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 hospitals, clinics, and emergency rooms.

We talk about:
• Why vaping is not harmless for kids
• What “popcorn lung” really is — and what it does to the lungs
• How nicotine and THC affect the developing brain
• Why “supervised use” at home increases risk instead of reducing it
• The danger of normalizing alcohol or drug use with teens
• Warning signs parents often miss
• What to do if your child is using substances
• How untreated anxiety, depression, and learning differences can lead kids to self-medicate
• How parents can create protection through connection, boundaries, and early intervention

This episode is not about fear for fear’s sake — it’s about giving parents the information they need before small choices become lifelong consequences.

If you’re a parent, caregiver, or educator, this is a conversation you need to hear.

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 her concerns kept growing. Things intensified after moving to Houston, when her son was kicked out of two daycares, forcing her to push harder for answers—not just for peace of mind, but so her child could finally access the services he needed.

She breaks down the realities families don’t always talk about: waitlists, costs, co-pays, missing work, and getting handed bills instead of support—and why she ultimately decided to move back to California because the resources and systems felt more realistic and more humane.

If you’re a parent noticing differences and feeling dismissed, this conversation gives you practical advocacy language and a clear message: stop tiptoeing. Say what you suspect. Document everything. And make them prove your child is “fine.”

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 before parents ever say a word. And what kids learn doesn’t come only from schools or social media. It comes from observation, silence, culture, systems, and the way the world responds to who they are.

In this episode, former educator and parent Kaleesha Washington breaks down:

• When children become aware of race (by age and developmental stage)

• The difference between culture and race, and why culture usually comes first

• How race enters a child’s world when culture is questioned, judged, or punished

• Why different families talk about race at different times—and why that matters

This conversation includes a nuanced, age-based look at how race and culture are experienced across communities, including:

• Black families

• White families

• Latino/Hispanic families

• Asian / Asian Pacific Islander families

• Native American / Indigenous families

Rather than treating race as a political issue, this episode centers child development, parental leadership, and lived reality. It challenges the idea that silence protects children and explores what silence actually teaches instead.

This is not an episode about blame.
It’s not about shaming parents.
And it’s not about telling families what to think.

It is about helping parents understand what is already shaping their children—and how to stay present, grounded, and intentional instead of reactive later.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Are my kids too young for this conversation?”

• “Am I making a big deal out of nothing?”

• “Why does race keep coming up?”

• “What happens if I don’t say anything at all?”

This episode is for you.

Because parents don’t lose influence all at once.
We lose it when we stay silent while everyone else is talking.

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 the way we respond to conflict shapes the long-term relationships we have with our children.

We talk about quiet quitting in parenting, why many parents give up emotionally even when they don’t walk away, and how rebuilding relationships requires intention, communication, and repair. Dr. Wiggins breaks down the difference between reacting and responding, why children ask “why,” and how answering that question builds problem-solving skills instead of obedience rooted in fear.

This conversation also challenges common misunderstandings about gentle parenting, explaining why empathy and firmness are not opposites — and why discipline is about teaching, not punishment. We discuss apologizing to children, repairing after hard moments, and why humility from parents builds trust rather than undermines authority.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Wiggins frames the home as an organization — one with a mission, vision, values, and a product: relationship. When parents understand their role as leaders, they can create homes their children want to return to — even when they no longer have to.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, burned out, or unsure how to reconnect with your child after conflict, this episode offers language, perspective, and practical ways to think differently about parenting and leadership.

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 across households.

This podcast isn’t about parenting perfection — it’s about parenting on purpose.

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 rebuilding relationships, staying organized, advocating for children with special needs, and approaching the school year with intention and grace.

This episode is a reminder that parenting doesn’t stop at the school doors — and that thoughtful collaboration can change outcomes for children.

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 “right.” It’s about choosing to parent on purpose.