen Programs offering them Teambuilding Techniques that will give them much-needed tools to live successfully.

We ask that you think about donating to the Hodge Podge® Building Fund and help us raise the $1 million we need to start off debt free! There are several ways you can help us: 1) To the right you can get Great Golf – Tee Fees, 2) Click the Donate Button and you can give financially or 3) You can help us with one of our Fundraisers. 

Either way you decide to help it is greatly needed and appreciated. Our teenagers are at risk of living lives that are not the best for them and Hodge Podge® is here to help them live successfully. Please consider being a part of Hodge Podge® and our cause.

Our hearts go out to teenagers because we know that they face issues daily; issues that we as adults sometimes forget we faced too. Every day they are faced with decisions they may or may not know how to handle, but giving them a place like Hodge Podge®, they get to ask questions they may  not be comfortable asking their parents. We do not try to take the place of parents; we contribute to raising up a generation of successful teens – It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.

Support us today…

Jeanelle, Jessica & Big Marv

Its a New Year!!!

Happy New Year! Hodge Podge wants to wish you a prosperous year. This year we are opening our First Hodge Podge here in Arizona and will branch out to other states no later than 2011. We have a lot of new things going on and hope that you continue to come back to our site to see how your support helps us do what we need to do for teens.

We have a lot of new faces coming on board and we know their presence will make an impact in the lives of the teens and families who will be a part of Hodge Podge. We look forward to giving teens the hope that they will need to live successfully!

Peace & Love

Jeanelle & Staff

Dont just Give now….Give Always!

A lot of people get the itch to give during the holidays when there is ALWAYS a need to give. Start giving today and continue after the holidays. A new year is coming and we get a second chance “2010 try again” – try to see others for who they are; try seeing what could benefit someone else and you will see that you benefit as well.

Give Peace and Peace will come back to you…

If we all come together we can make peace!

What’s On Our Minds!

We are the ORIGINAL and First Teen Cafe!

Welcome to the journey of  Hodge Podge®  - the teen cafe

ThanksGiving is quickly approaching us and what a better time to think of others. This is one of our favorite holidays because its the only one where No One is expecting Anything but everyone Is GIVING THANKS!

We are starting a project for the homeless and could use your help. We need recycled plastic bags, that we are making into blankets to warm them on these cold winter nights.

If you can help us contact us at 602-300-2048 or info@HdgPdg.com or mail a donation to 6631 W El Cortez Pl Phoenix AZ 85083.

Thanks in advance!