Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Detroit.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
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 1 (00:26):
It could be yours. Buckle up and hold on tight.
We guide it for you. Here it is Strawberry Letter.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
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 sold custody because my ex husband works in England.
I'm Bi Rachel and I grew up with my white mom,
(00:53):
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
(01:16):
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
(01:38):
let it slide.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I am usually home alone with them.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
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,
who also saw her making out. She told me that
(02:03):
I need to mind my effing business. That night, 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 with my husband later. Why should his
(02:25):
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, and that's what the kids are going with.
(02:46):
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.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
As they are.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
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?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Guys? Well, I say someone has to be the adult here.
They have to.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I mean, who are these kids that they think they
can just do and say whatever they want and know
they should be disciplined at your house too.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
So I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Fire back off at them when they start acting up,
and let your husband have it too.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
If that's the case, Steve, Oh, you're fine.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
I don't even I don't even know what the letter
is for. Well, here we go. You're far 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 County there because my ex
(04:10):
husband works in England. I'm biracial. He would go to
see we swear we running into this.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
It's a lot of this. A lot of this got
to do with race. I didn't bring up race. She did.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
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 have to mention she was biracial in
this letter. But since you started with I'm biracial, you must.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Want my.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Racial opinion throughout this letter.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Well, I'm not gonna let you down, So I'm gonna
give a racial answer.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
What I'm giving a racial answer.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
She's biracial, so my answer will be racially based because
that's what she wanted. Well, anyway, a biracial lady, here
we go. I grew up with a white mama, which
means her daddy was black. And the mom was start
(05:23):
spoken and allowed you to express your feelings, to do
what I wanted to do. Than 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, not me within reason.
(05:48):
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 you mama, Lets
you do what you want to do. Your daddy would hey?
With hell going on?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
All right? So here we go.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
So here I am newly married to.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
A white man. Thing all right?
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Now you done bought this back into your life. Now
it come to 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 finnah, deal
with it. Hang on, The children are testing me every day.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
How hang on, Steve, hang on?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Okay, your one teste coming up at twenty three minutes
after the hour.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
That's me every day.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
You got one test today.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Strawberry letters, subject is you fire off? I'm firing back.
We'll get back into it right after this.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
You're listening Steve Show.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
All right, come on, Steve, let's recap today's Strawberry letter.
The subject is you fire off?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I'm firing back now.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
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 um under the age
of fifteen, and they lived with us two weeks after month,
I got sold custody of a child of mind because
my husband working England. Oh that's cool. Then she said,
out of nowhere, I'm biracial. I grew up with my
(07:30):
white mom who let me speak freely do what I
wanted to do. And I'm assuming she didn't mention the
black daddy, because.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah, whatever she mentioned it, it's in here if.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
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 disc She didn't mention the black dad
right here because why cause it may not be pasttture limited.
So she didn't mention that because black daddy did something
(08:05):
different changed her mind. She grew up and saw she
needed discipline, so I would not be leaned when I
have children.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Am all. Here we go. Here's some old racial stuff.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
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. Yeah,
let see you get one test with me. You're not
testing me every day. I ain't in school. You gonna
(08:35):
learn what you need to learn on the first test
day today. You gonna know today. I ain't the 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 of respect. Grandmama told you talk
to your husband, that's a smart thing to do and
(08:57):
the kids behavior, 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 too, though, So what you're not finna do
(09:18):
is come in my house and disrespect me.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
So let's there's.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
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. When an eight year old
tells me to shut up, the next question out in
my mouth for clarity is who you're talking to?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
See?
Speaker 4 (09:43):
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 an a year old tell me
to shut up?
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Who you talking to?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Now?
Speaker 4 (10:00):
And then a twelve year old slams a bedroom dough
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
(10:22):
months ago.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I told her I saw her, and I asked.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
If she could talk about setting a better example for
a younger siblings who saw her make it out.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
She told me, I need to mind my fing business.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Now I read all this quick so we can go back,
because cussin has been interjected into this family dynamic.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
And I just want you to.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Know that once you tell 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 an
age of year old tells me to shut up? My
first thing is for clarity who that f you talking to?
(11:07):
Because I need clarity, okay, And 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 viracial thing. And I'm putting you putting to put
the black cussing into play. Now the combinations the voice
(11:33):
the twelve year old slams are bedroom door in my face?
Or know that if you didn't, you must not walk
this MFN door No mfn mo. See it's got a
rhyme because we're rapping now. So now I got a screwdriver.
(11:53):
Now I done took the door off. You ain't anybody
shutting no more doors in here because I done took
the door off.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
The door in the garage slam that dough.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Blanketed blank, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
I'm usually home alone with him.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
And then over the weekend I saw his fourteen year
old daughter kissing a sixteen years I said, if you
need to set a better example, she told me to
mind my FN business. Well, you're about to get the
FN business, because I'm finna startfing somebody.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Up and it gonna be you. Said that they introduced
to cussing.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
I'm not cussing because we don't do that on this
show no more.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
But I just introduced it to the four white kids.
That night.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
I wore my husband that if one of the kids
fire on me, I told him not to worry about
it because I handled it already.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Today.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Ain't no mfing body gonna say an mfing thing to meet,
no MFN mode.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Okay, leave your comments on Today's Strawberry Letter on Instagram
and Facebook at Steve HARVFM, and check us out on
the Strawberry Letter podcast.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
If you comment on this letter, leave your FN comments
Speaker 3 (13:15):
In the on the free iHeartRadio app.
Detroit.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
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 1 (00:26):
It could be yours. Buckle up and hold on tight.
We guide it for you. Here it is Strawberry Letter.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
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 sold custody because my ex husband works in England.
I'm Bi Rachel and I grew up with my white mom,
(00:53):
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
(01:16):
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
(01:38):
let it slide.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I am usually home alone with them.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
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,
who also saw her making out. She told me that
(02:03):
I need to mind my effing business. That night, 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 with my husband later. Why should his
(02:25):
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, and that's what the kids are going with.
(02:46):
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.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
As they are.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
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?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Guys? Well, I say someone has to be the adult here.
They have to.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I mean, who are these kids that they think they
can just do and say whatever they want and know
they should be disciplined at your house too.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
So I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Fire back off at them when they start acting up,
and let your husband have it too.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
If that's the case, Steve, Oh, you're fine.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
I don't even I don't even know what the letter
is for. Well, here we go. You're far 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 County there because my ex
(04:10):
husband works in England. I'm biracial. He would go to
see we swear we running into this.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
It's a lot of this. A lot of this got
to do with race. I didn't bring up race. She did.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
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 have to mention she was biracial in
this letter. But since you started with I'm biracial, you must.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Want my.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Racial opinion throughout this letter.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Well, I'm not gonna let you down, So I'm gonna
give a racial answer.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
What I'm giving a racial answer.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
She's biracial, so my answer will be racially based because
that's what she wanted. Well, anyway, a biracial lady, here
we go. I grew up with a white mama, which
means her daddy was black. And the mom was start
(05:23):
spoken and allowed you to express your feelings, to do
what I wanted to do. Than 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, not me within reason.
(05:48):
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 you mama, Lets
you do what you want to do. Your daddy would hey?
With hell going on?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
All right? So here we go.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
So here I am newly married to.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
A white man. Thing all right?
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Now you done bought this back into your life. Now
it come to 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 finnah, deal
with it. Hang on, The children are testing me every day.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
How hang on, Steve, hang on?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Okay, your one teste coming up at twenty three minutes
after the hour.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
That's me every day.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
You got one test today.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Strawberry letters, subject is you fire off? I'm firing back.
We'll get back into it right after this.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
You're listening Steve Show.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
All right, come on, Steve, let's recap today's Strawberry letter.
The subject is you fire off?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I'm firing back now.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
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 um under the age
of fifteen, and they lived with us two weeks after month,
I got sold custody of a child of mind because
my husband working England. Oh that's cool. Then she said,
out of nowhere, I'm biracial. I grew up with my
(07:30):
white mom who let me speak freely do what I
wanted to do. And I'm assuming she didn't mention the
black daddy, because.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah, whatever she mentioned it, it's in here if.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
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 disc She didn't mention the black dad
right here because why cause it may not be pasttture limited.
So she didn't mention that because black daddy did something
(08:05):
different changed her mind. She grew up and saw she
needed discipline, so I would not be leaned when I
have children.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Am all. Here we go. Here's some old racial stuff.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
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. Yeah,
let see you get one test with me. You're not
testing me every day. I ain't in school. You gonna
(08:35):
learn what you need to learn on the first test
day today. You gonna know today. I ain't the 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 of respect. Grandmama told you talk
to your husband, that's a smart thing to do and
(08:57):
the kids behavior, 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 too, though, So what you're not finna do
(09:18):
is come in my house and disrespect me.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
So let's there's.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
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. When an eight year old
tells me to shut up, the next question out in
my mouth for clarity is who you're talking to?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
See?
Speaker 4 (09:43):
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 an a year old tell me
to shut up?
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Who you talking to?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Now?
Speaker 4 (10:00):
And then a twelve year old slams a bedroom dough
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
(10:22):
months ago.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I told her I saw her, and I asked.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
If she could talk about setting a better example for
a younger siblings who saw her make it out.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
She told me, I need to mind my fing business.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Now I read all this quick so we can go back,
because cussin has been interjected into this family dynamic.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
And I just want you to.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Know that once you tell 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 an
age of year old tells me to shut up? My
first thing is for clarity who that f you talking to?
(11:07):
Because I need clarity, okay, And 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 viracial thing. And I'm putting you putting to put
the black cussing into play. Now the combinations the voice
(11:33):
the twelve year old slams are bedroom door in my face?
Or know that if you didn't, you must not walk
this MFN door No mfn mo. See it's got a
rhyme because we're rapping now. So now I got a screwdriver.
(11:53):
Now I done took the door off. You ain't anybody
shutting no more doors in here because I done took
the door off.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
The door in the garage slam that dough.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Blanketed blank, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
I'm usually home alone with him.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
And then over the weekend I saw his fourteen year
old daughter kissing a sixteen years I said, if you
need to set a better example, she told me to
mind my FN business. Well, you're about to get the
FN business, because I'm finna startfing somebody.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Up and it gonna be you. Said that they introduced
to cussing.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
I'm not cussing because we don't do that on this
show no more.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
But I just introduced it to the four white kids.
That night.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
I wore my husband that if one of the kids
fire on me, I told him not to worry about
it because I handled it already.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Today.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Ain't no mfing body gonna say an mfing thing to meet,
no MFN mode.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Okay, leave your comments on Today's Strawberry Letter on Instagram
and Facebook at Steve HARVFM, and check us out on
the Strawberry Letter podcast.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
If you comment on this letter, leave your FN comments
Speaker 3 (13:15):
In the on the free iHeartRadio app.
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