This week on Growing Up Spanglish, we’re joined by Dominican-American media host, marketing coordinator, FAMU grad, and proud mama Ashley Flete for the first of a two-part conversation about parenting, boundaries, and healing out loud.

Ashley grew up in a traditional Hispanic household — old-school values, tight-knit family, summers in DR. But now as a mother, she’s raising her daughter with more intention, more emotional safety, and a different kind of love.

In Part 1, we talk about:

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  Choosing not to rush into marriage for tradition’s sake

  
  


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  Reparenting yourself while raising your kid

  
  


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  Saying no to old expectations — even from your own family

  
  


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  Teaching your child to feel, speak up, and set boundaries

  
  


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  And redefining what respect looks like in a modern Latino family

  
  

Whether you’re a parent, a cycle breaker, or healing your inner child — this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now and come back next week for Part 2.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Word of the Day: Criar (to raise)

02:00 – Meet Ashley: Dominicana, mama, FAMU grad, creative

04:00 – Growing up with both sets of grandparents & big family values

06:00 – What generational commitment looks like through Ashley’s eyes

10:00 – When you realize your parents were hurting too

11:00 – Rejecting the pressure to marry just because you’re pregnant

13:00 – Breaking cycles + earning your parents’ respect as an adult

18:00 – Parenting with intention: how Ashley parents her 6-year-old differently

24:00 – Boundaries, being seen, and asking: “Do you still love me if I stop playing the role?”

27:00 – From people-pleasing to self-rediscovery

30:00 – Teaching her daughter consent, emotional processing, and critical thinking

33:00 – Passing on Dominican culture: food, dance, and summer trips to DR

36:00 – The “grandparent effect” – how they’re softer with grandkids

39:00 – Addressing mental health + the guilt of healing when they didn’t get to

46:00 – “Your ceiling is your kid’s floor”: rethinking generational privilege

50:00 – Do I owe my parents a seat at the table?

53:00 – Learning to say: I love you, and this still hurt me.

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