In this on‑stage interview on Karamo’s show, host Karamo welcomes Stephanie Brooks, the mother of his two sons, and their son Jason who joins remotely. They recount how they were high‑school friends, briefly hooked up, and became teen parents, leading to a period of separation during which Stephanie faced financial hardship, homelessness, and raised four children with limited support. Ten years later they reconnected, built a blended family that includes Stephanie’s son from another father whom Karamo adopted, and have been co‑parenting their biological son Jason. Throughout the conversation they emphasize the importance of putting the child’s well‑being above personal differences, sharing personal anecdotes about protecting Jason from family drama, and discussing how they navigate differing parenting styles. Stephanie offers direct advice to other co‑parents: resolve conflicts and prioritize the child. Karamo reflects on his own feelings of resentment and his decision to avoid adding stress to Stephanie, highlighting the need for open communication. The segment concludes with a teaser for their upcoming digital series “Co‑Parenting Unlocked,” aimed at helping other families navigate co‑parenting challenges.
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So I was just talking about co-parenting with our last guest and how important it is to put away your differences for the sake of your children. And now I wanna share my co-parenting experience with you all. So in the front row is the mother of my two sons, Stephanie Brooks. Stephanie, come on up here, girl. Come on up here. Come on up here, baby mama. I love you.
I love y'all. So listen, y'all, take a seat, girl.
Thank you. So if you don't know our story, we were best friends in high school. We hooked up one time and then we moved away and I don't know how, but we had a child and 10 years later I found we've got back in contact, correct?
Yes, that's right.
So my son showed up on my doorstep when I was 25 and suddenly I was a new dad. So how do you feel about us putting our business out there? I mean, I've been putting our business out there for years.
I think it's well overdue.
Amen.
I think we have a very unique, family and a good, great dynamic between the two of us. And we've been doing great as co-parents. I mean, it was a little journey, but we're here and I just feel like getting our story out there could help some other families.
Agreed, agreed. And it's also for you, you know, I tell you this all the time, we be on the phone and I be like, girl, your story and what you've been through and how you overcome, I always say, I wish my viewers could know it. And so that's why I also invited you here as well because I think your story could resonate with so many people who watch the show.
So what a lot of folks don't know, and I'll share with y'all, is I grew up in a broken home. Financial issues going on in the family. I was a teen mom. Obviously, we lost contact, so I couldn't find you. And I went on and had 4 other kids. So it was a very difficult time for me. My grandmother stepped in intermittently and was helping raise me. Kind of had a broken relationship with my mom. And at one point, more than one point, I was homeless with my children. So it was a very, very hard time.
I mean, the things is like, her strength has always inspired me. Once we got back connected, all this was done. Okay, like we okay. All that, all that. But like, because I mean like, you didn't get a lot of support. I mean, your family disassociated from you. There was nobody that was around to help you and give you guidance. And one of the things that always pisses me off, why I always talk about this on the show, is because even though you were 16, everybody treated you like you was an adult.
Grown, right.
They was like, oh, you, they started doing that. Yeah. You think you an adult.
So go be grown.
Go be grown. Yeah. As if you did need support.
No. And I very much needed that support. And I don't know if it was also me a little bit. I had this all or nothing type of mentality. So I do feel like it came from my family that it was, you have a baby now, so you grown. No more worrying about school. No plans for college. No, none of that. It is get a job and you're going to work to support this kid.
Yeah.
And then having lack of support in my own life, I was a kid. I needed support. I needed that.
Yeah, well listen, we as parents don't always get along. Any advice for mothers or other baby daddies out there?
Well, I would say this, if you don't get along with your baby mother or your baby daddy, y'all need to fix it, like period.
Seriously.
You decided, thank you, thank you, thank you. Yeah, the way I see it is at one point you decided to be with this person to make a life. And that's a lifetime commitment. That's not a, you know, until you 18 and then go on and go, you know, you released into the world. And so y'all need to put aside your differences. Whatever happened in your relationship, that's over with. It is all about focusing on your kid and making sure they happy.
[Speaker] Let me tell you something. Yeah, our thing has been since day one, no matter what we feel, our child was always a priority. [Speaker] Oh yeah. [Speaker] Always, the children was the priority. [Speaker] Always, yeah. [Speaker] So I said children. So we have one biological son together.
[Speaker] Yeah.
[Speaker] And then, Stephanie, she has another son that I adopted that is not biologically mine. He has a different father. And so I raised him with the other kids together. You did.
I mean, Karamo, like, yeah.
We do.
Again.
But one of our babies, our son Jason, is joining us remotely right now from California. Jason, you did— not the cowboy hat. What's going on?
Oh my gosh.
Y'all see the split image now? He look like— He, I mean, split right down the middle of the two of us. So how do you feel about us as your parents? Let us know. We never asked you this question.
Oh my God.
Oh, here we go. I'm kidding.
I'm like, what?
How do I feel about you guys as parents? I love you guys both. You guys are great.
Aw, thank you, Karamo.
So Jason, do you feel like your mother and I ever put you in the middle of any drama?
You know what? I was just thinking about that. You guys did a really good job at bringing protected me from any drama that's there.
Ah! Thank you.
We did that. Y'all did a really, really good job. Yeah, y'all did that. Y'all did do that.
Yeah. What about with your grandparents? Did they ever put you in the middle of any drama?
That's the one thing. You know, we've talked about it as well, how I just thought about our differences when it came to how my grandparents reacted to you guys having me. I was not a fan of how they sent you guys away, separated us, I feel like. That really caused a strain in a lot of stuff. But yeah, I mean, I'm just happy we finally got it back together and we got to be a family, yeah.
I wanna ask you a question. Do you act differently with your mama than versus when you act, how you act with me?
Why are you putting me on the spot like that?
I wanna know. Do you act differently with me and with her?
Well, to answer your question, yeah, sure I do, yes. So, but to my dad, I think, with you, I act a little bit more like I follow the lead a little bit more with that. Uh, but my mom, I'm pretty sure we're like confidants. We always are super comfortable around— to be around each other and to be—
you trying to say I'm strict and you get to have more fun with her?
I did not say that.
You said that, but that's what you were thinking.
That's—
I got it, I got it. It's fine. We already talk about it. I'm the strict dad.
Oh no, the call that I got for The vibes between you two this morning were completely different. Hey son, where you at? You ready? Mom, hey baby, what's going on?
Yes.
Hey, my baby.
This is the thing, like, we have a lot of different views on things. The only thing that we really always agree on is that our priority was that boy right there. And that his happiness, his success, the love he felt, and him not feeling the generational trauma that we felt. That it ended with him was always important. Because at the end of the day, I think there's a lot of people that watch this show that don't know how to get along with the person that they've decided to make a child with. And at the end of the day, if you don't want your child on my stage screaming at you saying, what's wrong with you, mom? Why you didn't love me? Why you didn't support me? Understand that these are the steps you have to take to make sure you put them first, correct?
That's correct.
Amen. So we have a little sneak peek of what we're gonna be doing actually on our new co-parenting series, Co-Parenting Unlocked. Y'all go ahead and take a look at this.
The structure part, I do lean on you sometimes for that. And I think again, it just benefits our kids because the balance The balance is gonna go back to them, and the love and support is there between us.
I knew that already, but it used to get on my nerves.
I did?
'Cause I was like, she get to get all the good times, and I get to have all the, like, you know what I mean? And so for a long time, I resented that.
Karamo, I never knew that.
I did.
Why didn't you ever tell me?
Because I wasn't going to add extra stress. I always felt like if I add extra stress to my son's mother, that's adding extra stress to my kid's life. Right on. To the beautiful mother of my sons, thank you for being the most amazing woman.
Wow, thank you.
I love you, I honor you, and I appreciate you.
I love you so much too, Karamo.
Thank you for having me. I love this, I love this.
We love you so much, Jason.
I love you guys too. You guys have been great. Prince, I love you.
Love you, babe.
I love you too. Love you more.
All right, again, to watch our digital series, Co-Parenting Unlocked, go to all of our digital platforms or karamoshow.com. Everyone, thank you for being with us. Make sure to come back next time, friends, so we can keep talking and growing. I love you.
