Stickin' To, Watchin' Over, and Gettin' With

Howard C. Stevenson -- a father of a preteen son-- is an associateprofessor of education in the School, Community, and Child ClinicalPsychology program in the graduate school of education, psychologyin education division at the University of Pennsylvania.Gwendolyn Davis is a postdoctoral research fellow at theUniversity of Pennsylvania. She has more than fifteen yearsexperience working with children and families.Saburah Abdul-Kabir is the community research coordinator of theCOPE (Community Outreach through Parent Empowerment) project at theUniversity of Pennsylvania. She is a wife and the mother of sixchildren.

• Preface. Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. For Parents Only: Stickin' To, Gettin' With, and Watchin' OverThy Self. 2. Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk of Preschoolers andToddlers. 3. When Black Children Are Cute, The World is Watching: Disciplineand School-Age. 4. When Black Children Grow Wings, The World Gets Scared:Discipline and Pre-Teens. 5. When Black Children Fly, The World Retaliates: Self-Disciplinefor the Teenager. References. Resources on Discipline.

Clinical psychologist Stevenson, Gwendolyn Davis, a social workerand psychologist, and Saburah Abdul-Kabir, a community outreachcoordinator at the University of Pennsylvania's Community OutreachThrough Parental Empowerment program, have collaborated on Stickin'to, Watchin' Over, and Gettin' With, a guide about discipline forAfrican American parents. The authors suggest a trifold approach todiscipline: showing love and affection, being involved withchildren and community, and providing correction andaccountability. Addressing preschoolers, school-age children,preadolescents, and teenagers, they clearly explain how to helpchildren deal with racism and how parenting is different forAfrican Americans. Many of the same strengths identified by Harris(e.g., community involvement, sense of heritage, affection, andhope) are reiterated here. Reference and resource lists areapprehended. Both books are enthusiastically recommended. --KayBrodie, Chesapeake Coll., Wye Mills, MD (Library Journal, October15, 2001)This well-written book contributes substantially to child-rearingliterature for African American parents. Through their trifoldapproach to discipline, showing love and affection, being involved with children and community, and providing correction andaccountability, the authors clearly explain how to help childrendeal with racism and how parenting is different for AfricanAmericans. Highly recommended! (Library Journal)"The book draws on the richness of African American storytelling,proverbs, and the oral tradition to teach parents how to preparetheir children to survive and thrive in a society where there isstill a residual of racism. It is a timely book that makes a vitalcontribution to the literature on African American children and parenting." -- Joseph L. White, professor emeritus of psychology andpsychiatry, University of California, Irvine"Stickin' To, Watchin' Over, and Getting' With [is] a must readfor educators, social workers, and others focused on the success ofAfrican American children." -- Kaye E. Burnside, regional superintendent, West ContraCosta Unified School District, Richmond, California"Parents raising children of African descent in America willfind this book useful. The authors convey the message that love andtrust are the foundations of discipline." -- Ronald Braithwaite, coauthor, Health Issues in theBlack Community