Don't Screw Up Your Kids

Trauma in children doesn’t always show up as tears or silence. Often, it shows up as behavior, physical complaints, or emotional reactions that adults misunderstand. In this episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , host Kaleesha Washington is joined by Chevonna Gaylor , a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 25 years of experience working in trauma care, suicide prevention, and high-acuit...

Blending families isn’t just about combining households—it’s about building trust, safety, and belonging for children who didn’t choose the situation. In this episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , Kaleesha sits down with her cousins Taryna and Greg Nolan , a real-life blended family of 10 (4 kids + 4 kids), to talk honestly about what it took to become one family instead of “yours vs. mine.” This...

In this episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , Kaleesha sits down with Eddie Alexander II , a father of ten who is currently raising five children full-time as a single dad. Eddie shares his journey with honesty and humility—from being absent in his older children’s early years to the moment his kids confronted him with how his choices impacted them. That conversation became the turning point that...

If you heard a noise in your house tonight, what would you do first? In this episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , host Kaleesha Washington sits down with Kenny DuBose Jr. , a husband, father, and firearms professional with over 30 years of experience , to talk about how families actually respond in high-stress situations—and what mistakes can make things worse. This conversation isn’t about fear...

In this episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , I’m joined by Philicia Hastings —wife, mother, entrepreneur, and community connector I’ve known since we were kids in South Central Los Angeles . Philicia became a mom at 18 , and she shares what helped her not only survive—but build a strong family foundation: a real support system, intentional parenting, and staying present. We talk about how “the vi...

In this solo episode of The Don’t Screw Up Your Kids Podcast – Freedom Through Parenting Live , I talk about multi-generational households through lived experience—not theory. I was raised by my grandmother in a multi-generational home, and that upbringing shaped everything: how I learned, how I parented, how I show up as a grandparent, and how I understand responsibility, stability, and love acro...

Ultra-processed foods are everywhere—and they’re quietly shaping our children’s health, behavior, and long-term outcomes. In this episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , we talk honestly about why feeding kids healthy food feels so hard, why it’s not a parenting failure, and what families can realistically do in a world built for convenience. I’m joined by Anaiah Younger , a community advocate and p...

In this episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , nurse Verna Boyd shares what she has seen from the medical side of teen drug use, vaping, and substance exposure — and why parents cannot afford to ignore it. From nicotine addiction and vaping-related lung injuries to marijuana’s impact on the developing brain, this conversation goes beyond headlines and into the real health consequences showing up in...

In this episode of the Don’t Screw Up Your Kids podcast, I’m joined by Aujanee Cosey —one of my former students from Sacramento High—who is now a single mom advocating fiercely for her 3-year-old son after he was diagnosed with autism. Aujanee shares the early signs she noticed, especially speech delays and sleep struggles , and what it was like being told to “wait” at multiple appointments while...

Why Are You Making Everything About Race? That question comes up a lot—especially from parents who are trying to do the “right” thing and don’t want to confuse, scare, or divide their kids. In this episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , we slow the conversation down and actually unpack that question. Because the truth is: children are learning about race far earlier than most adults realize—often b...

Don’t Screw Up Your Kids isn’t about telling parents what to do — it’s about helping parents think through options. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Tawana L. Wiggins , a parent, educator, and systems strategist who helps individuals, families, and organizations build environments people don’t quit from. Together, we explore what it means to lead as a parent — not just manage behavior — and how...

In this episode, Kaleesha Washington sits down with school leader, author, and culture expert Kyle S. King for a real conversation about parenting, emotional intelligence, and co-parenting with intention. Kyle shares how therapy helped him expand his emotional “language,” how parents can build agreements instead of assumptions, and what it takes to create a stable, supportive environment for kids...

In this episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , Kaleesha Washington breaks down what it really means to partner with your child’s school — and why that partnership matters more than most parents realize. Drawing from decades of experience as both a parent and an educator, Kaleesha walks through practical steps parents can take to set their children up for a successful school year, including rebuildi...

In the very first episode of Don’t Screw Up Your Kids , Kaleesha Washington introduces the heart behind the podcast — parenting with intention instead of reaction. This episode explores how our childhoods show up in our parenting, why love must remain present even in “tough love,” and how breaking generational cycles requires honesty, accountability, and support. This isn’t about getting parenting...