And so she agonizes over the murky line that baffles so many teenagers parents how to be protective without being overbearing, how to rein him in but give him enough leeway to keep him from rebelling. She believes single mothers have to work extra hard to strike the right balance, and she knows her ability to control the boys will wane as they grow up. They're home alone, and parents are too tired to take care of them or go after them. They can end up with bad friends and get easy money by selling drugs. It's up to the parents how close you are to your kids.
Communication is everything.
Cedeno is raising her sons virtually on her own, but she's quick to draft outside help. A few years ago, when she grew concerned about a smart-alecky attitude surfacing in Carlos, she called Big Brothers Big Sisters to find a male role model for him. Big Brothers matched Carlos up with Louis Gerona, a fellow sports lover who works in human resources at Sun Chemical Corp. in Carlstadt. They get together every week to shoot hoops, go to the batting cages, eat, or talk. Unfortunately, there are 85 other kids on the waiting list.