- [Interviewer] Who's your kid more like?
- Oh, she's definitely like me.
She look like me.
She got the same toes as me.
She is annoying as fuck like me.
(gentle music)
- [Interviewer] Who are you?
And who are you here with today?
- My name is Alex, and I'm here with Courtney.
She is my ex-girlfriend and baby mama.
- [Interviewer] Do you remember the night
your child was conceived?
- No.
- I do, yeah.
- [Together] I do.
- [Together] No.
- I remember about the moment, yes.
So, I had messed up on my birth control,
and then I was like, "Yeah, we need a Plan B."
- [Interviewer] And then, he wasn't using protection?
- No.
- We was just in the car going at it, man.
And then, my brain was just like, "Yeah.
It doesn't matter, man.
Just do it.
Just do it."
- [Interviewer] Do it, meaning like come?
- Yeah.
- We like talked about it and wanted to have her.
We were just going at it a lot.
- Going at it like rabbits.
- We were having sex and we just knew when we were done.
- I think a part of me in that moment knew like
he will always take care of me.
And whatever, you know, we create together,
I know he'll take care of too.
- [Interviewer] Was the baby born
before or after the breakup?
- [Together] Before.
- After.
- He was born before.
- [Interviewer] So, how was that process
once you two broke up?
- It was hard because I did not like him.
- My first experience, really somebody being petty,
that I had to still conversate with and whatnot.
- And I know I had moments where I was petty
and I took jabs.
- It happened, but that's what I'm saying.
But we, me and her are on the same wavelength.
It's not about us.
It's about the kid, so.
- [Interviewer] What do you think
are some of the standard rules of co-parenting?
- Definitely always keep the child's best interest first.
- The financials.
Establishing how you're gonna share money
and take care of things.
- Definitely set clear boundaries.
- Just respect each other, you know, at that point
because without that, you can't have anything.
- We have it so whatever goes on at my house,
he does the same rules at his.
We just try to do that
because we don't want him to choose one parent
over the other.
And sometimes, I can be a little extra.
So then, he'll be like, "That doesn't fit the crime."
You know?
So sometimes, we kind of like work it out like that.
- [Interviewer] Who's your kid more like?
- Probably me.
I think he would say me.
- [Interviewer] You or your ex?
- Me.
- Oh, she definitely like me.
She look like me.
She got the same toes as me.
She got the same hands as me.
She is annoying as fuck like me.
She's hella annoying.
- She has my temper, but she's like a jokester like him,
and she's silly and very outgoing, more personable.
- He's more like her in a way.
- Oh, he has a good mix.
He does stuff, and I just look at him and I be like,
"God, you are your daddy's child."
- If you have a kid and you look at the kid
and they remind you of yourself,
it's nothing like it honestly.
- [Interviewer] What's something your ex can improve upon?
- I think just doing more stuff with her.
If he would just put more effort into that,
she'd be a lot happier.
- Taking on a little bit more of what I am.
He'll forget sometimes when she is supposed to eat.
But again, maybe that's just me thinking
that my kid needs to eat at 12 o'clock,
and if it's 12:45, she'll live.
And so, I need to chill.
So, I don't know.
- Maybe not freaking out so much about the little stuff,
but I don't know.
I think she's doing fine.
Her anxiety's gotten her pretty far with the baby.
It's saved our daughter a couple times, so.
- The things I get on him a lot about is being mean.
You don't have to be so aggressive all the time.
Just talk.
- Coming from me, she got a down pat.
I take a lot of advice from her.
Just trying to coax him, you know,
into just talking to me and opening up more.
- [Interviewer] Who's a better parent truly?
- Well, you're really gonna do that to me?
- I definitely would say me.
I only say that I'm a better parent
because I have him majority of the time.
- [Interviewer] What do you think he said?
- Oh, he probably said me 'cause he knows I do the most.
(laughing)
- I'll say she's a better parent.
She is dope.
She's the one that got him out of his shell I wanna say.
- I'm gonna say her
just 'cause she is a little more responsible than me.
- [Interviewer] What do you think she said?
- I think she also said her.
- I think we're equal.
We give her different things,
and I'm happy that he is in her life to be her dad, so.
- [Interviewer] Who's the better parent?
- Honestly, I would say Michael.
He does a lot.
- I'm just the best at everything.
Jessica's definitely a good parent too.
I'm not gonna take that away from her.
- Yeah, I think we both really do a good job
balancing each other's strengths and weaknesses out.
So, if I wasn't just trying to be cocky,
I would say we're equally the better parents.
We have different techniques to us though, for sure.
- Naomi, she's a better parent than I am.
She's a good parent.
When we was in that stage, and we was fucking around,
in my mind, I was like,
"I wouldn't mind having a kid with her
because she's gonna be a great parent."
And I was right.
She's great.
- [Interviewer] Who's the better parent?
- I would say me.
I'm just more attentive.
Demetre's a little more selfish.
So, definitely me.
- [Interviewer] What's your best advice
for other co-parents?
- Just lead with love, you know?
And anything that comes at you, you can figure it out.
- It's really important to have respect
for everyone involved, for the parents,
and any blended families.
It's the kids that's most important,
and you gotta make sure that you're looking out for them
before your own petty feelings get in the way.
- Put the kid's needs first.
Even when you guys fight,
you gotta remember that at the end of the day,
you're a team, and the kid's the one that benefits from it.
It's not about you guys.
- And pay your child support.
Pay your bills.
Make sure y'all get that shit straightened out too.