Tracy Leonard
Tracy is the Director of Programming and Partnerships for Darkness to Light, a child sexual abuse prevention organization. She grew up in northeast Ohio, and has lived in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Arizona, and Northern Virginia and has worked in the arts, in education, in non-profits and in ed tech. Her husband's job brought them to the Bay Area and there's no looking back! Tracy is mom to two trans teens who are just beginning their journey. Self-care includes pedicures, reading, cooking, crafting, and just being with her family. She also serves as Chair of the Board for the Attachment and Trauma Network, a national non-profit.
What are the Odds? Are Both of my Teens REALLY Trans?
Over the last year, both of our teens have asked us to use different pronouns for them.
Our oldest, born a female, has asked us to use he/they, and our youngest, born a male,
has asked...
Teens Helping Teens: Suicide Prevention
At midnight on a Saturday, our 17-year-old knocked on our bedroom door. She came in to say they had a friend who her and her friend group were worried about. The friend had told...
Top Gifts to Keep Kids Safe
There are a lot of resources out there that can help us keep all the children in our lives safe, and it can be difficult to sort through what is effective and what you...
Tough Conversations: Navigating Current Events with our Children
Whether it is from TV, conversations with peers or in the classroom, on social media or even as content on memes, our children are exposed to current events 24/7. The good, bad, ugly and...
We Didn’t Have a Family Vacation This Summer: AITA?
AITA? We did not take a family vacation this summer.
Before you answer that, let me set the stage.
We are a family of 4 with two teens (a 16- and 18-year-old who just graduated from...
Online Safety Starts at Home
Parents and caregivers, as someone who works in the area of child sexual abuse prevention, I beg you to take these statistics to heart:
1 in 5 youth experience unwanted online exposure to sexually explicit...
Not All Stress is Created Equal
As parents, we are bombarded with stress from every angle, from a multitude of people, and at all times of the day (and night). But, not all stress is created equal, nor does it...
Teachers Are Leaving Their Profession In Alarming Rates, Here’s You Can Do To Help
“55% of educators are thinking about leaving the profession earlier than they had planned, according to a National Education Association (NEA) survey of its members released in February. This represents a significant increase from 37% in...
Milestone for Momma, It’s My 50th Birthday Month.
It’s here. The month I have been anticipating, dreading, fearing, and in some ways, longing for. I will be 50 this month.
I don’t feel 50. Just like the memes that say, “When I hear...
Have you been watching The Parent Test on ABC?
At first, it was like a bad accident – I couldn’t turn away. But then I couldn’t turn away because it was for deeper reasons than cheap reality TV. I wanted to hug every...
