1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: We're back. I'm Drew McCarry and I'm David Roth and 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: coming in September a new site we have built together 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: called Defecto or Defector, and we're gonna have a new 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: podcast to go with it, this very podcast, which has 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: the name The Distraction. It's out right now at available 6 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: every RUSTCR podcast at Stitcher, Spotify, Apple, Go listen right 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: now to The Distraction everywhere. It's out right now. Go 8 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: listen to see I buy. Hey, y'all, we recorded these 9 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 1: episodes before the news about COVID nineteen broke. We wanted 10 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: to let you know that we're here for you and 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: that we hope these episodes can bring you a little 12 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: bit of joy and escape in these uncertain times. Dead ass, 13 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: I spent a large part of my adult life saying 14 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,279 Speaker 1: to myself, I don't want my kids to grow up 15 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: how I grew up. Now we live in a different place, 16 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: and I wish my kids were growing up where I 17 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: grew up. Dead you mean you want to take our 18 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: kids back to the hood. Facts. Hey, I'm Cadine and 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: I and we're the Ellis. You may know us from 20 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: posting funny videos with our boys and reading each other 21 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: publicly as a form of therapy. But I'll make you 22 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: need most days. And one more important thing to mention, 23 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: we're married, Yes, sir, we are. We created this podcast 24 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: to open dialogue about some of life's most taboo topics, 25 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: things most folks don't want to talk about through the 26 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: lens of a millennium married couple. Dead ass is a 27 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: term that we say every day. Where we say dead ass, 28 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: we're actually saying facts one, the truth, the whole truth, 29 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: and nothing but the truth. We're about to take Philow's 30 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: off to a whole new level. Dead ask starts now. 31 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: All right, guys, I'm gonna take you back all the 32 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: way back to the nineties, back in time. Yes, yes, yes, 33 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: So I grew up in a middle class I would 34 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: say urban home. You know, my father worked multiple job 35 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: to make sure we had everything. My mom worked for 36 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 1: the city. So um, I didn't grow up poor. So 37 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: I don't want anyone to think that I'm claiming to 38 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: grow up poor. I did not grow up poor. But 39 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: growing up in Brooklyn and traveling a lot on your own, 40 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: you tend to travel places where you're not supposed to go. Okay, 41 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: And I still had friends who lived in different parts 42 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: of Brooklyn. So I remember my freshman year of high school. 43 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: I just it was it was Christmas break and my 44 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:35,959 Speaker 1: parents got me the things that I asked for. On Christmas. 45 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: I got an aver Rick jacket. Um, I had some 46 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: brand new Tim's and me and my boys were taking 47 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:45,959 Speaker 1: a bus through Flatbush, as we always did go into 48 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 1: different movie theaters. At this point, Kimbo Movie Theater was 49 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: still open. We went to Kimbo Movie there, and after 50 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: the movie theater, we were going to see some girls 51 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: that we wanted to check out, and we ended up 52 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: in Flatbush and a part of flat Bush that's typically 53 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: crypt territory. And my Avorick jacket was red, and I 54 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: had a red band around my head, and my boys 55 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: all just randomly had on red. At first, we thought 56 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: it was cool that we all had on red, because 57 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: you know, we're going to check these girls. We look 58 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: cool with the fly guys. This this is when Mason 59 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 1: and Diddy and everybody there was all super Fly to 60 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 1: Eastern Match, so we thought it was cool. So we 61 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 1: get to this part of the Flatbush and we see 62 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of dudes in this Chinese restaurant and they 63 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: all got on blue. Everybody got on blue. And that's 64 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: when your spidy senses started kicking in and I started 65 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: to feel a little uh tingling sensations. And I was like, yo, 66 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: some made right, bro. The dudes over there keep looking 67 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: at us. We gotta we gotta move. So my other 68 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: homeboy was like, yo, I think Devel is right. So 69 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: we we walked down the block and we're here cool cool, 70 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: and dudes started coming out of the park and um, 71 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: We're trying to walk through the dudes and then you know, 72 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: they put their hand and stop us. I can do, like, yo, 73 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: what up blood? And I was like, yeah, I ain't blood. 74 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying, Like I'm I'm not blood. 75 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: And dudes walked in front of us, put his hand 76 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: in my chest. I knocked his hand down. Then he 77 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: pulled his shirt up and I seen and he had 78 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: the heat on him. I was fourteen, My friends at 79 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: the time was seventeen and eighteen. It was three of us. 80 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: These dudes proceeded to take my jacket off, pull my 81 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: chain off, and when I looked around, it was about 82 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: fifteen twenty dudes, and they were older. They were older guys, 83 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty. They took our stuff, ran into the park, 84 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: and I had never felt so violated in my life 85 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: because it was so many of them and it was 86 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: just me and my two friends minding our business and 87 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: they had a gun. My first instinct was I wish 88 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:55,720 Speaker 1: I had a gun at that time. If I had 89 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: a gun, I probably would have pulled my gun. And 90 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: that's the dangerous art of living in that type of environment, 91 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: because there were parts of me that wanted to then say, 92 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: you know what, from that one, I'm walking around with 93 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 1: a gun. I remember being in the house that night 94 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: and I remember looking watching my dad's face and him 95 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 1: looking helpless because he wanted to help me, but he couldn't. 96 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 1: And I said to myself, when I have kids, my 97 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: kids are never gonna have to exist in a place 98 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: where they have to deal with what I just dealt with. 99 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: So this karaoke song is gonna lighten things up a 100 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 1: little bit after this story, Uh maybe a little familiar. 101 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna start with the beat, so if Kaken can 102 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: jump in here, do m and in West Philadelphia, born 103 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: and raised on the playground, I said, I spaid most 104 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: of my days chilling out maximum and lights and all 105 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 1: cool and all shooting something be ball outside of the school. 106 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:49,840 Speaker 1: When a couple of guys they were having no good 107 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: started making trouble in my neighborhood, I got a one 108 00:05:52,760 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 1: little fighting. My mom got scared and said, yeah, I'm 109 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: not gonna go through the whole song. Already told me 110 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 1: my story was mad long, So I'm gonna cut karaoke 111 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: a little bit. Appreciated, bro, But I understand. I understand 112 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: now why you were so adamant about doing karaoke because 113 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: you picked the perfect songs. I picked a perfect woman, 114 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: then I picked a perfect song. There you go. And 115 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: it makes absolute sense, especially after us leaving these coasts 116 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: headed out west, very similar. We don't live in bel 117 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,359 Speaker 1: Air though, don't get it twisted West Philadelphia if we 118 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: don't know rich uncle out here, So sorry about that. However, Um, 119 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: it makes total sense when we're talking about today's topic, UM, 120 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: trying to create adversity for our children growing up now. 121 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: It's a very different time than when we grew up, 122 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,559 Speaker 1: of course, and um, we're talking about dulling the silver spoon. 123 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: So typically the silver spoon means what to you. The 124 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: silver spoon means privilege. You know, people who are born 125 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,720 Speaker 1: with the opportunity city to have access to things that 126 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: majority of the world doesn't have. UM. I won't say 127 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: the one percent, because the one percent is very, very high, 128 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: but I say, at least the top have a silver 129 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: spoon in them out, you know. And UM we talk 130 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: about telling it, and I'm talking about our kids, three boys, Jackson, 131 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: kyro one Cash, you know. And and as parents, it's 132 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: it's kind of natural for you to want to make 133 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: sure that your kids have better than you. They are 134 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: better than you have more than you had, UM. And 135 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: not even just in terms of material things that it 136 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: does surface itself in material things, but you want them 137 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: to be able to also have, you know, um, more 138 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: confidence that you had, you know, more ability than you 139 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: had and UM, but you want to make sure that 140 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: you're doing it to the point where they're not spoiled 141 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: brats at the same time, you know what I mean. 142 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: So we're talking today about how you go about providing 143 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: for your kids but also creating healthy adversity for them, UM, 144 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: to keep them grounded, which is very important to us. UM. 145 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: So yeah, your story, UM rings true to me because 146 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: I need I mean, I wasn't in fights in Brooklyn. 147 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: I don't know how many fights you said you were in, 148 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: but I know, things are very different for boys and girls, 149 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: and you know, I was very sheltered, you know, even 150 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: though my you know, I would say to my parents 151 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: were you know, middle class, hard working UM citizens, and 152 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: you know, did everything that they could to provide a 153 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: lifestyle for me where I was a well rounded child. 154 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: You know, I did the piano lessons, which I hated, 155 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: and I never understood why. Like I mean, I know 156 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: my mom was trying to expose me to things, but 157 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: UM hated piano lessons. UM. But I was involved in dance, 158 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:32,319 Speaker 1: I did pageants. I UM. She just she was very 159 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: adamant about giving me every opportunity to do more. And 160 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: I think coming from the West Indies, you know, my 161 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: father and my mom, um, my mom Jamaica from Jamaica, 162 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,599 Speaker 1: my dad from St. Vincent, they didn't have the opportunities 163 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: to do the things that I would be able to 164 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:48,199 Speaker 1: do in America. So it was very important for her 165 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: to make sure that I was able to just be 166 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: exposed to it and see what stuck, see what I 167 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: was interested in. Um, which was great because now in retrospect, 168 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: her you know, supporting my decision to even do pageants 169 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: led me into my career field, which was broadcasting and 170 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: not being afraid to be in front of people and 171 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: speak my mind and you know, interview tactics like those 172 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: are so many things that I was able to soak 173 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: up in that sense. Um, So what was what was 174 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: growing up in Brooklyn like for you? Because even though 175 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: we did go to the same elementary school for a 176 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: couple of years, you ended up leaving for a little bit. 177 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 1: I continued through eighth grade. Um, But realistically we grew 178 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: up within, you know, a couple of a couple of 179 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: a couple of blocks radius. So, um, what was life 180 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,439 Speaker 1: like for you growing up in Brooklyn? Um? First, First 181 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: of all, I shout out to my parents, who were 182 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: extremely hard workers. Shout out to my grandparents. Like, when 183 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: I think about my life now, I am just a 184 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: elevated version of my father, who was an elevated version 185 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: of his father, who was an elevated version of his father. 186 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: All of the men in our family worked to make 187 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: sure the next generation was better than the last. So 188 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: shout out to my dad for busting his ass his 189 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: whole life to make sure that I'm, my brother and 190 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: my sister were are better versions of him. Shout out 191 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: to my mom, Um, who worked for the city for years, 192 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: who just gave me so many different tools to grow 193 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: up to be the man that I am today. But 194 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: I say all of that to say this, Sometimes it 195 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,319 Speaker 1: doesn't matter the house you grow up in, because your 196 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: environment shapes you. Both of my parents work nine to five, 197 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: and I remember when I was eight years old, we 198 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: just moved to Canarsi. We moved out of a flatbush 199 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: because we lived in uh downstairs apartment in a two 200 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,199 Speaker 1: story home. And my mom got pregnant and was having 201 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: my sister, and my parents were just bought a house 202 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: and we moved to Canarsi. At the time, we were 203 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: the third black family in Canarsi. There are Jewish people, 204 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: Italian people, and then we were the third black family 205 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: to move to Canarsi and I was eight years old. 206 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: We just moved to Canarsi. Um I went to PS 207 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: two seventy nine and for the first time in my life, 208 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 1: I was responsible for walking from for walking home. But 209 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: I had to get my brother Brian first, and then 210 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: we had to walk home from to seventy nine to 211 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: our house. And eight years old, I'll never forget I 212 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: walk out the first day of school and I go 213 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: in the wrong direction. I grabbed my brother's hand and 214 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: I end up walking towards flat Lands as opposed to 215 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: walking into the more residential area. And when I walked 216 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: towards flat Land, I see this big street and it's 217 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: like it seems like the whole world opened up. I've 218 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: never seen it before. Is it just that you got 219 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: turned around that time? Like you came out the wrong 220 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 1: and you know, exit at the school and you were 221 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: like in a different place or where you just kind 222 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 1: of trying to take the long route home. No, I wasn't. 223 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: I came out of school and we I went into 224 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: school the front entrance, and then when I came out 225 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: the back entrance, for what, I got turned around. So 226 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: I went the wrong direction. But this is the first 227 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 1: time in my life I had to figure something out 228 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: on my own. My parents aren't there. I was eight, 229 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: so I was Jackson that I was just about to say, 230 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: that's Jackson. Now my heart is racially just thinking about it, 231 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:46,679 Speaker 1: because I'm like, there's no way I would have Jackson 232 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:48,599 Speaker 1: pick up car and take him anywhere, so and I 233 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: even have them take him to the bathroom. And I 234 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 1: have my six year old brother with me, and he's 235 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: just looking up at me, like, do you know where 236 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: we're going? And I end up navigating him. I finding 237 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 1: my way back home. I ran into one of my 238 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: class smith's parents, and and he looked like he was 239 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: concerned that I didn't know where I was going. I 240 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: recognized her from class, and I told him my address, 241 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 1: and he ended up taking us the rest of the way. 242 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: But that was that. That right there was a microcosm 243 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:14,439 Speaker 1: of what my life was like growing up in Brooklyn 244 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: because both of my parents worked a lot of it 245 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: was the responsibility of me, as the oldest, to figure 246 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 1: things out because my parents weren't there. So it was 247 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: me and my brother through life figuring things out, whether 248 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: it was fights with neighbors. When we first moved to Canarsie, 249 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: we were the third black family. There were other kids 250 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,679 Speaker 1: that we didn't know. My brother was fighting. We're getting 251 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: the fights. You know, if somebody hit my brother, I'm 252 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: the oldest, I'm hitting them back. So me and my 253 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: brother fighting in the street. We go to visit my 254 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: my family and queens Um. They lived in rough part 255 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: of Queens and we from Brooklyn. They got something to say, 256 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: we got something to say. We're fighting, like that's just 257 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: how we grew up. And it didn't have anything to 258 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 1: do with my parents and how they raised us in 259 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,839 Speaker 1: what they gave us. But I was in environments where 260 00:12:56,920 --> 00:13:00,719 Speaker 1: fights happened. And the story that I told was when 261 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: I was fourteen, and once I got into sports, those 262 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,679 Speaker 1: things didn't happen as much because I spent more time 263 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,199 Speaker 1: at practice and things like that. But I remember saying 264 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 1: to myself, and when I get married, I'm gonna make 265 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: enough money so that my wife don't got to work, 266 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: so that she can be at home to make sure 267 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 1: that she gets my kids or takes my kids to school, 268 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: and there's someone always there, because I remember having to 269 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: get my my brother from school and walking home and 270 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 1: then make lunch or make dinner, not dinner, but make lunch, 271 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: make a snack, wait for my parents to get home. 272 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: But there's that three hour spaning, but everything happened. I 273 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: even think about that in terms of like being a teenager, 274 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 1: like at those ages where you start to get curious 275 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: about stuff and you're like, damn, my parents are at 276 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:48,599 Speaker 1: home between three and six. You know, pull up, you 277 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: know what I mean. So a lot of that happens. 278 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: But it's funny how you said, thinking, well that that 279 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: story of your life created this idea in your mind 280 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: that you wanted to be able to have a wife 281 00:13:57,640 --> 00:13:59,839 Speaker 1: that can stay home. Meanwhile, you mess somebody that was 282 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: say how I'm to do what? Because that would be 283 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: funny nowadays hearing someone say that, that's probably not the 284 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,319 Speaker 1: popular opinion with most women. Mostem would be like, well, bro, 285 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: you're not gonna have me at home just to be 286 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: at home, you know what I mean? But now, but 287 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: I too, now see the value of being able to 288 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: have the flexibility we have with our jobs, because that's 289 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: one thing that I actually had in my household, so 290 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: unlike in your household. Growing up in Brooklyn with my parents, 291 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: my mother worked a job that was super flexible. She 292 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: was a home care nurse, so she was able to 293 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: kind of create her own schedule, and she purposely did 294 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: that because she wanted to make sure that she had 295 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: the flexibility to be able to truck us to dance 296 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: school and my brother to taekwondo practice, and you know, 297 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: she was able to kind of create her own schedule. 298 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: Whereas my dad worked evening, so he was gone three 299 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: four o'clock to yeah to midnight, so there was literally 300 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: always someone in the house, and of course you lean 301 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: on your village much like we do now. I had 302 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: my mom's mom near by, my grandparents. My grandfather used 303 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: to pitch it and pick up, pick me up and 304 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: take me to dance school, and those of great times 305 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: because it also strengthened and build the relationship that my 306 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: brother and my sister and I had with our grandparents, 307 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: So we were able to have that, whereas I know 308 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 1: that your grandparents were still down south, you know, and 309 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: Nanny and Papa John were still working, so it was 310 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: a little bit different for us. Um and I know 311 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: that my mom was very very like we lived a 312 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: very sheltered life, you know, strict West Indian upbringing, so 313 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: it's like my parents knew where I was at all times. 314 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: With me. My biggest thing was I wanted to take 315 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 1: the city bus so bad to school. My father used 316 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: to drive me to school pick me up every single 317 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: day until I beg so much that they let me 318 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: do it. I was calling my dad to pick me up, like, bro, 319 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: it's cold outside, I don't want to take this bus 320 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: no more. But what we can't do was just glance 321 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 1: over what taking the city bus like is like in Brooklyn. 322 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: The city bus is at the city bus. The subway 323 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 1: is a beast. So I completely get now why my 324 00:15:57,360 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: mom didn't want me to have to deal with that, 325 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: because she had to do that when she first came 326 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: up here and she was trucking back and forth to school. 327 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 1: She's like, I don't want my kids to have to 328 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: deal with that. And again it's like, you know, But 329 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: for me, I'm like, Mom, give me the adversity a 330 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: k A. I want to just take the bus because 331 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: when it's the lead, I can hang with my friends 332 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: at the junction and we can just like you know. 333 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: And it sounds like until you see videos on social 334 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 1: media now of kids getting into brawls on the city 335 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: bus and to so many other people in different parts 336 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: of the world, They're like, I can't believe this happens 337 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: in my life. That was a regular occurrence once a week, 338 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: like I remember being at Madison and and this is 339 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: just to give you gut some context of where I 340 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: my thought process came from. Having a wife be able 341 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: to stay at home Brandon Grenieri's mom. When I went 342 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: to middle school, Brandon Grenieri's mom stayed at home. She 343 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 1: dropped the government. Brandon are you're still friends. I haven't 344 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: spoken to Brandon in a while, but his mom used 345 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: to pick us up from school at Hudey and Huddy 346 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: was in Flatbush. I had a lot of friends in 347 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: Flatbush because I went to Sailor Missionary Baptist Church, but 348 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: I knew a lot of people who are part of 349 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: gangs over their v g K was right over there 350 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: on Avenue h and so I was able to avoid 351 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: a lot of that trouble in middle school because I 352 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: used to get picked up from school by Brandon Nari's 353 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: mom who took us back to Canarsi. But then when 354 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: I went to high school, I had to take the 355 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 1: eighty two bus past South Shore. Sheep said Bay with 356 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: a bunch of linking kids. These are all other high schools, 357 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: all the high schools, So these are a bunch of 358 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,959 Speaker 1: kids that you don't know who Sometimes your kids who 359 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,439 Speaker 1: were just there looking for trouble, and you're on the bus. 360 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: It's crowded. People are aggravated in the morning. So when 361 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: I say it was a beast, I'm not talking about 362 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:35,119 Speaker 1: old Traffic was bad and it was crowded. No, you 363 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: got kids who you've got different gang sets, You've got 364 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 1: different beefs and you're on the bus, people don't know 365 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:42,199 Speaker 1: who everybody is, and when people start swinging, sometimes you 366 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:44,399 Speaker 1: just get caught. And I remember sitting on the bus 367 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: every day thinking like today but not be the day 368 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: with somebody messing me because I'm not playing. Or the 369 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 1: best is when the bus is so crowded and you're 370 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,160 Speaker 1: just kind of sitting there and you have no choice 371 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: but to look at the person across from you, and 372 00:17:56,080 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: then the person across views like what you're looking. We're 373 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: I don't know what I'm supposed to do. How about 374 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: you get your Your little brother comes home because he 375 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 1: has to take the bus in middle school to roy 376 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 1: h Man. He has to take the bus, the b 377 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: A T two in the morning and he has to 378 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: get off right in front of south Shore to transfer 379 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: to go to roy Age Man. And then you get 380 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: a phone call that your brother got jumped on the bus. 381 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:24,439 Speaker 1: Now I get all my friends from Honey and we 382 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:25,920 Speaker 1: get on the bus and we go to roy Age 383 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: Man to press to do Like these are the things 384 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: that I had to handle all my own at at 385 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,919 Speaker 1: thirteen and twelve with my leving year old brother. That 386 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: I said to myself, I never want my kids to 387 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: have to to deal with these things. So the funny 388 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: part is now the conflict arises at least within our 389 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: household because we've relocated, as many of you know, from 390 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:53,200 Speaker 1: Brooklyn to um to l A. True we're not even 391 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:54,880 Speaker 1: even in the city. We're like, you know, a little 392 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 1: bit more residential area. And it's something that we've always 393 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: said we wanted because me too, even as an adult, 394 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: having lived in Brooklyn my entire life, your perspective changes 395 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,000 Speaker 1: a lot when we live in Michigan. Yeah, we did 396 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: for a little bit, so I had I had a 397 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: chance to experience. Yeah, I experienced you know, the suburb 398 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: life where I had, you know, space, and we had 399 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 1: a yard. And you want your children to be able 400 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 1: to experience that. You want to be able to just say, hey, 401 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: open the door to the backyard and just go outside 402 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 1: and run. Um. So the conflict arises now in the 403 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: household where we you know, what came from Brooklyn, we're 404 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: now in California. Um, And moments where he's just like, 405 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: I don't know that he isn't gotta they gotta be 406 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: tough and they gotta have their moments where they gotta 407 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 1: like I might develop what you want to create fights 408 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: for them. I don't know, based on your lifestyle that 409 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 1: you had growing up. I think it's a great thing 410 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: that they're a little bit more sheltered. Made me. I 411 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 1: get it. I get it, It made me I understand, 412 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:52,880 Speaker 1: and mine was a little bit different. And that's why 413 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: we sometimes get into a conflict because the way sheltered, 414 00:19:57,760 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: the way your parent is very different than mine. But 415 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: I to sometimes step back and say, okay, did that 416 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: as a man raising three black men? There are certain 417 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: things that I don't know, and I'll relinquished to you 418 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 1: having had the experience. For example, even just last night, 419 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,640 Speaker 1: I'm checking Jackson's homework and I was starting to mom 420 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:15,679 Speaker 1: him a little bit. But that's not the adversity I'm 421 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: talking about. Though I wanted to understand its homework. I do, 422 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 1: but that's not the adversity I'm talking about. I'm talking 423 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: about him developing some sort of toughness to where he 424 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: doesn't feel like everything is given, you know, because everything 425 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,120 Speaker 1: wasn't given in my home, even though even though my 426 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:35,159 Speaker 1: parents did well, you know, if I didn't have a 427 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: certain g p A, I couldn't get things. I had 428 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,879 Speaker 1: chores when I went to stay with my grandparents in 429 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: the summertime. We had to be up eight o'clock in 430 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: the morning. We had to mow the lawn and we 431 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: had to trim like we were we were young kids, preteens. 432 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:49,439 Speaker 1: I had learned how to drive, mowing the lawn and 433 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 1: trimming the grass, like doing yardwork, physical labor, which we 434 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 1: thought was like slavery. But now when I think about 435 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: it, it it teaches you a work ethic and it builds 436 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: adversity because you and your your brother and my cousin Devonne, 437 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: who we lived with when we stayed with my Nana 438 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 1: and Papa. It just it created something in us where 439 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: we were able to bond together and get things done. 440 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: But even more than that, just just having awareness. I 441 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: feel like people who are born with a silver spoon 442 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:19,280 Speaker 1: in their mouth sometimes are aloof to things that go 443 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:22,880 Speaker 1: on in the world because they're protected by their parents. Right, 444 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: I'll give you an example. Um, you and I when 445 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: we first moved back to Brooklyn, right after living in Michigan. Um, 446 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 1: you you grew up a house kid. You know, you 447 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,439 Speaker 1: didn't live in the apartment. You know you grew up 448 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: a house kids. It's funny because you have to explain 449 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:39,120 Speaker 1: what a house kid is, because back in the day 450 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: that was the thing too, at least in Brooklyn. I 451 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:43,360 Speaker 1: don't know if that happened everywhere else, but they were 452 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: like kids that lived in apartment in the apartments, and 453 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: then they were house kids. So yes, I was a 454 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 1: house kid growing up, because actually, when I was first 455 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 1: born and up until I was four, I did live 456 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: in an apartment building with my mom and dad. At 457 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: once my mom became pregnant with my brother. We then 458 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: moved to Cannarcy as well. And yes, I became a 459 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: house kids. Funny that I heard, because I haven't heard 460 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: house could him so long. And I used to get 461 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: teased sometimes for being a house kid by the kids 462 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: who lived in apartments, right, and and that's just a 463 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: cultural thing. And I just wanted to move back to 464 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: an apartment so bad. Yeah, so I didn't have to 465 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 1: be teased for being a house kid. And I mean 466 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 1: that's you know, that's part of our culture too. It's 467 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: it's almost like when when you're black and your your 468 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: parents are doing well, they're doing okay, it's almost the 469 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: scene it's like you lost something because your parents are 470 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 1: working for you to become better, and you become like 471 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 1: the Hillary Banks for the Carlton and I mean it 472 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 1: was the same thing for my cousins who my cousin Cord, 473 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: they used to call him Carlton because he went to 474 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,199 Speaker 1: poly Prep and he spoke well. And um, you know 475 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:42,199 Speaker 1: when you go to college and um, when you go 476 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: to college and you come back and you your dialect 477 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: has changed because you're trying to speak differently, and the 478 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: people make fun of you for going to college. And 479 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: they'll give you more love for coming back from going 480 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 1: to jail than they will from coming back from going 481 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: to college. That's just the culture we live in, especially 482 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 1: in Brooklyn. But um, we came back from Michigan and 483 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: this is the first time we've lived in the apartment, 484 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: lived in an apartment. And Codeine used to just leave 485 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: her stuff in the car and she leave it on 486 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: the front seat and her car would get broken into, 487 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: and for me it was just like, why would you 488 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: leave it on the front seat, And she was just about, 489 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 1: I'm not used to having to hide my stuff, like 490 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 1: these laws and these rules that you live by that 491 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 1: that I just I'm not used to it. Here's my 492 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 1: story time, and folks, since if I wanted to have 493 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,439 Speaker 1: a long story time. Right, I'm not gonna take up 494 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: too much time, but I will explain about what did 495 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: I was referring to with this story. So we had 496 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: moved back to Brooklyn, like you said, and I was 497 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: working as a makeup artist. I was a freelancer, so 498 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:39,639 Speaker 1: I was out there just hustling, trying to get my 499 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:43,479 Speaker 1: coins together, and we had Jackson. At this point we 500 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: were in the apartment. I was still kind of upset 501 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,479 Speaker 1: about being there because you know, our lifestyle drastically changed 502 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 1: and the apartment. But I did chose to come back, 503 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 1: and I said, you know what, we're going to rebuild. 504 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: We were in the rebuilding phase. So yeah, I'll never forget. 505 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: It was about to be Columbus Day on that Monday. 506 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: On the Sunday, I did make up for a client 507 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: for her son's christening. We ended up staying in Devo's 508 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: parents house all Funday, had Sunday dinner. We were hanging 509 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: out late. We got home at like maybe one am, 510 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: so we had to circle for parking. We finally parked 511 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: the car. I had my makeup kit in the car 512 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: with me, another bag with some brushes and stuff, and 513 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: I said, you know what, let me just leave this 514 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: stuff in the car because I had to be back 515 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: downstairs at five am to then drive to Long Island 516 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: for a wedding. I had thirteen faces to do for 517 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:32,439 Speaker 1: this wedding, right, twelve people plus the bride. So I'm like, 518 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:34,120 Speaker 1: you know, I'm not gonna lug everything up to lug 519 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 1: it back downstairs. Devo's gonna be sleep at five thirty. 520 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 1: Jackson's gonna be in the house with him. Like, I'm 521 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: not gonna bother him. So I put my makeup case 522 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: on the floor, which, because it's a toll case, on 523 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: the floor behind the passenger seat. And then I had 524 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:49,359 Speaker 1: another bag that had a couple of other little like 525 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,160 Speaker 1: knickknacks and stuff, so I left it on the seat 526 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,159 Speaker 1: in the back. Very important that you say this. You 527 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 1: did all of this after parking the car, opening the 528 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: doors with the dome light on in the car, and 529 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 1: rearranging all this stuff wild park. Yes, I did. So 530 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: I went upstairs with my other bag, which luckily had 531 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: my brushes in it. Because the brushes are super expensive, 532 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:08,879 Speaker 1: I had to go and clean a couple upstairs, so 533 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 1: I took my bag upstairs. I had the remaining products 534 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 1: in it came back downstairs. Thirty am. My car window 535 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 1: is broken and my makeup kid is gone, gone, disappears. 536 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,199 Speaker 1: So I instantly panicked because I have thirteen faces to do. 537 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: I have to be in Long Island by seven am. 538 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: Hot mess broke into the car. I'm damn and I 539 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: was just so distraught. Luckily, I was able to call 540 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: a colleague of mine, who I know was very organized. 541 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 1: I would have probably had her kid ready to go, 542 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: so I was able to grab her quick kid on 543 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: the way to Queen's. But I say all that to 544 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 1: say me being a quote unquote house kid, which is 545 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 1: totally unaware of I guess the street smarts are like 546 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 1: the code, you know, living around apartment buildings that you're 547 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:52,880 Speaker 1: not supposed to like open all your car doors at once. 548 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: Said I'm thinking to myself, Oh it's one am, nobody's 549 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,160 Speaker 1: out here. It's gonna be four hours. Who's come down? 550 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 1: Everybody's out in one am? Old the wrong people out 551 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: at one am, and were able to thrive through adversity. 552 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: We're able to make things happen because we went through stuff. Right. 553 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 1: Imagine raising three black boys in America, shielding them for 554 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: from anything that could possibly happen. And then when they 555 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: turned eighteen, sending them to college, I get I don't 556 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: want to do that either, And that's that's the struggle 557 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: going through now. No you won't trust me, No you 558 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: won't that, And that's the struggle we're going through now 559 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: because we're trying to find ways to find that adversity 560 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 1: and put them in situations where we can see them 561 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:35,679 Speaker 1: fight through it or let them fall and get back up. 562 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,439 Speaker 1: And it's tough because as a parent, you look at 563 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: your kids and you don't want to ever watch them struggle. 564 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: I feel like if my parents knew my struggles, they 565 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: would have found ways to let me around it. But 566 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: I never let my parents know what I was going through, 567 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:48,480 Speaker 1: so I found ways to do it on my own. 568 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: Do you think you did that? Is it that you 569 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: kind of felt bad that your parents because my parents 570 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:55,439 Speaker 1: were busting theirs, and I felt like it was my 571 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:59,679 Speaker 1: responsibility to just man up like my my father. My 572 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,159 Speaker 1: father were the same shoes I kid you not. He 573 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: were the same shoes for about fifteen years. He used 574 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 1: to put uh newspaper in the bottom his shoes so 575 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: that they would be more comfortable. He never had a 576 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: new car his whole adult life until I went to 577 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: the NFL and my brother was graduating from college. Because 578 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:19,919 Speaker 1: he always bought my mom a car, he bought me 579 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: a car, he bought my brother a car. He always 580 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: put us first. My father always did that. So of course, 581 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: if I was going through these little things at the time, 582 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:29,880 Speaker 1: I thought was little things that normal. I'm not gonna 583 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 1: say nothing because my father is busting his ass and 584 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: my mom works for the city. She's she's going to 585 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: work every single day. What am I complaining about? You 586 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying? And that made me who I am, 587 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: and the same thing with you, Like, I'm pretty sure 588 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,600 Speaker 1: because my my sister is sheltered just like you. So 589 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: I think it's a son daughter thing. Yeah, that things 590 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 1: are very different, I think. And I was the oldest 591 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:57,160 Speaker 1: and I'm the girl. So the dynamic of boy versus girl, 592 00:27:57,359 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 1: or even just placement in in where you fall if 593 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 1: like the oldest or the youngest, that also to affects 594 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: the I think, the amount of responsibility that's put on you. Um, 595 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:10,439 Speaker 1: and it also too kind of parents parent differently in 596 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: that sense, you know what I mean, Because we talk 597 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 1: all the time about how you know you feel like 598 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:16,520 Speaker 1: your sister was parented differently than yours, your brother, And 599 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 1: then with in my circumstance, my sister is ten years 600 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: younger than me, I felt I feel like my parents 601 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:23,400 Speaker 1: lost some wind at that point. They were just like, 602 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: wait a second. I wasn't thinking I was gonna have 603 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,919 Speaker 1: this baby again. You know. Naturally my brother's between us. 604 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 1: But still I look at them sometimes and I'm like, 605 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:32,560 Speaker 1: is she gonna get away with that? Think about us? 606 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: Think about what Jackson has been through and what Cas 607 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 1: is going to go through. Cats is never never really 608 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 1: lived in the apartment, never been on the train, will 609 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 1: never be on the bus. Jackson has done all of that. 610 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: Jackson is taking the train with me places, you know, 611 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: the auditions and stuff, and dealt with rush hour and 612 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: he's ready to go back on again. And I was like, bro, 613 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 1: this is not an event, it's not a sport. This 614 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: is like real life. And he's but he's aware though, 615 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: Like he's aware, Yeah, for sure, jack Remember the first 616 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: time I let Jacon crossed the street by himself a 617 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 1: heart attack. He was five. I almost had a heart 618 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: it was five. I let Jackson go to the corner 619 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: store by myself, Cadine was so pissed, and I was like, 620 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 1: trust me, kay, just let him go. Let him go. 621 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 1: He said he wanted a lollipop. I gave him a 622 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: fifty cent and I said, go to the store, lollipop 623 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: cause the quarter. But it just see, that's the thing 624 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 1: too that I had to learn from Devout making sure 625 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: people around the way or around your hood knows you facts, 626 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: you know, because that's also something that helps in Brooklyn. 627 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 1: When people around your way know you, it's almost like 628 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 1: a code you look out for each other, you know, 629 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: It's like an extended family if you you know. So 630 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: that's something that I was just like, don't have him 631 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: talk for strangers and devots, Like, no, he needs to 632 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 1: talk to the people around the areas they are, you know. 633 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 1: So I get it. Is there anything that you can't 634 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: believe the kids have that maybe you didn't have growing up? 635 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 1: I pad, yeah, I mean that wasn't the thing then, 636 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: but I did have a game Boy. Yeah. But but 637 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: I think it's just having then instant access to information, 638 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,920 Speaker 1: not even just so much the technology, but my my 639 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: kids know and see so much. And I'm guilty of 640 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: doing this. I'm guilty of just saying yes, because I 641 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 1: want so bad to be able to say yes to 642 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: my kids. Every time they ask for something, I just 643 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 1: say yes without making them earn it. And I feel 644 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: like that's that iPad is just every time Jackson called me, 645 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 1: can I get this game? Can I get this game? Yeah? Sure? Sure? 646 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,600 Speaker 1: Can I get these Jordan's, I get these sneakers, these Kyrie's? Yeah? 647 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 1: And I I have the shaming myself, yeah, I mean 648 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 1: we both we both were guilty of doing that, and 649 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: recently we just felt like, you know what, we're going 650 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 1: to have to dial back on that, like just saying no, 651 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 1: just to say no, and I know sometimes my parents 652 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: used to do that all the time. I mean, it 653 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: would be an easy situation, like, hey, mom, you know 654 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 1: my best friend. The sign was Carla. Can I go 655 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 1: to Carlo's house after school? You know? Her dad said 656 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 1: that we can come by. Hey, I'm going to do 657 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: my homework there. And then just because you're going to 658 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 1: be around your friend, you know what I mean. And 659 00:30:57,160 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: her dad said that he'll drop us back home and 660 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: she'll just be like no mother, with no reason. And 661 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 1: of course I'm thinking it's just unfair. My life is 662 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 1: over and like, why can't you give me a reason. 663 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 1: And she's like, hey, I can't say yes to everything. 664 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:10,440 Speaker 1: Sometimes I just have to say no. Well, you're gonna 665 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: have to say no to our daughter because I can't 666 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 1: say no to her. Again, we're talking about this daughter 667 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 1: that's non existent, but as it comes to my boys, 668 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: you're gonna anyway that That was last season's episode, So yeah, 669 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 1: that's in the past. Bro. So Like recently, I found 670 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: myself holding back as a mother from just doing things 671 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,760 Speaker 1: that I know I can easily do, but I want 672 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 1: Jackson to be able to do for himself because also 673 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 1: to I'm raising three boys that I want to be 674 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 1: able to be self sufficient, especially when they're older. So 675 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: simple things like making the bed, sorting the laundry before 676 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: it goes in the washing machine. You know. He came 677 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: home from school the other day and he's just like, hey, Mom, 678 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: can I have a snack? And I'm like, sure, no problem. 679 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: So then he like sits down, you know. So I 680 00:31:57,600 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 1: was like, well, what you are you gonna get a snack? 681 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: And he's like, aren't you gonna make my snack for me? 682 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: And I was like no, I could get up and 683 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:05,160 Speaker 1: looking the fridge to see what you want but I 684 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:09,240 Speaker 1: don't know what's in there. And then yeah, so I 685 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 1: was like, okay, so let's think about what we can 686 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 1: make quickly. We can make a sandwich. There's peanut butter 687 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: and jelly. There's this that in the third and he's like, okay, 688 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 1: I'll take peanut butter and jelly. And I'm like awesome. 689 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: So I take out the bread, the peanut butter and 690 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:20,280 Speaker 1: jelly and the knife, and I just put it on 691 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: the countertop. And there's something so simple that I would 692 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:25,720 Speaker 1: have naturally just made it in two minutes. But I'm 693 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: just like, no, I'm at the point now where I 694 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: was like, there's just things that they're going to have 695 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: to start to do for themselves. Let me spain something 696 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: to you. My shout out to my grandmother, Della Ellis. 697 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: When we used to go to Tennessee in the summertime, 698 00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 1: we had to cook our own food. From six years old, 699 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 1: I remember she told us how to make breakfast. We 700 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: had things that we could put in the microway for lunch, 701 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: and she told us how to make dinner. Me and 702 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 1: my cousin de Van and my brother Brian, we had 703 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 1: to eat and she used to take us to save 704 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 1: a lot. She gave us a budget and we will 705 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 1: go shopping and we would get our own food. We 706 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: will come back and we will responding for feeding ourselves. 707 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 1: Were so that I'm thinking you have a little PTSD 708 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:03,959 Speaker 1: from because now you don't want to cook the Now 709 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 1: that's exactly why I don't want to cook, because you've 710 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: been cooking here. I'm not even going a lie. Man. 711 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,240 Speaker 1: I loved you till I found that out. Because now 712 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 1: your grandson won't even make dinner for me because he 713 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:17,320 Speaker 1: had been doing it since he was six years old. 714 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 1: Isn't every summer eight weeks you? Oh my god, you 715 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,480 Speaker 1: gotta cook. But but the thing is, I love to grill, 716 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: so I'll grill. Yes, that's the happy media. Don't say 717 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: I don't cook for you, because what you do is 718 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: you put out these false narratives and have women here 719 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: mad at me because I don't be doing nothing at home. 720 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 1: Whenever something whenever we got to eat the valve on 721 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: the grill, Yes, everybody, not just for everybody. Yeah, you're 722 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:46,080 Speaker 1: very good with that, chef for a compliment. Been three 723 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: seasons I finally get a compliment. Guys, Jesus, you're very 724 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 1: good for that, very good. But yeah, they're just simple 725 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: things now that I feel like I need to just 726 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 1: kind of step back from. And then sometimes Jackson will 727 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 1: hit me with the trying to make me feel guilty, 728 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: but you makee cayrolink. It's the same with why won't 729 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,520 Speaker 1: you leave me one? And like, bro, like you had 730 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: me to yourself for five years, I've been making you 731 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: little last handwhich just for years now. I said, can 732 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:11,399 Speaker 1: you imagine what will happen? And I turn it into 733 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:14,200 Speaker 1: a joke. I'm like, Jackson, imagine if I gave Cayro 734 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:16,960 Speaker 1: and Cass peanut butter and jelly to make their own sandwiches. 735 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,360 Speaker 1: And he's like, oh, it's gonna be all over the wall. 736 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,080 Speaker 1: And I'm like, exactly the same thing he does with, 737 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 1: you know, pencils in the house. Cats is into pencils 738 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:28,239 Speaker 1: now drawing on walls. But you know, um, I also 739 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 1: want to create a space that's fair where my boys 740 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 1: feel like, Okay, you know mom and dad are doing 741 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 1: what they can and it's fair and it makes sense. 742 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,800 Speaker 1: And usually there's a discussion or a lesson in something 743 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 1: and it comes with that explanation, so well, you know 744 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 1: what's funny, Jackson says, that. He always makes fun of me. 745 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 1: Anytime he asked me something, he's I don't know what 746 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 1: you're gonna say? What figure it out? That is my 747 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: way of creating adversity for him. We He said to me, Dad, 748 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:53,560 Speaker 1: you know I want to practice ride on my bike. 749 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: I said, all right, we'll go put the bike in 750 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: the trusk and he's like, what I said, go put 751 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 1: the bike in the truck. So then I'm watching him 752 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:03,800 Speaker 1: stumble and trying to get the bike in the truck, 753 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:05,759 Speaker 1: which I know it's difficult, but these are things I 754 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: had to do when I was living in Tennessee. My 755 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,280 Speaker 1: grandmother was not gonna come out and take three bikes 756 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 1: for us out of the garage. Every time we wanted 757 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:13,879 Speaker 1: to ride the bike, we had to figure it out. 758 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 1: So I watched him struggle to get the bike in 759 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:17,520 Speaker 1: the truck and finally gets the bike in the truck. 760 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 1: We drive to the park. I sit in the car 761 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 1: and he's in the cars that we're waiting for us. Said, 762 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: I'm waiting for you to get the bike out of 763 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:25,439 Speaker 1: the truck. He's like, I gotta take it out too. 764 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:28,160 Speaker 1: I'm like yeah, he's like, but it's heavy. I said, well, 765 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 1: figure it out and he The funny thing is I 766 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 1: see the confidence once he figures something out. I see 767 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,040 Speaker 1: like the lightbulb go off in his head and he's like, 768 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,360 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, I really can do this on my own. 769 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,759 Speaker 1: Same thing with basketball. He's shooting, it goes past the rim, 770 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 1: down the hill and he's looking at me. I'm like, Yo, 771 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:49,919 Speaker 1: you better go get that. Like I'm like, I've made 772 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:52,280 Speaker 1: a point in my life that I'm gonna make things 773 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: harder for him just because I have to just like 774 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: just like things that I would normally just do. Now 775 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:00,520 Speaker 1: you'll get that yourself. Bro. That's that's my because I 776 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 1: was looking at our rundown today and it was talking 777 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 1: about resilience and resilience pretty much being like the ability 778 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:08,240 Speaker 1: to roll with the punches, and there was a tip 779 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 1: um or different tips from the Guardian and how you 780 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:15,719 Speaker 1: teach your kids resilience. So having one on one time 781 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:17,520 Speaker 1: with the child, which is great, It's just something that 782 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:20,399 Speaker 1: I think we always try to do. Yes, I think 783 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:22,719 Speaker 1: that we both take time to take our own individual 784 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,480 Speaker 1: time with each child for that. So so that's like 785 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 1: a perfect example of, um, you know, one on one 786 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 1: time with Jackson and you're trying to teach him like okay, bro, 787 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:34,760 Speaker 1: but also to teaching delayed gratifications. So resilience mean understanding 788 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:36,960 Speaker 1: that you can't always have what you want as soon 789 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 1: as you want it, like that instant gratification lifestyle that 790 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:43,880 Speaker 1: we live in this this time, we really have to 791 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:46,520 Speaker 1: be cognizant of that and teaching our kids. As much 792 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: as you say it's like because you asked for it 793 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:54,759 Speaker 1: right now, don't mean right now absolutely. And I blame 794 00:36:54,840 --> 00:37:01,879 Speaker 1: that on Amazon Prime in two days. You know, it's 795 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:05,239 Speaker 1: just that access. How did he learn about because he 796 00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:07,279 Speaker 1: says that to you, mom, you can just order it. 797 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: You can just order it right now, click click one 798 00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:13,960 Speaker 1: click buy or whatever it is. I'm just like, bros. Down, 799 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:15,919 Speaker 1: have a seat. So I've also learned with the two 800 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:19,400 Speaker 1: younger boys that they watch and their their model of 801 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 1: what being a decent young man is right now is 802 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:26,359 Speaker 1: their brother. So they're constantly watching Jackson, and I tend 803 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,000 Speaker 1: to teach them through Jackson. So for example, if I'm 804 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:32,960 Speaker 1: disciplining Jackson rom doing something with Jackson, I like that 805 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:36,040 Speaker 1: they're sitting there watching and I'm speaking to them while 806 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 1: I'm speaking to Jackson. So the lesson is never just 807 00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 1: for Jackson. The lesson is also for them. But what 808 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:43,719 Speaker 1: I also am starting to do is I'm not letting 809 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:46,280 Speaker 1: them get away with the baby syndrome. You know, because 810 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 1: you're three, because you're too you just get away with things. 811 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:52,360 Speaker 1: So for example, with Kas, remember Cas, you should just 812 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:55,600 Speaker 1: climb up on the counter all the time. And you 813 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:58,480 Speaker 1: know your mom, your mom isses his caregiver now because 814 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 1: he's home and most with him and she wants to 815 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:02,759 Speaker 1: make sure that he's okay and stuff like that. But 816 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:05,240 Speaker 1: I know when I come home, he has a caregiver, 817 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 1: he has the person who's gonna cakyle him and stuff 818 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 1: like that. But then Dad comes home, so you know, 819 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: he hears a lot from me, no and stop. And 820 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,520 Speaker 1: I want to start that now because I realized at 821 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,359 Speaker 1: Jackson's age we had to do both as far as 822 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 1: being the caregiver and being a disciplinarian. With your mom, 823 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:25,399 Speaker 1: your mom is just the caregiver. She doesn't do the disciplinarian, 824 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: so I have to be the disciplinarian. So even with Kaz, 825 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 1: the same thing about instant gratification. He'll run over to 826 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:34,799 Speaker 1: me with the iPad and he'll ask me to open it, 827 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:38,440 Speaker 1: like daddy, Daddy, open it, Daddy, open it. So in 828 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:39,879 Speaker 1: the past I would just hit the bar and woo. 829 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:42,839 Speaker 1: But now if I'm doing something, I said, you gotta wait, 830 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: you gotta wait, and you have to say excuse me. 831 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:48,359 Speaker 1: So then he'll frown a little bit. And he wasn't 832 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:51,440 Speaker 1: getting it. And it took him about literally took him 833 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: about six months that he started to come over now 834 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:56,759 Speaker 1: and he's like, daddy opened, please. You see him come 835 00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:59,520 Speaker 1: with that open please. You know why it took him 836 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:03,359 Speaker 1: six months because he's you, and he's he's stubborn as 837 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,120 Speaker 1: all hell, so he was gonna wait six months just 838 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:08,759 Speaker 1: to kind of ride it all out. But that's absolutely 839 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 1: so right. You can guarantee that if your wife gives 840 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:15,600 Speaker 1: you a compliment, she's gonna find a way to just 841 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 1: give you a backhanded compliment and later on in the 842 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:22,320 Speaker 1: conversation she's gonna blame every bad quality about the kids. 843 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:26,960 Speaker 1: It's gonna be it's headstrong. And that's great because your 844 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:29,000 Speaker 1: head strong and you're an amazing man because of that. 845 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:33,160 Speaker 1: She don't get it twisted. Don't get it twisted, but 846 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:37,040 Speaker 1: but no, and also to being able to like empower 847 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:42,120 Speaker 1: the two little ones because Kiro obsesses over Jackson, like 848 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 1: he looks up to him so much. So in doing that, 849 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,240 Speaker 1: sometimes when I have moments when I'm with Kiro alone, 850 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:50,839 Speaker 1: you know, he'll be like, Mommy, I want to put 851 00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:52,319 Speaker 1: the shirt on, or I want to put this clothes on, 852 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:55,319 Speaker 1: Like he'll he'll now at this point, if I did 853 00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:56,759 Speaker 1: say no, I'm not gonna do it for you, He'll 854 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 1: go in his room, go through his drawers, take off 855 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: his pajama, seen him take off his pull up, put 856 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:04,799 Speaker 1: on his underwear, his jeans, and his shirt. Maybe his 857 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:07,560 Speaker 1: shirt will be on backwards, but he's now into a 858 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:10,160 Speaker 1: rhythm of dressing himself. When I remember back with Jackson, 859 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:12,000 Speaker 1: we had to actually sit and teach him, like look 860 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:14,320 Speaker 1: for the tag, put it over your head. But Cairo 861 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:16,239 Speaker 1: comes out fully dressed and ready to go for the 862 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 1: day because he wants to keep up with Jackson. And 863 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:20,839 Speaker 1: I think it's also important, you know, speak, I speak 864 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:23,360 Speaker 1: about how I tend to discipline or teach cast but 865 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:26,040 Speaker 1: also with Cairo, I found that it's okay for me 866 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:29,040 Speaker 1: to tell Kyro, no, you can't go. This is Jackson's time, 867 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:32,280 Speaker 1: because what that allows him is to learn the process 868 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:35,799 Speaker 1: that everything isn't always about him, and I've learned I've 869 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:39,160 Speaker 1: watched himself soothed, where in the past when I used 870 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:41,360 Speaker 1: to I used to say, oh, me and Jackson are 871 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:43,239 Speaker 1: going to do something. He will cry and scream and cry. 872 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:46,320 Speaker 1: Then I used to lie and say, hey, Jackson's in trouble. 873 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:47,600 Speaker 1: I'm going to take him to do this. You don't 874 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 1: want to go to this. But that's why I am 875 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:51,600 Speaker 1: aligned him. He's three, he's very intelligent. He's old enough 876 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:55,560 Speaker 1: to comprehend Cairo. You cannot go because this is Jackson's time. 877 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,719 Speaker 1: He needs to practice. When I come back, you and 878 00:40:57,719 --> 00:41:00,239 Speaker 1: I will do something. And I think that the the 879 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:03,040 Speaker 1: fact that I was honest about what I was gonna do, 880 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: he was able to sell, soothe and realize, you know, 881 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:06,600 Speaker 1: I can't go with Jackson is not my time. But 882 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:09,480 Speaker 1: when Daddy comes back and when I get back, he's 883 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:12,400 Speaker 1: waiting by the door. But what that's teaching him is patients. 884 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:15,120 Speaker 1: And he's also learning that everything is not about him, 885 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:16,920 Speaker 1: because in life, everything is not going to be about me, 886 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:19,680 Speaker 1: about you, absolutely, especially when you called into that world. 887 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:22,320 Speaker 1: Nobody gives a ship and when you have the silver spoon, 888 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:24,800 Speaker 1: sometimes you just think that since I have the silver spoon, 889 00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:27,120 Speaker 1: everything is about me and I can leverage it whenever 890 00:41:27,160 --> 00:41:29,319 Speaker 1: I want. And that's not the way life works. No, 891 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 1: it doesn't. It's it's so difficult to just like straddle 892 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:34,880 Speaker 1: that straddle that face. But it is as a parent 893 00:41:35,239 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 1: very um exciting to see when the kids are getting it, 894 00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 1: and I think it requires some explanation. Like one thing 895 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:46,120 Speaker 1: we do as parents, Um Deval and I we try 896 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:53,000 Speaker 1: to explain to our children as much as we can. Right, 897 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:58,759 Speaker 1: that is the black mom term in the year why 898 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:01,799 Speaker 1: not because I said that's right? And to me as 899 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:03,839 Speaker 1: a child, I always remember thinking, but that's just not 900 00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:07,080 Speaker 1: good enough, like I needed I need to understand why. 901 00:42:07,239 --> 00:42:10,120 Speaker 1: And me thinking that as like a five six seven 902 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:12,919 Speaker 1: year old child, I feel like naturally maybe my kids 903 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:14,840 Speaker 1: feel the same way because you said you experienced the 904 00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 1: same thing. So whereas some people may say like man, 905 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:19,920 Speaker 1: I ain't gonna take the time they explain myself to no, 906 00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:22,640 Speaker 1: six seven eight year old, we've found a lot of 907 00:42:22,719 --> 00:42:27,759 Speaker 1: value to sit down and explain ourselves. I do. Is 908 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 1: it in frustration or just the kids bothering you in 909 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:32,400 Speaker 1: a moment where you don't want to be disturbed? No, 910 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:35,759 Speaker 1: some sometimes sometimes they're not old enough to understand what 911 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:38,239 Speaker 1: I'm trying to explain. So sometimes just like listen bro 912 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:41,600 Speaker 1: I said no. Because I said no, naturally, do not 913 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:44,080 Speaker 1: ask me again. But if it's something that I think 914 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:48,040 Speaker 1: they can understand, it's a yeah, I teachable moment. But 915 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:51,560 Speaker 1: but I think kids do need to understand like their place. 916 00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:54,359 Speaker 1: You know, I feel like we've given everyone is so 917 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 1: liberal nowadays, everything is so liberal, like kids should be 918 00:42:57,400 --> 00:42:59,200 Speaker 1: have their own freedoms and do this and do that, 919 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:01,799 Speaker 1: and in the in the child does something outside of 920 00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:04,600 Speaker 1: society's norms, the first people they blame all the parents, 921 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:07,640 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. So for me, I'm not 922 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:10,480 Speaker 1: even gonna give my chance, my children the chance to 923 00:43:10,560 --> 00:43:13,040 Speaker 1: make those mistakes and then come looking for us. So, 924 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:14,719 Speaker 1: you know what, you may not agree with the way 925 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:17,360 Speaker 1: our parents, or you maybe say I'm a little bit extreme, 926 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:20,880 Speaker 1: but I'm going to teach my kids patients resilience and 927 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:22,960 Speaker 1: how to fight off adversity so that they can be 928 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,880 Speaker 1: fully functioning adults in the society where we have to 929 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:30,200 Speaker 1: work together for humanity to continue to exist. And ultimately 930 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:32,520 Speaker 1: that's what we try to do with parents. That's the 931 00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:35,040 Speaker 1: best advice I can give. I don't know. You know, 932 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:37,400 Speaker 1: some people believe in spanking, some people don't believe in spankings. 933 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:39,400 Speaker 1: You know your children. You know what I'm saying. You 934 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:40,880 Speaker 1: know your children. What I will say is, if you 935 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:44,200 Speaker 1: can teach them principles that allow them to coexist with 936 00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:47,240 Speaker 1: other adults and other children, they'll be They'll be pretty 937 00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:50,839 Speaker 1: good humans. And that's hard while we're trying to give 938 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:53,200 Speaker 1: them everything in life that we didn't have. Yeah, it's 939 00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:55,000 Speaker 1: a lot of style stepping that has to take place, 940 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:56,799 Speaker 1: so you know, I know, within our house household, and 941 00:43:56,840 --> 00:43:59,640 Speaker 1: it's stole stepping according to the child's particular needs. Still, 942 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:02,160 Speaker 1: because if you have multiple children, you have to also 943 00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:05,239 Speaker 1: superstand that you can't parent one kind of way that 944 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:09,600 Speaker 1: one child may learn through adversity in one way, whereas 945 00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:11,480 Speaker 1: it may be a detriment to another child. And that 946 00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:14,479 Speaker 1: is that I'm glad you. I'm glad you told about 947 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:16,759 Speaker 1: you have an example because I that is a great 948 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:18,640 Speaker 1: point because I know that's been a lot of time 949 00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 1: with the boys, because I'm a dad and I kind 950 00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:23,960 Speaker 1: of feel like I know they're very much a boy dad, 951 00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:27,959 Speaker 1: very much a boy dad. But I know for a fact, 952 00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:31,400 Speaker 1: all three of my boys are inherently different. They're so different, 953 00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:37,279 Speaker 1: inherently different. Different. And for example, Jackson with riding the 954 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:41,480 Speaker 1: bike right, And I said to Jackson, because I see 955 00:44:41,520 --> 00:44:44,840 Speaker 1: he struggles, he gets nervous, he gets worried. So he 956 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:47,279 Speaker 1: gets on a bike. Last year we perfected getting on 957 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:48,600 Speaker 1: the bike and riding it. He gets on the bike 958 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:51,520 Speaker 1: and his feet stumble in and I'm like, Jackson, I'm 959 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,480 Speaker 1: not gonna scream at you. Okay, I'm not gonna holler. 960 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:58,319 Speaker 1: I'm going to be very patient. You're a champ. You 961 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:00,960 Speaker 1: can do this. Ten minutes, he's still trying to get 962 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:05,000 Speaker 1: his feet on the pedal, lose it, get yours on 963 00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:08,640 Speaker 1: the bike, bike riding, pedal going. Now he's moving, he's 964 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:10,799 Speaker 1: looking at me. He's all excited. Now, my gos, what 965 00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:14,359 Speaker 1: I'm talking about. Let's go screaming, let's go. Can you 966 00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:16,879 Speaker 1: imagine if I would have screamed that Chiro like that, 967 00:45:17,239 --> 00:45:19,560 Speaker 1: what would Cairo have done? Would have stayed the bike down, 968 00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:23,759 Speaker 1: walked away like bike. If I would have screamed it 969 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:26,400 Speaker 1: Kylro like that, there would have been no bike riding. 970 00:45:26,480 --> 00:45:28,520 Speaker 1: He would have stand the bike down and walked home. 971 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:32,840 Speaker 1: Kaz would have fought, would have start swinging. Who are 972 00:45:32,880 --> 00:45:38,920 Speaker 1: you screaming that? What is exactly? Yeah? And it's so 973 00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:41,879 Speaker 1: strange and it's exhausting. Sometimes it's a parent because it's 974 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:45,959 Speaker 1: just like, bro, like, how do I keep up a baby? 975 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:49,359 Speaker 1: So I have a question. We moved our kids out 976 00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:51,640 Speaker 1: of the quote unquote hood because Brooklyn is no longer hood, 977 00:45:51,680 --> 00:45:54,840 Speaker 1: no more. It's very gentrified. It's Brooklyn Heights now. But 978 00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:57,240 Speaker 1: we moved our kids, the kids out of Brooklyn Heights 979 00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:00,719 Speaker 1: and now we're in the suburbs of California. What are 980 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:06,279 Speaker 1: you hoping to gain from making these changes? Because I 981 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:08,480 Speaker 1: know the first thing, okay, we I know why we 982 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:12,359 Speaker 1: moved here. Codeine looked at the schools system. We talked 983 00:46:12,400 --> 00:46:15,759 Speaker 1: about budgets, and she said, if we can do public 984 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:19,319 Speaker 1: the number one public school in California. So we're trying 985 00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:21,319 Speaker 1: to find somewhere that at least I know they can 986 00:46:21,320 --> 00:46:23,000 Speaker 1: go to public school, will have some space. It was 987 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:24,719 Speaker 1: just trying to find the happy medium for us. So 988 00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:26,040 Speaker 1: and I just cut you off because I don't want 989 00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:27,520 Speaker 1: you to go to public school route because we talked 990 00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:29,480 Speaker 1: about education. I want to hear. No, it wasn't even 991 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:32,000 Speaker 1: that like I what I got from your question at 992 00:46:32,080 --> 00:46:33,839 Speaker 1: least is what's what do I hope my children are 993 00:46:33,840 --> 00:46:35,680 Speaker 1: going to learn from their childhood with this whole move 994 00:46:35,719 --> 00:46:40,359 Speaker 1: that we made, right okay, so um. For me, As 995 00:46:40,440 --> 00:46:42,720 Speaker 1: much as it's about the children, it was also about, 996 00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:46,160 Speaker 1: if it sounds selfish, my peace of mind, knowing that 997 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:48,600 Speaker 1: me as a mom, there's certain things that I don't 998 00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:52,200 Speaker 1: want to have to necessarily worry about because actually I'm 999 00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:56,520 Speaker 1: a warrior. So you know, them moving us moving out here. 1000 00:46:56,840 --> 00:46:59,160 Speaker 1: For me, it's going to give them the opportunity, I think, 1001 00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:01,200 Speaker 1: to just at least have a little bit more space. 1002 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:03,880 Speaker 1: I want when they remember their childhood, they think about 1003 00:47:03,880 --> 00:47:06,520 Speaker 1: the times that they were able to just like go outside, 1004 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:09,080 Speaker 1: they can play together, they can have they can have 1005 00:47:09,120 --> 00:47:11,120 Speaker 1: space like that was one of the biggest things moving 1006 00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:14,040 Speaker 1: from from from New York. But also to when they 1007 00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:16,279 Speaker 1: think of their childhood in general, I want them to 1008 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:20,359 Speaker 1: know how how love they were and how invested their 1009 00:47:20,440 --> 00:47:23,200 Speaker 1: parents were in like their their their every move and 1010 00:47:23,239 --> 00:47:25,919 Speaker 1: not to say that we want to stifle them, because 1011 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:28,120 Speaker 1: I know at some points in my childhood I felt 1012 00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:30,279 Speaker 1: like I was I was stifled a bit just from 1013 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:33,040 Speaker 1: being so super sheltered. Um, but I want to also 1014 00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:35,239 Speaker 1: create a balance for them where they feel like my 1015 00:47:35,320 --> 00:47:39,480 Speaker 1: parents really empowered me to be my own person. But 1016 00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:41,479 Speaker 1: at the same time too, I know I could fall 1017 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:43,640 Speaker 1: back on my parents if I did need them, you 1018 00:47:43,680 --> 00:47:46,040 Speaker 1: know what I mean. So the biggest thing for me 1019 00:47:46,160 --> 00:47:47,839 Speaker 1: is that balance. So the balance for us now too. 1020 00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:50,839 Speaker 1: Even though we have moved over to l A, it's 1021 00:47:50,880 --> 00:47:53,319 Speaker 1: also too we decided we're gonna take them back to 1022 00:47:53,520 --> 00:47:55,799 Speaker 1: Brooklyn in the summer times or like any time we 1023 00:47:55,880 --> 00:47:58,120 Speaker 1: have any time we have breaks and stuff like that, 1024 00:47:58,520 --> 00:48:00,560 Speaker 1: the first place we go to is in New York. 1025 00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:02,480 Speaker 1: So even since we've moved here, we've been back to 1026 00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:03,960 Speaker 1: New York like four or five times. That why I'd 1027 00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:06,320 Speaker 1: like to say to people we really move were technically 1028 00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:08,480 Speaker 1: like try coastal because between New York, l A and 1029 00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:11,919 Speaker 1: Atlanta were like always moving. Um. But with this being 1030 00:48:11,960 --> 00:48:14,960 Speaker 1: like kind of home based for us now, UM, I 1031 00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:17,040 Speaker 1: feel like at least they can appreciate the fact that, 1032 00:48:17,040 --> 00:48:19,239 Speaker 1: you know what, my parents are putting me a space 1033 00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:22,239 Speaker 1: where I can just thrive, where I can um have 1034 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:24,920 Speaker 1: room to grow, you know, physically, and also just kind 1035 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:29,319 Speaker 1: of um, I guess is it metaphorically not the right. Yeah, 1036 00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:31,759 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, room to grow. Um, and 1037 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:34,440 Speaker 1: I need them to know that we are invested in 1038 00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:38,600 Speaker 1: them them, you know, as as children, you know, and um, yeah, 1039 00:48:38,600 --> 00:48:40,759 Speaker 1: I don't want them to have fun like I have 1040 00:48:40,840 --> 00:48:42,320 Speaker 1: so many fun moments I could think of as a 1041 00:48:42,400 --> 00:48:43,880 Speaker 1: child that I want my kids to make sure that 1042 00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:46,480 Speaker 1: they But you had for moments in Brooklyn, I did 1043 00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:51,200 Speaker 1: for me. It's just moving for me was a way 1044 00:48:51,280 --> 00:48:53,799 Speaker 1: for us to not eliminate them from those things, but 1045 00:48:53,880 --> 00:48:57,640 Speaker 1: to control how they get those things, you know what 1046 00:48:57,640 --> 00:49:00,560 Speaker 1: I'm saying. So for me, moving was almost like parent control. 1047 00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:02,360 Speaker 1: You know how you give a care the laptop. But 1048 00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:05,400 Speaker 1: now Jackson can't get access to certain things unless he 1049 00:49:06,040 --> 00:49:09,120 Speaker 1: physically asked per permission that comes to my phone, so 1050 00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:11,040 Speaker 1: he doesn't get to see or watch whatever he wants 1051 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:12,839 Speaker 1: to watch. I have to vet it first and then 1052 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:15,720 Speaker 1: accept it. I feel like us moving out here allows 1053 00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:18,440 Speaker 1: me to vet his experiences through his life because I 1054 00:49:18,480 --> 00:49:21,359 Speaker 1: get to experience them first, and he's not force fed 1055 00:49:21,400 --> 00:49:25,719 Speaker 1: certain experiences. So for me, living in Brooklyn was I 1056 00:49:25,800 --> 00:49:27,759 Speaker 1: was force fed a lot of things because both of 1057 00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:30,600 Speaker 1: my parents worked and I was thrown into the commute 1058 00:49:30,760 --> 00:49:34,120 Speaker 1: of dealing with life very very early. So was my brother, 1059 00:49:34,239 --> 00:49:37,839 Speaker 1: you know, my sister wasn't. And I want to be 1060 00:49:37,880 --> 00:49:41,840 Speaker 1: able to to share those things with my boys in 1061 00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:44,840 Speaker 1: my time, not their time. And that was ultimately the 1062 00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:48,800 Speaker 1: whole reason moving out here to the burbs, making sure that, Okay, 1063 00:49:48,880 --> 00:49:51,319 Speaker 1: you want to go into Brooklyn. We're gonna go into 1064 00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:54,680 Speaker 1: Brooklyn together. I'm going to introduce you to the people 1065 00:49:54,680 --> 00:49:56,360 Speaker 1: that I know in Brooklyn, the good people who I 1066 00:49:56,360 --> 00:49:59,160 Speaker 1: know in Brooklyn. And the funny thing is, not all 1067 00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:02,200 Speaker 1: the good people, even the nice parts of Brooklyn, you 1068 00:50:02,200 --> 00:50:03,520 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, Jay saying with all the good 1069 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:05,759 Speaker 1: people don't live in the nice parts of the suburbs. 1070 00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:08,360 Speaker 1: I still have people who live in Brooklyn, and I 1071 00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:11,600 Speaker 1: love dearly who are of the greatest character and the 1072 00:50:11,239 --> 00:50:14,160 Speaker 1: greatest moral spirits that I want my sons to have 1073 00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:16,400 Speaker 1: relationships with. And I feel like moving out here allows 1074 00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:19,879 Speaker 1: me to give them the balance of both worlds, right, sure, 1075 00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:24,920 Speaker 1: I love that, and we're doing it together, always the 1076 00:50:24,960 --> 00:50:27,399 Speaker 1: best way to do it. Well, now we're gonna head 1077 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:30,600 Speaker 1: into your favorite time after we deal with some of 1078 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:32,879 Speaker 1: these ads and pay some of these bills. For sure, 1079 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:34,920 Speaker 1: We're gonna take a quick break and moving to listener 1080 00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:52,040 Speaker 1: letters after we get into these ads. So we're back 1081 00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:57,280 Speaker 1: guys listen their letter times. The emails have been bubbling 1082 00:50:57,360 --> 00:50:59,960 Speaker 1: over flooding in, so let's see we have some good 1083 00:51:00,040 --> 00:51:03,400 Speaker 1: ones for for today. M sure, I'll go ahead and 1084 00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:06,799 Speaker 1: read the first one. I love my boyfriend of one year, 1085 00:51:07,120 --> 00:51:09,799 Speaker 1: but his parenting is a turn off for me. I 1086 00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:12,080 Speaker 1: have no children. I feel like as a black dad, 1087 00:51:12,120 --> 00:51:16,280 Speaker 1: he should be more authoritative and disciplinary when it comes 1088 00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:18,920 Speaker 1: to his nine year old son. For example, he doesn't 1089 00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:21,319 Speaker 1: make or show him how to take the trash out, 1090 00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:23,879 Speaker 1: clean the kitchen, or cut the grass, but he wants 1091 00:51:23,920 --> 00:51:26,520 Speaker 1: to show him how to scratch records. How do I 1092 00:51:26,600 --> 00:51:29,680 Speaker 1: lovingly communicate to him that I'm being turned off by 1093 00:51:29,719 --> 00:51:33,000 Speaker 1: what he sees as priority, as priority to teach his 1094 00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:42,080 Speaker 1: son that's not really a places the people without kids 1095 00:51:42,120 --> 00:51:44,440 Speaker 1: tell me how when you don't have kids? Like, the 1096 00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:46,600 Speaker 1: biggest thing for me that that wrong out in this 1097 00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:49,120 Speaker 1: whole thing is I have no children, So say that 1098 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:53,040 Speaker 1: you have no children. It's really hard, um sometimes to 1099 00:51:53,080 --> 00:51:56,560 Speaker 1: take advice. However, I do feel like just as a 1100 00:51:56,600 --> 00:51:59,279 Speaker 1: person with children or not, you may be able to 1101 00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:02,319 Speaker 1: see some val you in you know, him being able 1102 00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:05,000 Speaker 1: to teach his son different things maybe based on the 1103 00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:07,160 Speaker 1: way you grew up or based on the way, um 1104 00:52:07,480 --> 00:52:09,760 Speaker 1: you think things should be, or if you had children 1105 00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:14,919 Speaker 1: you would do it that way. Um. But I think 1106 00:52:14,960 --> 00:52:16,560 Speaker 1: at the same time too, where's his mom? Like you 1107 00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:18,640 Speaker 1: know what I mean, the mother and the father should 1108 00:52:18,680 --> 00:52:21,400 Speaker 1: really have an idea of what they're doing parenting wise, 1109 00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:23,440 Speaker 1: and you know, it's it's may be difficult because he 1110 00:52:23,480 --> 00:52:25,640 Speaker 1: may be learning one thing with his mom, and then 1111 00:52:25,680 --> 00:52:27,040 Speaker 1: he may be doing one thing with his dad. Maybe 1112 00:52:27,080 --> 00:52:29,320 Speaker 1: at mom's house he's making his bed. Maybe at mom's 1113 00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:31,520 Speaker 1: house he's taking out the trash, sat in the kitchen. 1114 00:52:31,960 --> 00:52:34,200 Speaker 1: And when he's with dad, Dad probably sees it as like, yo, 1115 00:52:34,280 --> 00:52:37,240 Speaker 1: this is my son. He's nine, especially at that age. 1116 00:52:37,280 --> 00:52:39,560 Speaker 1: That's that's a lot of that known for us. Yeah, 1117 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:41,960 Speaker 1: Jackson like a doors deval and wants to do everything 1118 00:52:41,960 --> 00:52:44,520 Speaker 1: devout Dad does, like devots his favorite person right now, 1119 00:52:44,800 --> 00:52:46,880 Speaker 1: So his dad may be in the same thing. You know, 1120 00:52:46,920 --> 00:52:49,319 Speaker 1: what's one more time? Can you say that one more time? 1121 00:52:49,440 --> 00:52:53,680 Speaker 1: Devout is Jackson's favorite person right now? Right now? He 1122 00:52:53,800 --> 00:52:56,200 Speaker 1: is you know, when it comes to waves, it ships anyway, 1123 00:52:56,200 --> 00:52:57,839 Speaker 1: don't feel a kind of way. I got two other ones, 1124 00:52:57,920 --> 00:53:02,239 Speaker 1: like it'll shift if you'll be a favorite. So like 1125 00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:07,960 Speaker 1: I was saying this, um so like I was saying, um, see, 1126 00:53:07,960 --> 00:53:09,640 Speaker 1: you maybe lose my whole train of thought. See anytime 1127 00:53:09,680 --> 00:53:12,160 Speaker 1: you bring up a whole another daughter, I don't even 1128 00:53:12,200 --> 00:53:14,680 Speaker 1: remember what I'm talking talking and talking about you. First 1129 00:53:14,680 --> 00:53:16,239 Speaker 1: of all, your point was great, and you were taking 1130 00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:20,200 Speaker 1: all my points, which was great. Mom may certain things, yes, okay, 1131 00:53:20,200 --> 00:53:22,000 Speaker 1: so Mom may have him doing certain things. Dad may 1132 00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:24,600 Speaker 1: see this. It's like, Yo, my son adores me. This 1133 00:53:24,640 --> 00:53:28,200 Speaker 1: is our time together. He's nine, Like he's interested in 1134 00:53:28,280 --> 00:53:30,719 Speaker 1: scratching records, maybe because that's just something fun that they 1135 00:53:30,760 --> 00:53:32,600 Speaker 1: like to do with each other, you know what I mean. 1136 00:53:33,080 --> 00:53:35,319 Speaker 1: If it's a thing where you and your boyfriend then 1137 00:53:35,360 --> 00:53:38,040 Speaker 1: continue to grow within your relationship and then you become 1138 00:53:38,080 --> 00:53:40,120 Speaker 1: like a step mom, and then you have to now 1139 00:53:40,200 --> 00:53:43,440 Speaker 1: raise this sun with your boyfriend, Um, then I think 1140 00:53:43,480 --> 00:53:45,239 Speaker 1: it may be worth having the conversation at that point. 1141 00:53:45,239 --> 00:53:47,560 Speaker 1: If you guys are going to be living together, like, hey, 1142 00:53:47,640 --> 00:53:50,279 Speaker 1: whenever your son is here, maybe we should like map 1143 00:53:50,320 --> 00:53:51,960 Speaker 1: out some things that he should be doing around the 1144 00:53:51,960 --> 00:53:54,719 Speaker 1: house because we all live together now. But you know, 1145 00:53:54,840 --> 00:53:57,840 Speaker 1: just being one year in and then having you know, 1146 00:53:57,880 --> 00:54:00,160 Speaker 1: an opinion about it. I don't know how how he 1147 00:54:00,160 --> 00:54:02,239 Speaker 1: would feel about that real talk. This is this is 1148 00:54:02,320 --> 00:54:05,759 Speaker 1: very easy. It's only one year. Okay, there's not much 1149 00:54:05,800 --> 00:54:08,080 Speaker 1: that you you do know if you've been dating from 1150 00:54:08,080 --> 00:54:11,680 Speaker 1: one year all right. Secondly, you're not around all the time. 1151 00:54:12,400 --> 00:54:14,239 Speaker 1: So since you're not around all the time, how do 1152 00:54:14,280 --> 00:54:15,680 Speaker 1: you know that he's not teaching him how to do 1153 00:54:15,800 --> 00:54:18,799 Speaker 1: those things when you're not around? For example? And I 1154 00:54:18,840 --> 00:54:21,919 Speaker 1: know this from my my brother's standpoint. I tease my brother, 1155 00:54:21,960 --> 00:54:24,359 Speaker 1: but I'm not around and I'm a parent. I still 1156 00:54:24,360 --> 00:54:26,120 Speaker 1: don't try to teach my brother how to parent because 1157 00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:27,920 Speaker 1: when I'm not around, he could be doing things that 1158 00:54:28,160 --> 00:54:30,319 Speaker 1: if I feel judgmental that if I don't see him 1159 00:54:30,320 --> 00:54:33,239 Speaker 1: do it, it's completely wrong. On top of that, when 1160 00:54:33,280 --> 00:54:35,880 Speaker 1: you're around, it could just be playtime. You're his girlfriend. 1161 00:54:36,200 --> 00:54:38,600 Speaker 1: So maybe he wants to spend time with his girlfriend 1162 00:54:38,600 --> 00:54:42,600 Speaker 1: and have his son share positive moments with his new girlfriend. 1163 00:54:42,840 --> 00:54:44,600 Speaker 1: Because what you don't want is you don't want your 1164 00:54:44,640 --> 00:54:46,719 Speaker 1: son to feel like every time she comes around, I 1165 00:54:46,719 --> 00:54:50,520 Speaker 1: got to clean up. Maybe it's the thing where I'm 1166 00:54:50,520 --> 00:54:52,600 Speaker 1: trying to ease him into this situation. My feeling like, 1167 00:54:52,640 --> 00:54:55,960 Speaker 1: whenever she's around, we have fun. So sometimes as a 1168 00:54:55,960 --> 00:54:58,000 Speaker 1: as a parent, and you only noticed as a parent 1169 00:54:58,080 --> 00:55:00,399 Speaker 1: is you have your methods of doing things. When you're 1170 00:55:00,440 --> 00:55:02,760 Speaker 1: not a parent, it's easy to look at someone else's 1171 00:55:02,760 --> 00:55:06,399 Speaker 1: parenting choices and judge because you don't know the full 1172 00:55:06,440 --> 00:55:08,520 Speaker 1: story or don't have the full gamut of the experience. 1173 00:55:08,560 --> 00:55:10,719 Speaker 1: I mean, it's even easy sometimes as a parent to 1174 00:55:10,760 --> 00:55:13,719 Speaker 1: look at another parent and say, well, what in the 1175 00:55:13,760 --> 00:55:15,480 Speaker 1: hell are you? Look at some of the people who 1176 00:55:15,520 --> 00:55:18,279 Speaker 1: are in a classroom with your your child, and you're 1177 00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:20,640 Speaker 1: just like who raised you? You know, it's very possible 1178 00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:23,440 Speaker 1: sometimes to have those scenarios as well, with a child 1179 00:55:23,520 --> 00:55:27,680 Speaker 1: or without having children. Bottom line is, don't don't take 1180 00:55:27,680 --> 00:55:30,560 Speaker 1: the snapshot of who you think the child is and 1181 00:55:30,920 --> 00:55:33,399 Speaker 1: trying to make a whole narrative about it. You don't 1182 00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:35,479 Speaker 1: know what he does when he's with his mom, because, 1183 00:55:35,480 --> 00:55:37,799 Speaker 1: like a dean said, what if his mom is a 1184 00:55:37,920 --> 00:55:40,920 Speaker 1: drill sergeant and the only reprieve he gets from life 1185 00:55:41,080 --> 00:55:43,359 Speaker 1: is with his dad. You don't have to double down 1186 00:55:43,440 --> 00:55:46,000 Speaker 1: if someone is doing so much and that can be 1187 00:55:46,080 --> 00:55:49,080 Speaker 1: overkilled and that can turn his son off, especially he's 1188 00:55:49,120 --> 00:55:50,920 Speaker 1: going back and forth between his mom and his dad. 1189 00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:53,960 Speaker 1: So you know what I would say is, um, ask questions. 1190 00:55:54,080 --> 00:55:56,719 Speaker 1: Do not be judgmental. Don't tell him you're turned off, 1191 00:55:57,000 --> 00:55:58,960 Speaker 1: but you can ask questions and say, hey, you know 1192 00:55:59,239 --> 00:56:02,440 Speaker 1: how about this? But do not offer no opinions on 1193 00:56:02,520 --> 00:56:06,320 Speaker 1: someone else's child when you're just a girlfriend right now? Exactly, 1194 00:56:06,560 --> 00:56:09,840 Speaker 1: you you overstepping your boundaries. Focus on being a girlfriend 1195 00:56:10,440 --> 00:56:14,520 Speaker 1: because he girlfriend to the daddy. That could be real thing. Quick, 1196 00:56:14,600 --> 00:56:17,880 Speaker 1: you'd be ex girlfriend. You ain't gotta worry about that. 1197 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:20,960 Speaker 1: You ain't gotta be turned off no more because you 1198 00:56:21,040 --> 00:56:27,280 Speaker 1: turned out to the door. You're so annoying. All right, hey, y'all, 1199 00:56:27,480 --> 00:56:30,080 Speaker 1: i'll read this one too. Does something in reading moved today? 1200 00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:34,600 Speaker 1: Go ahead, just cut um. I need your feedback desperately 1201 00:56:34,719 --> 00:56:36,839 Speaker 1: with an exclamation point. So this is all right, Let 1202 00:56:36,840 --> 00:56:39,799 Speaker 1: me make haste and read. My partner over a year 1203 00:56:39,840 --> 00:56:41,680 Speaker 1: and a half wants me to move in with him. 1204 00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:44,560 Speaker 1: During my last visit, he told me that my three 1205 00:56:44,560 --> 00:56:47,600 Speaker 1: grown sons would not be allowed to visit our home. 1206 00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:54,279 Speaker 1: Party done since his reasoning is that family can be 1207 00:56:54,360 --> 00:56:57,880 Speaker 1: toxic and he's had negative experience with his nephew's visiting 1208 00:56:58,200 --> 00:57:04,160 Speaker 1: and living with him. I passionately disagree, as do I. 1209 00:57:03,440 --> 00:57:06,160 Speaker 1: I stood my ground, but he argued that I should 1210 00:57:06,200 --> 00:57:09,000 Speaker 1: trust him in his leadership. He flexes the alpha male 1211 00:57:09,120 --> 00:57:12,680 Speaker 1: thing a lot, although I'll never consent to living with 1212 00:57:12,719 --> 00:57:16,360 Speaker 1: someone who who's divisive with my sons. Would you advise 1213 00:57:16,440 --> 00:57:20,280 Speaker 1: me to negotiate or try to reach a compromise or 1214 00:57:20,360 --> 00:57:27,720 Speaker 1: could that be the final red flag? Please help? Thanks? Yikes, yo, 1215 00:57:28,760 --> 00:57:31,400 Speaker 1: this is on everything. We got three sons, they're gonna 1216 00:57:31,400 --> 00:57:35,640 Speaker 1: be grown. Say we get divorced and you remarry somebody, 1217 00:57:35,680 --> 00:57:37,560 Speaker 1: and the boys tell me what, we can't go by 1218 00:57:37,640 --> 00:57:41,360 Speaker 1: mom's house because her new boyfriend don't want us around. 1219 00:57:42,120 --> 00:57:47,560 Speaker 1: It would be four big black dudes at your crib, rightfully, 1220 00:57:47,600 --> 00:57:53,240 Speaker 1: So right, there's no way. There's no way. There's no way. 1221 00:57:53,480 --> 00:57:56,120 Speaker 1: I don't even have I don't have, no there's no way. Yeah, 1222 00:57:56,120 --> 00:58:02,120 Speaker 1: there's no there's and she compromise that red flag? Oh no. 1223 00:58:02,280 --> 00:58:04,840 Speaker 1: The thing is she didn't even say he's had negative 1224 00:58:04,840 --> 00:58:08,280 Speaker 1: experiences with my son. She said he's had negative experiences 1225 00:58:08,280 --> 00:58:10,760 Speaker 1: with his nephews. What they got to do with my 1226 00:58:10,840 --> 00:58:14,680 Speaker 1: son's Absolutely, they can't visit three completely different people, you 1227 00:58:14,680 --> 00:58:16,840 Speaker 1: know what It sounds like it sounds like he's controlling. 1228 00:58:17,440 --> 00:58:18,680 Speaker 1: You know what he wants to do is he wants 1229 00:58:18,720 --> 00:58:20,720 Speaker 1: to separate her from her family so that he can 1230 00:58:20,720 --> 00:58:22,960 Speaker 1: control her. That's because he knows that three grown men 1231 00:58:22,960 --> 00:58:25,080 Speaker 1: will probably sniff out his bullshit and not and they're 1232 00:58:25,120 --> 00:58:33,120 Speaker 1: not having it. There's no compromising there, no, absolutely no. 1233 00:58:33,200 --> 00:58:36,360 Speaker 1: I won't even get between Kay and my sons. My 1234 00:58:36,440 --> 00:58:41,280 Speaker 1: sons have fiduciary responsibility to protect their mom at all courts. 1235 00:58:41,600 --> 00:58:44,680 Speaker 1: If even if I'm doing something that they see could 1236 00:58:44,720 --> 00:58:47,960 Speaker 1: be an issue, I would appreciate in love if my sons, 1237 00:58:48,040 --> 00:58:52,400 Speaker 1: if they were grown respectfully said something to me trying 1238 00:58:52,400 --> 00:58:56,600 Speaker 1: to trying to separate someone from their offspring. It's like, 1239 00:58:57,440 --> 00:59:00,880 Speaker 1: that's so wrong, so especially if they're not toxic. I 1240 00:59:00,920 --> 00:59:03,320 Speaker 1: was about to say, she didn't say anywhere in here 1241 00:59:03,360 --> 00:59:06,280 Speaker 1: that her sons have had any issues with him or 1242 00:59:06,320 --> 00:59:09,440 Speaker 1: with her. I mean if they were abusive, or they 1243 00:59:09,440 --> 00:59:15,000 Speaker 1: were toxic, or they had some vices that but no, no, 1244 00:59:15,440 --> 00:59:17,440 Speaker 1: I don't even got no more say that. That kind 1245 00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:19,560 Speaker 1: of got me mad just now because I wish you 1246 00:59:19,560 --> 00:59:22,360 Speaker 1: would tell you. I wish you would tell me your 1247 00:59:22,400 --> 00:59:25,520 Speaker 1: new husband, your new husband man, not even a husband 1248 00:59:26,240 --> 00:59:29,880 Speaker 1: partner for over a year and a half. That's not 1249 00:59:29,920 --> 00:59:32,880 Speaker 1: even people fall in love quick. They're not a husband 1250 00:59:32,880 --> 00:59:35,400 Speaker 1: Like yeah, but I'm saying, if you're partner for year 1251 00:59:35,400 --> 00:59:37,720 Speaker 1: and have told I told my boys they wasn't welcomed 1252 00:59:37,760 --> 00:59:41,240 Speaker 1: by his house to see their mom, we're kicking the 1253 00:59:41,280 --> 00:59:44,720 Speaker 1: door down, kicking the door within the full full or 1254 00:59:44,760 --> 00:59:46,800 Speaker 1: you heard what the voul? Don't hit me no more 1255 00:59:48,720 --> 00:59:51,880 Speaker 1: playing disrespect my boys. There goes that these listen letters 1256 00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:55,880 Speaker 1: are easy today they were pretty easy. Awesome And if 1257 00:59:55,880 --> 00:59:57,960 Speaker 1: you want to be featured as one of our listener letters, 1258 00:59:58,040 --> 01:00:05,320 Speaker 1: email us at dead ass Advice at gmail dot com. Yes, time, 1259 01:00:06,200 --> 01:00:08,640 Speaker 1: moment of truth, Well go first, let me go first. 1260 01:00:09,040 --> 01:00:10,680 Speaker 1: I think they're always like lean on you because I 1261 01:00:10,920 --> 01:00:12,640 Speaker 1: come out reading listen of that is it's like a flow. 1262 01:00:14,280 --> 01:00:16,000 Speaker 1: This is my moment of truth. No matter how much 1263 01:00:16,040 --> 01:00:18,960 Speaker 1: money I'm able to make, I'm always going to have 1264 01:00:19,080 --> 01:00:23,960 Speaker 1: to um add some sort of adversity in my children's 1265 01:00:24,000 --> 01:00:27,440 Speaker 1: life so that they can learn to be resilient, be respectful, 1266 01:00:28,600 --> 01:00:32,600 Speaker 1: and be confident. For sure, I feel like if I 1267 01:00:32,680 --> 01:00:35,920 Speaker 1: just give them everything, they'll they'll lack confidence. So I 1268 01:00:36,000 --> 01:00:39,720 Speaker 1: have to dull the silver spoon by manufacturing that adversity 1269 01:00:39,720 --> 01:00:41,760 Speaker 1: throughout their life until I know that they can handle 1270 01:00:41,800 --> 01:00:44,080 Speaker 1: the adversity on the right, even if the adversity is 1271 01:00:44,120 --> 01:00:46,440 Speaker 1: not readily available to them. See as though we're not 1272 01:00:46,480 --> 01:00:49,400 Speaker 1: in an environment where there may be that much. Right now, 1273 01:00:49,560 --> 01:00:51,760 Speaker 1: I can. I can manufacture adversity. I can put them 1274 01:00:51,760 --> 01:00:53,400 Speaker 1: in I can put them in different leagues, put them 1275 01:00:53,400 --> 01:00:56,040 Speaker 1: in different sports things, and make their life a little 1276 01:00:56,040 --> 01:00:57,760 Speaker 1: bit harder, just so that they can learn how to 1277 01:00:57,760 --> 01:00:59,920 Speaker 1: deal with adversity. For sure, And no matter how much 1278 01:00:59,920 --> 01:01:03,120 Speaker 1: I could be worth eight billion dollars, that can I 1279 01:01:03,160 --> 01:01:04,960 Speaker 1: get a new car, You're gonna go work for it. 1280 01:01:05,760 --> 01:01:08,440 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. Go get a job. I 1281 01:01:08,480 --> 01:01:09,960 Speaker 1: don't need to work. You can buy a car I 1282 01:01:09,960 --> 01:01:12,440 Speaker 1: don't care for. Go get a job. I'll buy you 1283 01:01:12,480 --> 01:01:14,120 Speaker 1: to call you up with gas in it, though you're 1284 01:01:14,120 --> 01:01:16,160 Speaker 1: gonna pay your own insurance. I'm gonna find a way 1285 01:01:16,200 --> 01:01:18,120 Speaker 1: to building some adversity so that they can learn to 1286 01:01:18,160 --> 01:01:20,400 Speaker 1: appreciate things. No, absolutely, I feel you. I think that 1287 01:01:20,440 --> 01:01:23,120 Speaker 1: leads me to my moment of truth. Where As a parent, 1288 01:01:24,920 --> 01:01:28,200 Speaker 1: I understand now that there is value in saying no 1289 01:01:29,000 --> 01:01:32,360 Speaker 1: to your children sometimes because they just need that Sometimes 1290 01:01:32,400 --> 01:01:35,320 Speaker 1: as much as I want to be mother hen and 1291 01:01:35,640 --> 01:01:38,080 Speaker 1: shelter them from everything and protect them from everything, I 1292 01:01:38,120 --> 01:01:44,080 Speaker 1: know that I can't. It's just not realistic. And in that, 1293 01:01:44,440 --> 01:01:45,880 Speaker 1: I know that I have to be able to say 1294 01:01:45,920 --> 01:01:48,160 Speaker 1: no sometimes and just be confident in that and know 1295 01:01:48,240 --> 01:01:51,160 Speaker 1: that my children, being armed with everything we teach them, 1296 01:01:51,280 --> 01:01:54,040 Speaker 1: we'll be able to make the right decisions. I hope 1297 01:01:54,080 --> 01:01:56,320 Speaker 1: and I pray. Cone was just stuttering a little bit 1298 01:01:56,320 --> 01:01:58,960 Speaker 1: now because I'm rubbing her thigh. I can't see it, 1299 01:01:59,360 --> 01:02:01,160 Speaker 1: but I am. I was looking good. I just rubbed it. 1300 01:02:01,200 --> 01:02:08,160 Speaker 1: I was trying to distract, right though. YO. Be sure 1301 01:02:08,200 --> 01:02:10,760 Speaker 1: to follow us on social media. That's I am, Devo 1302 01:02:11,200 --> 01:02:14,480 Speaker 1: and Cadine I am. And if you're listening on Apple podcast, 1303 01:02:14,560 --> 01:02:25,080 Speaker 1: be sure to rate, review and subscribe. Dead Ass is 1304 01:02:25,120 --> 01:02:28,600 Speaker 1: a production of Stitcher. We are produced by Jackie Sojico 1305 01:02:28,720 --> 01:02:32,400 Speaker 1: and Dinor Opinion are executive producer T Square. Our associate 1306 01:02:32,440 --> 01:02:36,320 Speaker 1: producers are Triple and Kristin Torres. Our Chief content Officer 1307 01:02:36,520 --> 01:02:39,760 Speaker 1: is Chris Bannon, our studio engineer and original music is 1308 01:02:39,760 --> 01:02:42,440 Speaker 1: by Brendan Burns and Last but not least, we are 1309 01:02:42,520 --> 01:02:52,280 Speaker 1: mixed by Andy Kristen's We'll Fact I'm Drew McCarry and 1310 01:02:52,280 --> 01:02:54,560 Speaker 1: I'm David Roth. We have a podcast going on right 1311 01:02:54,600 --> 01:02:56,959 Speaker 1: now as part of the Stitcher Net. We're called Substraction 1312 01:02:57,160 --> 01:03:01,600 Speaker 1: that's available everywhere. Getting a podcast at Stitcher, Spotify, Apple, 1313 01:03:01,800 --> 01:03:04,320 Speaker 1: Go listen right now to the Distraction right now. It's out. 1314 01:03:04,520 --> 01:03:05,120 Speaker 1: Do it, please,