Successful Parenting

and conversation produce an emotional investment
which yields positive results. Never allow
work demands, the shortage of time, or the general
stresses and strains of life to keep you from being
closely involved with your children. Strong and
vibrant families only emerge when parents take
an active interest in their children and their concerns.
A good example of this kind of involvement
comes through the life of actor Michael Clarke
Duncan. Although he is enjoying immense success
from his roles in The Green Mile and Planet
of the Apes, Duncan grew up on the rough South
Side of Chicago in the 60s and 70s. After his father
left home, Duncan and his sister Judy were raised
singlehandedly by their mother, Jean. Although
she was a single parent whose discretionary time
was limited, Jean took an active role in the lives of
her children.
“My mother taught me how to play baseball,
how to ride a bike,” Michael says. “She would come
out and bat with us. I used to be embarrassed.
I was like, ‘Mama, nobody else’s mother will do
that.’ I didn’t realize that nobody else’s mother
could do that,” he adds. Jean Duncan also taught
her son the importance of legible handwriting,
pressed clothes, holding doors for women. She
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