Do you warn her of the potential tricks and traps that are out there when it comes to men?
Evelyn: The interesting thing is that Shaniece is an old soul, so she doesn’t really fall for the things that a normal 19-year-old would fall for. I’ve schooled her on the ins and outs of what’s going on, and if she has a question about anything, she comes to me and asks. We have a very open relationship, and we don’t have any barriers. So we are able to talk about anything, whether it’s about guys or just her becoming a woman. But she has a strong head on her shoulders, and sometimes schools me on things, which sometimes catches me off guard, but is good.
So you come to your mom about anything? There is nothing that you feel is off limits when you’re talking to your mom? Do you really feel like there are some subjects that you just can’t go to her about?
Shaniece: No, I’ve never felt like I couldn’t talk to her about something. She’s my best friend, and I would rather go to her and tell over going to my friends.
Evelyn: I think from an early age, one of the things that I tried to instill in her is that she could come to me for anything. I got pregnant with Shaniece when I was 16, and even though I love my mom to death, I wasn’t always comfortable going to her and talking to her about things. With Shaniece, I wanted to do things differently so that she could come to me. When you’re a teenager, and you’re going to your friends for advice, they aren’t going to necessarily give you the right advice, so I wanted to make sure that the lines of communication were always open with us. I wanted her to always know that no matter what the situation, I was never going to judge her, and would always be there for her.
