November 12, 2025 • 13 mins
The Strawberry Letter heard on The Steve Harvey Morning Show Wednesday, November 12th, 2025. Subject: "You Fire Off, I'm Firing Back"
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is time now for my Strawberry Letter. And if
you need advice on relationships, on work, sex, parenting, and more,
please submit your Strawberry Letter to Steve HARVEFM dot com
and click submit Strawberry Letter. We could be reading your
letter live on the air, just like we're going to
read this one right here, right now, and you never know,
it could be yours.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
It could be yours. Buckle up and hold on tight.
We guide it for you. Here it is Strawberry Letter.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Thank you, nephew. Subject you fire off, I'm firing back.
Dear Stephen Shirley. I married a man with four children,
all under age fifteen, and they live with us two
weeks a month. I have a five year old and
I have sole custody because my ex husband works in England.
I'm biracial, and I grew up with my white mom,
(00:47):
who spoke softly and allowed me to express my feelings
and do what I wanted within reason. As I grew up,
I saw that I needed discipline, so I decided that
I would not be as lenient when I have children
of my own. So here, I am newly married to
a white man and his children are testing me every day.
I called my black dad and black grandma for advice
(01:10):
on dealing with my stepchildren's lack of respect. My grandmother
told me to talk to my husband about the kid's behavior,
but that didn't work. My husband told me that if
I offend them, they won't want to spend any spend
time at our home. When an eight year old tells
me to shut up and a twelve year old slams
a bedroom door in my face, I'm not willing to
(01:31):
let it slide. I am usually home alone with them.
When it happened over the weekend, I saw his fourteen
year old daughter kissing a sixteen year old boy in
the driveway. I know his age because I dropped her
off at his sixteenth birthday party months ago. I told
her that I saw her, and I asked if we
could talk about setting a better example for her younger siblings,
(01:54):
who also saw her making out. She told me that
I need to mind my effing business. I warned my
husband that if she or any of his kids fires
off at me again, then I'm firing off. He told
me that's not my place and he'll handle his own kids.
Oh no, sir, that is not how it will go
in this house. I am firing off and I'll deal
(02:17):
with my husband later. Why should his children be off
limits to me? Well, they really shouldn't be. I mean,
this is just some stupid rule your husband has because
he doesn't want their mom to stop them from coming
over there. The ex is holding the kids over his head.
And your husband nor his ex have told the kids
that they should respect you when they're in your home,
(02:38):
and that's what the kids are going with. You're not
their mom, so they don't have to do what you say.
Their bitter mama has already prepped them before they get
to your house. But you can't control what goes on
with them and their mom in their house anyway, so
don't even worry about that. The problem is the dad
or your husband. He may as well be a kid too,
because he's disrespecting you just as much as they are.
(03:01):
He told you is not your place to handle his kids.
He'll handle his own kids. But here's the problem. He's
not handling them. And why would he want to get
you all upset and let the kids come between you? Guys? Well,
I say someone has to be the adult here. They
have to. I mean, who are these kids that they
think they can just do and say whatever they want
(03:23):
and know they should be disciplined at your house too.
So I'm with you. Fire back off at them when
they start acting up, and let your husband have it too.
If that's the case, Steve, Oh, you're fine.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I don't even I don't even know what the letter
is for. Well, here we go. You're fire off on
fine back. I'm married to a man with four children,
all of them under the age of fifteen. They live
with us two weeks a month. I got a five
year old. I got sold cussed there because my ex
(04:04):
husband works in England. I'm biracial. He would go to see.
We swear we running into this. It's a lot of this,
A lot of this got to do with race. I
didn't bring up race. She did. She said I'm biracial.
She didn't even have to say that. But she noticed
got something to do with this. She didn't never even
(04:26):
have to mention she was biracial in this letter. But
since you started with I'm biracial, you must want my
racial opinion throughout this letter. Well, I'm not gonna let
you down, So I'm gonna give a racial answer. What
(04:53):
I'm giving a racial answer. She's biracial, so my answer
would be racially based because that's what she wanted. Well, anyway,
biracial lady, here we go. I grew up with a
white mama, which means her daddy was black. And the
(05:16):
mom was start spoken and allowed you to express your
feelings to do what I wanted to do. Thing are
you trying to What she's trying to say is the
white side of her allowed her to do whatever she
wanted to do. That's what she said in the letter,
(05:38):
not me within reason. As I grew up, I saw
that I needed discipline. That ain't the way to raise kids.
So I decided I would not be as lenient when
I have children of my own. That's the black side.
Your mama lets you do what you want to do.
Your daddy wouldn't hang with her going on? All right,
(06:03):
So here we go. So here I am newly married
to a white man. Thing all right? Now you done
bought this back into your life. Now Here come the
white man with the four white kids, with the white
mama with the white ruse, And now here you come,
little biracial lady, and you finn to deal with it.
(06:27):
Hang on, The children are testing me every day.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
How Hang on, Steve, hang on, okay, we'll have two
of your fine one test. You have your racial refine
coming up at twenty three minutes after the hour.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Tess me every day. You got one test.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Today Strawberry letters, subject is you fire off? I'm firing back.
We'll get back into it right after this. You're listening Steve.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Harvey Morning Show.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
The holidays. It's hard to find the right gifts, but
you know it's even harder getting the right gift. But
get this. Verizon's got the perfect solve for both. They
have incredible gift bundles. You get the latest phone with
a new line on my plan and a brand new
smartwatch and tablet. No trade in needed. You can give
(07:21):
a couple away and get yourself one two, or you
could keep them all to yourself. No one has to know.
Stop by your local Verizon. All right, Come on, Steve,
let's recap today's Strawberry letter. The subject is you fire off?
I'm firing back Now.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Lady wrote me a letter everybody, and she had no
reason to write this in the letter, but she said
she's married with four children, all them under the age
of fifteen, and they live with us. Two weeks after month,
I got soul custody of a child of mind because
my husband work in England. Oh that's cool. Then she said,
out of nowhere, I'm biracial. I grew up with my
(07:58):
white mom who let me freely do what I wanted
to do. And I'm assuming she didn't mention the black
daddy because yeah, whatever.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
She mentioned it, it's in here.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
I call. She mentioned it later on, but she didn't
say right here how the black daddy was. She said,
my white mom allowed me to express my feelings and
do what I wanted within reason. As I grew up,
I saw that I needed discla She didn't mention the
black dad right here because why cause it may not
be past statue limitation. So she didn't mention it because
(08:31):
black daddy did something different changed her mind. She grew
up and saw she needed discipline so I would not
be leanent when I have children of my own. Here
we go. Here's some more racial stuff. The reason I'm
answering this letter racially is because she interjected that I'm biracial.
Part so I'm newly married to a white man and
his children are testing me every day. Eh, And see,
(08:57):
you get one test with me. You're not testing me.
I ain't in school. You gonna learn what you need
to learn on the first test day today. You gonna
know today. I at to one, but you letting me
go on. I call my black dad and my black
grandma for advice on dealing with my step children's lack
(09:20):
of respect. Grandmama told you talk to your husband, that's
a smart thing to do and the kids behavior, and
but it didn't work, then you talk to your white
husband about it. He said that told me if I
offended them, they won't want to spend time at our home.
I understand that, but this is my house, tutor, So
(09:44):
what you're not finna do is come in my house
with disrespect. So let's there's some cussing going on in
this letter, and it was from the sixteen year old girl,
but it could have should have started before that. For
an eight year old tells me to shut up. The
next question out in my mouth for clarity is who
(10:09):
you're talking to? See, I just need clarity because maybe
you was talking to the TV, maybe you was on
FaceTime one of your friends. I missed it. But a
year old tell me to shut up? Who you talking to?
Problem now? And then a twelve year old slams a
(10:30):
bedroom door in my face. Okay, okay, I'm not willing
to let it slide. I'm usually home alone with them,
and over the weekend I saw this fourteen year old
daughter kissing a sixteen year old in the driveway. I
know his age because I dropped off at the sixteenth
birthday party months ago. I told her I saw her
(10:52):
and ask if she could talk about setting a better
example for a younger similar who saw her make it out.
She told me, I need to mind my business now.
I read all this quick so we can go back,
because cussing has been interjected into this family dynamic. And
I just want you to know that once you tell
(11:13):
me to shut my f and mouth the way I'm
talking to the white kids, after this, it's gonna be different.
Let's go what the age of year old tells me
to shut up. My first thing is for clarity who
the ef you talking to? Because I need clarity. And
(11:39):
then I'm gonna say I know you mfn ain't fuck
because see the white kids is cussing. So I'm finna, yeah,
I'm finna do the biracial thing, and I'm putting you
putting to put the black cussing into play. Now, the combinations,
the the voice. The twelve year old slams a bedroom
(12:04):
door in my face. Oh no that if you didn't,
you must not walk this MFN door. No MFN mo.
She has got a rhyme because we're rapping now. So
now I got a screwdriver. Now I done took the
door off. You ain't ain'tywhe ain't shutting No more doors
(12:24):
in here because I done took the door off. The
door in the garage, slam that dough blanketed blanket. I'm not.
I'm usually home alone with him. And then over the
weekend I saw his fourteen year old daughter kissing the
sixteen years I said, if you need to set a
(12:46):
better example, she told me to mind my FN business. Well,
you're about to get the FN business because I'm fitting
there star somebody up and it gonna be you said
that they introduced the cussing. I'm not cussing because we
(13:07):
don't do that on this show no more. But I
introduced it to the faux white kids. That night. I
wore my husband that if one of the kids file
for me, I told him not to worry about it.
Because I handled it already today. Ain't no mfing body
gonna say an MFN thing to me, no MFN moment. Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Lead your comments on Today's Strawberry Letter on Instagram and
Facebook at Steve HARBFM, and check us out on the
Strawberry Letter Podcast.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
If you comment on this letter, leave your fing comments
in it.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Come a free iHeartRadio app you're listening to the Steve
Harvey Morning Show
It is time now for my Strawberry Letter. And if
you need advice on relationships, on work, sex, parenting, and more,
please submit your Strawberry Letter to Steve HARVEFM dot com
and click submit Strawberry Letter. We could be reading your
letter live on the air, just like we're going to
read this one right here, right now, and you never know,
it could be yours.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
It could be yours. Buckle up and hold on tight.
We guide it for you. Here it is Strawberry Letter.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Thank you, nephew. Subject you fire off, I'm firing back.
Dear Stephen Shirley. I married a man with four children,
all under age fifteen, and they live with us two
weeks a month. I have a five year old and
I have sole custody because my ex husband works in England.
I'm biracial, and I grew up with my white mom,
(00:47):
who spoke softly and allowed me to express my feelings
and do what I wanted within reason. As I grew up,
I saw that I needed discipline, so I decided that
I would not be as lenient when I have children
of my own. So here, I am newly married to
a white man and his children are testing me every day.
I called my black dad and black grandma for advice
(01:10):
on dealing with my stepchildren's lack of respect. My grandmother
told me to talk to my husband about the kid's behavior,
but that didn't work. My husband told me that if
I offend them, they won't want to spend any spend
time at our home. When an eight year old tells
me to shut up and a twelve year old slams
a bedroom door in my face, I'm not willing to
(01:31):
let it slide. I am usually home alone with them.
When it happened over the weekend, I saw his fourteen
year old daughter kissing a sixteen year old boy in
the driveway. I know his age because I dropped her
off at his sixteenth birthday party months ago. I told
her that I saw her, and I asked if we
could talk about setting a better example for her younger siblings,
(01:54):
who also saw her making out. She told me that
I need to mind my effing business. I warned my
husband that if she or any of his kids fires
off at me again, then I'm firing off. He told
me that's not my place and he'll handle his own kids.
Oh no, sir, that is not how it will go
in this house. I am firing off and I'll deal
(02:17):
with my husband later. Why should his children be off
limits to me? Well, they really shouldn't be. I mean,
this is just some stupid rule your husband has because
he doesn't want their mom to stop them from coming
over there. The ex is holding the kids over his head.
And your husband nor his ex have told the kids
that they should respect you when they're in your home,
(02:38):
and that's what the kids are going with. You're not
their mom, so they don't have to do what you say.
Their bitter mama has already prepped them before they get
to your house. But you can't control what goes on
with them and their mom in their house anyway, so
don't even worry about that. The problem is the dad
or your husband. He may as well be a kid too,
because he's disrespecting you just as much as they are.
(03:01):
He told you is not your place to handle his kids.
He'll handle his own kids. But here's the problem. He's
not handling them. And why would he want to get
you all upset and let the kids come between you? Guys? Well,
I say someone has to be the adult here. They
have to. I mean, who are these kids that they
think they can just do and say whatever they want
(03:23):
and know they should be disciplined at your house too.
So I'm with you. Fire back off at them when
they start acting up, and let your husband have it too.
If that's the case, Steve, Oh, you're fine.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I don't even I don't even know what the letter
is for. Well, here we go. You're fire off on
fine back. I'm married to a man with four children,
all of them under the age of fifteen. They live
with us two weeks a month. I got a five
year old. I got sold cussed there because my ex
(04:04):
husband works in England. I'm biracial. He would go to see.
We swear we running into this. It's a lot of this,
A lot of this got to do with race. I
didn't bring up race. She did. She said I'm biracial.
She didn't even have to say that. But she noticed
got something to do with this. She didn't never even
(04:26):
have to mention she was biracial in this letter. But
since you started with I'm biracial, you must want my
racial opinion throughout this letter. Well, I'm not gonna let
you down, So I'm gonna give a racial answer. What
(04:53):
I'm giving a racial answer. She's biracial, so my answer
would be racially based because that's what she wanted. Well, anyway,
biracial lady, here we go. I grew up with a
white mama, which means her daddy was black. And the
(05:16):
mom was start spoken and allowed you to express your
feelings to do what I wanted to do. Thing are
you trying to What she's trying to say is the
white side of her allowed her to do whatever she
wanted to do. That's what she said in the letter,
(05:38):
not me within reason. As I grew up, I saw
that I needed discipline. That ain't the way to raise kids.
So I decided I would not be as lenient when
I have children of my own. That's the black side.
Your mama lets you do what you want to do.
Your daddy wouldn't hang with her going on? All right,
(06:03):
So here we go. So here I am newly married
to a white man. Thing all right? Now you done
bought this back into your life. Now Here come the
white man with the four white kids, with the white
mama with the white ruse, And now here you come,
little biracial lady, and you finn to deal with it.
(06:27):
Hang on, The children are testing me every day.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
How Hang on, Steve, hang on, okay, we'll have two
of your fine one test. You have your racial refine
coming up at twenty three minutes after the hour.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Tess me every day. You got one test.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Today Strawberry letters, subject is you fire off? I'm firing back.
We'll get back into it right after this. You're listening Steve.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Harvey Morning Show.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
The holidays. It's hard to find the right gifts, but
you know it's even harder getting the right gift. But
get this. Verizon's got the perfect solve for both. They
have incredible gift bundles. You get the latest phone with
a new line on my plan and a brand new
smartwatch and tablet. No trade in needed. You can give
(07:21):
a couple away and get yourself one two, or you
could keep them all to yourself. No one has to know.
Stop by your local Verizon. All right, Come on, Steve,
let's recap today's Strawberry letter. The subject is you fire off?
I'm firing back Now.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Lady wrote me a letter everybody, and she had no
reason to write this in the letter, but she said
she's married with four children, all them under the age
of fifteen, and they live with us. Two weeks after month,
I got soul custody of a child of mind because
my husband work in England. Oh that's cool. Then she said,
out of nowhere, I'm biracial. I grew up with my
(07:58):
white mom who let me freely do what I wanted
to do. And I'm assuming she didn't mention the black
daddy because yeah, whatever.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
She mentioned it, it's in here.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
I call. She mentioned it later on, but she didn't
say right here how the black daddy was. She said,
my white mom allowed me to express my feelings and
do what I wanted within reason. As I grew up,
I saw that I needed discla She didn't mention the
black dad right here because why cause it may not
be past statue limitation. So she didn't mention it because
(08:31):
black daddy did something different changed her mind. She grew
up and saw she needed discipline so I would not
be leanent when I have children of my own. Here
we go. Here's some more racial stuff. The reason I'm
answering this letter racially is because she interjected that I'm biracial.
Part so I'm newly married to a white man and
his children are testing me every day. Eh, And see,
(08:57):
you get one test with me. You're not testing me.
I ain't in school. You gonna learn what you need
to learn on the first test day today. You gonna
know today. I at to one, but you letting me
go on. I call my black dad and my black
grandma for advice on dealing with my step children's lack
(09:20):
of respect. Grandmama told you talk to your husband, that's
a smart thing to do and the kids behavior, and
but it didn't work, then you talk to your white
husband about it. He said that told me if I
offended them, they won't want to spend time at our home.
I understand that, but this is my house, tutor, So
(09:44):
what you're not finna do is come in my house
with disrespect. So let's there's some cussing going on in
this letter, and it was from the sixteen year old girl,
but it could have should have started before that. For
an eight year old tells me to shut up. The
next question out in my mouth for clarity is who
(10:09):
you're talking to? See, I just need clarity because maybe
you was talking to the TV, maybe you was on
FaceTime one of your friends. I missed it. But a
year old tell me to shut up? Who you talking to?
Problem now? And then a twelve year old slams a
(10:30):
bedroom door in my face. Okay, okay, I'm not willing
to let it slide. I'm usually home alone with them,
and over the weekend I saw this fourteen year old
daughter kissing a sixteen year old in the driveway. I
know his age because I dropped off at the sixteenth
birthday party months ago. I told her I saw her
(10:52):
and ask if she could talk about setting a better
example for a younger similar who saw her make it out.
She told me, I need to mind my business now.
I read all this quick so we can go back,
because cussing has been interjected into this family dynamic. And
I just want you to know that once you tell
(11:13):
me to shut my f and mouth the way I'm
talking to the white kids, after this, it's gonna be different.
Let's go what the age of year old tells me
to shut up. My first thing is for clarity who
the ef you talking to? Because I need clarity. And
(11:39):
then I'm gonna say I know you mfn ain't fuck
because see the white kids is cussing. So I'm finna, yeah,
I'm finna do the biracial thing, and I'm putting you
putting to put the black cussing into play. Now, the combinations,
the the voice. The twelve year old slams a bedroom
(12:04):
door in my face. Oh no that if you didn't,
you must not walk this MFN door. No MFN mo.
She has got a rhyme because we're rapping now. So
now I got a screwdriver. Now I done took the
door off. You ain't ain'tywhe ain't shutting No more doors
(12:24):
in here because I done took the door off. The
door in the garage, slam that dough blanketed blanket. I'm not.
I'm usually home alone with him. And then over the
weekend I saw his fourteen year old daughter kissing the
sixteen years I said, if you need to set a
(12:46):
better example, she told me to mind my FN business. Well,
you're about to get the FN business because I'm fitting
there star somebody up and it gonna be you said
that they introduced the cussing. I'm not cussing because we
(13:07):
don't do that on this show no more. But I
introduced it to the faux white kids. That night. I
wore my husband that if one of the kids file
for me, I told him not to worry about it.
Because I handled it already today. Ain't no mfing body
gonna say an MFN thing to me, no MFN moment. Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Lead your comments on Today's Strawberry Letter on Instagram and
Facebook at Steve HARBFM, and check us out on the
Strawberry Letter Podcast.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
If you comment on this letter, leave your fing comments
in it.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Come a free iHeartRadio app you're listening to the Steve
Harvey Morning Show
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.