In this episode of the Dr Why Podcast, Dr Lauryn and Javonne are joined by close friend, Jahmiel, to explore what parenting and partnership look like across different cultures. Through honest storytelling and candid reflection, the conversation unpacks how upbringing, societal norms, and cultural expectations shape how we parent, love, and relate to one another.

The discussion moves between humor and vulnerability as the group reflect on Caribbean parenting styles, American cultural contrasts, and the challenges that arise when raising children within blended belief systems. From discipline and authority to emotional connection and communication, this episode highlights how love can look radically different while still sharing the same core intention.

00:00 – Episode begins

00:42 – Why parenting looks different across cultures

03:22 – Caribbean parenting vs Western norms

05:00 – Facing judgement and misunderstanding

06:04 – Parenting styles and partnership conflict

09:27 – Running a business together as parents

14:35 – Aromatherapy, psychology, and emotional regulation

16:03 – Smell, memory, and emotional healing

21:33 – Patience, self-reflection, and becoming a better parent

27:00 – Final reflections

What You’ll Learn

• How cultural upbringing shapes parenting styles and expectations
• Why partnership requires flexibility when values differ
• How emotional regulation impacts child development
• The role of self-awareness in becoming a better parent

Listen if you’ve ever wondered

• “How much of my parenting comes from culture rather than choice?”
• “Why does the way I was raised still show up in how I parent today?”
• “How do couples navigate parenting when their backgrounds are completely different?”
• “What happens when love is shared, but values clash?”
• “Can different parenting styles coexist without causing conflict?”

Resources

Website: youngmindspsych.com

Instagram: @youngmindspsych | @dr.why_podcast

Collaborator: Instagram @wicksbygrey

Podcast: Dr Why Podcast on all major platforms

YouTube: Dr Why Podcast

TikTok: @youngminds_psych | @dr.whypodcast

Join the Conversation

How did the culture you were raised in shape the way you parent today?

#DrWhyPodcast, #ParentingAcrossCultures, #CulturalParenting, #ModernParenthood, #CrossCulturalFamilies, #ParentingStyles, #PartnershipInParenting, #RaisingChildren, #FamilyDynamics, #InterculturalRelationships, #ConsciousParenting, #EmotionalIntelligence, #ParentingConversations, #MentalHealthInFamilies, #PsychologyOfParenting

Pivotal Moments That Shape Who We Become Ep 12

What happens when two best friends sit down and unpack the honest, raw, and defining moments that shaped their adult lives?

In this emotional and deeply revealing episode, Dr Lauryn and Javonne sit with a close friend to explore the pivotal decisions, life-changing hardships, and the unexpected turns that influence who we grow into. From navigating the trauma of losing a child, to becoming a single parent, to rebuilding after business collapse, this conversation pulls back the curtain on how resilience is formed and how friendship becomes the anchor through it all.

They also dive into nostalgic stories, vulnerable reflections, and the big “fork in the road” moments that force us to choose who we want to be.

A powerful, grounding, and intensely human episode about identity, adversity, healing, and the unspoken strength women carry.

00:00 – Episode begins

00:49 – Why are we here today?

00:59 – Childhood, identity & the first pivotal turning point

01:56 – Covid shuts everything down: fear, business & uncertainty

03:01 – Closing the business & entering survival mode

04:52 – Burnout, selling the business & knowing when it’s time to move on

09:12 – Choosing family over independence: the first major life shift

12:18 – Becoming a single mother & the weight of responsibility

13:38 – Losing a child & the pain that never fully heals

16:06 – Facing death & witnessing survival up close

23:13 – Miracles, resilience & the strength to pull through

27:27 – “Could you have imagined this future?” Reflecting on how far she’s come

What You’ll Learn

• Why pivotal childhood moments quietly shape adult identity
• How grief and unprocessed trauma carry into adulthood
• The emotional and practical realities of single parenthood
• What it means to rebuild when everything collapses
• The role of friendship in healing and self-understanding
• How resilience forms through adversity and choice

Listen If You’ve Ever Wondered

• “How do we make sense of the hardest moments of our lives?”
• “What does healing look like when you never got to process the loss?”
• “How do friendships carry us through life’s turning points?”
• “What shapes identity more the choices we make or the ones we don’t?”

Resources

Website: youngmindspsych.com

Instagram: @youngmindspsych | @dr.why_podcast

Podcast: Dr Why Podcast on all major platforms

YouTube: Dr Why Podcast

TikTok: @youngminds_psych | @dr.whypodcast

Join the Conversation

What is the moment that changed who you became and what did it teach you about resilience, identity, or healing?

#DrWhyPodcast #LifeLessons #Motherhood #Grief #Healing #Identity #Resilience #Parenthood #PivotalMoments #Friendship

Friendship, Parenthood & The Stories That Shape Us Ep 11

What happens when two lifelong best friends sit down to unpack childhood memories, motherhood, and the emotional realities of raising kids today?

In this heartfelt, funny, and deeply reflective episode, Dr Lauryn and Javonne welcome Lauren’s childhood best friend someone who has been there for every milestone, every family moment, and every chaotic chapter of growing up. Together, they explore what it means to parent with honesty, navigate co‑parenting challenges, and stay grounded through the messy, beautiful journey of motherhood.

They also dive into nostalgic stories from their school years, the wild phases kids go through, and the pivotal life moments that shaped who they each became.

A warm, raw, and genuinely entertaining conversation about friendship that lasts, parenting that stretches you, and the moments that define a life.

00:00 – Introduction

00:58 – “She knows my entire life”: the depth of lifelong friendship

02:47 – Motherhood as the most transformative journey

03:41 – Time moving fast & wanting to slow it down

03:51 – Being “in the thick of it” as a parent

04:18 – Kids’ verbal explosions: the “F‑you four”

09:47 – Naked phases, bathing suits & hilarious kid behaviour

10:01 – Co‑parenting realities & raising a child largely on your own

13:04 – Kids forming their own understanding of family

13:46 – How resilient kids really are

18:59 – Skipping school & the ‘penny under the tongue’ trick

19:49 – Jerry Springer mornings & nostalgic chaos

22:47 – Life lessons, pivotal moments & choosing your path

What You’ll Learn

• Why lifelong friendships create the deepest understanding
• How parenting evolves as kids get older (and more verbal)
• The emotional weight of co‑parenting and single‑parent responsibility
• Why kids make sense of family dynamics earlier than we think
• How childhood stories shape adult identity
• The resilience children naturally have
• The importance of pivotal life moments and the paths we choose

Listen If You’ve Ever Wondered

• “How do lifelong friendships survive adulthood and motherhood?”
• “What’s it like raising kids who are becoming more aware every day?”
• “How do you navigate co‑parenting when you’re carrying most of the weight?”
• “Why do kids go through such bizarre (and funny) phases?”
• “How do childhood experiences shape who we become?”

Resources

Website: youngmindspsych.com

Instagram: @youngmindspsych | @dr.why_podcast

Podcast: Dr Why Podcast on all major platforms

YouTube: Dr Why Podcast

TikTok: @youngminds_psych | @dr.whypodcast

Join the Conversation

What’s the biggest lesson your childhood friendships have taught you about parenting, identity, or navigating life?

#DrWhyPodcast #Friendship #Motherhood #Parenthood #CoParenting #ChildhoodStories #Resilience #GrowingUp #MomLife #BestFriends #FamilyDynamics #LifeLessons