Ep. 14: Growing up in a White Community as a Biracial Teen - with Michelle Perry

I got goosebumps listening back to the clips in the introduction for this podcast – Michelle has such a fantastic outlook on life – I promise this one is a must listen! Michelle Perry's father was black, but he left the family home when she was 3, and she grew up in her mother's white Jewish community. As a child she had no black influences in her life at all. Michelle talks about how until she was 12 years old she thought she was white – it took meeting her first black people at school for her to realise she was black. We talked about how shocking that felt to her, how she processed the realisation, and the troubled times she went through before coming to terms with her biracial identity. We touched on current conversations about anti-racism efforts, and how white people can help by getting past their lack of knowledge and understanding, and by speaking out without fear. We also talked about how much language matters when white people refer to black and biracial people – Michelle clarified a few things for me there too. She has a very robust attitude to conversations about race that I found really refreshing and useful. Having used her experiences to support other young people in social work, and then taking on advisory roles in her corporate career, Michelle is now a life coach and teacher at successfuldiligence.com [https://www.successfuldiligence.com/]. She also has an amazing podcast full of useful tips and interviews to empower listeners to live a more empowered life. I've absolutely loved this free resource so do give it a listen at The Successful Diligence Podcast [https://anchor.fm/successfuldiligence].  There are lots more episodes of the Teenage Kicks podcast – do have a browse and see if I've covered anything else you might find useful. And if you have a suggestion of something you'd like to see talked about on the podcast please do email me on teenagekickspodcast@gmail.com I have loads more fabulous guests coming up to help families navigate some of the most complicated – but wonderful – teenage parenting years. I've also got some posts on the blog that might help parents with other teenage parenting dilemmas, so do pop over to Actually Mummy [https://www.actuallymummy.co.uk/] if you fancy a read. Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/teenage-kicks-podcast/id1501488455] now to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear all my new episodes. I'll be talking to some fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent, becoming a young carer, and being hospitalised with mental health problems - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives. I'd love it if you'd rate and review the podcast on iTunes too - it would really help other people to find it. You can also find more from me on parenting teenagers on my blog Actually Mummy [https://www.actuallymummy.co.uk/], and on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/iamhelenwills] @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Podcast.co. [https://www.podcast.co/privacy] Please note that I am not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice.

Om Podcasten

Welcome to the Teenage Kicks podcast, where we take the fear out of parenting - or becoming - a teenager. The internet is full of parenting advice, from when you feel those first baby kicks, until they reach secondary school. And then it stops. No one is talking about teen parenting problems; so we’re going to. Essential listening for teenagers and their parents, as well as those who work with young adults; Teenage Kicks has teen mental health at its core, and each episode will empower young people to tackle their own problems, and give parents the guidance to know how to help them. Each week Helen speaks to real individuals who've experienced the issues that young people are dealing with now, and they don't sugar-coat it. From exam nerves and career worries to issues around sexuality and consent, we get tips and advice from expert guests who understand what it’s like to be a teenager today. Helen will also be chatting about tough teenage problems like cyberbullying and self-harm, drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy, all with a heavy dose of reality from someone who's been there and made it through to the other side. Teenage Kicks for Parents: As parents, we understand some of our kids’ struggles, but let’s face it, it’s been a while, and things have moved on since we last panicked over a detention! Teenage choices today can seem alien to their parents because teenage life has changed so dramatically since we were young. Teenage Kicks helps you unravel topics like social media, sexting and teen self-esteem so that you can figure out what your child needs support with, and what’s just normal teenage behaviour.   Teenage Kicks for Teens: Teenagers and parents come at things from different angles, we know. But teenage life can be challenging, and the support of your parents can make navigating tricky dilemmas easier. Teenage Kicks guests aren’t adults who’ve read a textbook; nor are they heavily invested in your day-to-day safety, like your mum and dad. They are real people who’ve been through what you’re dealing with, and they have the inspiration and advice you need to handle it yourself. Join Helen each week as she chats to a different guest about topics affecting teenagers in 2020, and helps parents and teens to open up a dialogue that will make life easier to navigate on all sides. You'll also find me chatting about teen parenting here: * Actually Mummy [https://actuallymummy.co.uk/] - my personal blog * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/] * Twitter [https://twitter.com/iamhelenwills] Useful websites: * The Mix [https://www.themix.org.uk/]- good information for under 25's * Shout [https://www.giveusashout.org/] - for anyone struggling with anxiety or depression This series of the Teenage Kicks Podcast is sponsored by Blue Microphones [https://www.blue-designs.co.uk/], who gave me the fabulous Yeticaster mic for all my recordings. It's really straightforward to use, and gives me great sound quality without too much editing.