@Pepper Sprout, very good advice, sorry for all you went through. Our two adopted children had a mom who put drug use and abusive relationships before her kids. She never showed up to court and relapsed often. Then she showed up to fight against losing her parental rights. WHAT??? Also had a foster child whose mom had drug addiction issues. After a year with us she was sent back to her mom. When I reconnected years later, I was heartbroken at the story she told me of went on in her high school years. Just an appalling situation. Zay is safe and loved where he is. He sounds like he’s on the right path. The story of the ring ($400) was a warning for me. After all that time of not seeing or providing for her child but she buys an expensive piece of jewelry for him? It looked like a wedding ring too. Hope he’s not disappointed again. But he is of age now and is allowed to make his own choices. I hope he rests safely under Peter’s love and protection though!

As an addict in recovery 10+ years… I’ve seen peers & specialists in my work relapse after long extended periods of times & it scares me 🤦🏼‍♀️ I’m sure Virginia seems appealing & she’s giving him maybe a little more freedom but that’s scary.

@@cindland Yeah, that ring is Sus I don't think it was from his Mom or cost that much I saw the same ring on Amazon for 25 dollars. Some Ppl also steal from others and say it came from them. My foster brother bought me and my mom jewelry for mothers day he had stolen and we found out later when his girlfriend's mom called and said her jewelry was missing

@@HughMadBro Yeah, I think he is going for the freedom because Peter doesn't play that and I feel like he wants to do whatever he wants and Peter has rules and if u can't follow them he said before then you have to move on. I also feel he is saying he is moving with his friend but he will end up with his Mom. They always end up back with these parents no matter what u do for them. I'm from a family who had fostered so many kids and they always end up back with their parents or in a relationship

​@@HughMadBro I'm proud of you remember you got this!!!

Good observation from you. I'm sure dad must have arranged for the neighbours or someone to check on them. He's a loving and caring person who wants the best for all. That's why I think he must have an arrangement. My dog can stay home for max 5 hours sleeping. The rest of the 3 hours my neighbour will pick him up for a walk and stay at her place to have a playdate with her two other dogs. They have to sleep too while no one is home. This video is too short for long details I guess. His focus was on his son, Zay.

I noticed it too. Peter has restored normalcy in the minds of these children. They’re compassionate and thoughtful.

You have a beautifully decorated home filled with love for these children

Exactly 💕 Zay is a good son, God bless him 🙏🏻

Me to and he should always keep in touch with him because he took care of them 🕺🏿❤️🕺🏿❤️🕺🏿❤️

Very true, no matter how terrible they are.

True. That's why the children are easily hurt....

that is so true my step brother was the same way until he was an adult.and old enough to make his own decisions and he went to try and move in with his mom and she wanted money he came to my mom and my mom told him come on honey your gonna live here finish school not pay a dime and then graduate and well see from there if you go on to more school or work and my mom at this point was no longer with his dad for about 5 years but he is still my brother to this day and he still calls my mom mom and is at every family function lol..very bad things happened to him when he was little with his mom and in foster care he said he knew and finally felt safe when he got to us and still knows that even as a grown man we will and always will have his back shoot that's our baby brother lol... always will be even if hes a grown man haha..

I hope he is able to come back if it doesn’t work out 😂😭

Amazing comment 💝 You are absolutely right. Well wishers on this panel advicing him from their experiences.

💯 ❤

The mother is a big liar and is disrupting the home. She hasn’t change but he has. Look at his hair. Why would she approve him looking like that and saying she is cleaned. She remind me of my foster/adoptive kids parent. They go to court with all their lies and the case worker reads the report with failed drug test, arrest, and living wherever she can lay her head. He needs to contact the caseworker about the phone calls which I’m sure he has. His attitude has changed and his apparel. He didn’t hug his father. Hope he don’t run away.

@@lindadrinks-johnson1904 the fact that he was working with her boss was a read flag to me. First time she has seen him in years, and she has him working. I'm sure that the mother is filling his head with lies. This is far too common with kids in foster care, who have aged out. Peter is a MUCH better role model.

I thought his mother had arranged for fun things to do ?? Not working for her boss !

Yeah the situation makes me feel uncomfortable and Zay’s attitude toward the family seems to have changed. I hate making assumptions because it’s not my life but something in my heart just makes me uneasy about how she had him for only a short time and is having him work and talking about all of these grandiose plans. I just feel like after so many years they should be taking time to get to know each other again and going through the process of rebuilding a relationship before jumping into anything serious

@@lindadrinks-johnson1904 slow down and think before you speak. Zay doesn't need to hear your opinions and or judgement..

I think the same. Zay seems quite devastating to be honest after this trip... Much more sad....he needs to be supported, he can't support his mother.

I never understood the law that u are adult when you are 18. Literally a teenager. But maybe thats just my thoughts

From most of our experience, we know 18-20 year olds are often nowhere near being adults. I know this comment is a year late. I just wish all kids needing homes, could be adopted or fostered up to age 20 or so. It makes a big difference. They need to get started on college, trades or jobs and that can take a couple years for them to get the hang of it, especially if their past was so difficult.

tell me, they are my police 😍😝❤

And she wasn’t wrong 😑

​@@ciarasutton5203 yep, my neighbors used to pay me like $3 a week when I was a little rugrat (8 or 9) to come feed and walk the dogs everyday when they were on vacation, do people not do things like that anymore?

@@a.wanderer5006 I live in Sweden. Here it is illegal to leave a dog for more than 4 hours without ‘attention’ and max 6 hours a day on their own!

@@ciarasutton5203 oh wow, that’s really cool to hear that there is a law in Sweden that looks out for the animals livelihood 🙏🏽

I was thinking the same thing! Give it time! Things are not always what they semes!!

Agree, You are Brave, I wish all good things in life.

Just what I was thinking. Peter should encourage Zay to read your comment.

Thank you for being honest. I’m a foster/adopt mom and also had a Group Home for 20 years. I know what happens when these children go home for weekend visits and reunite with their parents. They don’t talk about it to their foster parent or social workers. He lied about his mother being clean and having a good time. I suspect he leaving that clean home with three meals daily to live in the slump. He’s going to get in trouble.

@@lindadrinks-johnson1904 maybe the reason they don't talk about it to foster parents and social workers is that they cannot be trusted. There's a lot of people in the system who shouldn't be entrusted with animals let alone children. And there are far too many who really don't care or have grown cold, cynical and critical. Precious few adults can be trusted enough for a child to open up their heart to, especially for something so intimately personal and deeply painful.

😍❤😝

i agree, Anthony's hair is just naturally beautiful😍

Anthony is definite hair goals.

I thought the same thing and Zay seemed so happy about his ring. This is the honeymoon phase for him and his mom and I would not be surprised if he moves in with his mom and help her get his sister. Zay was pretty clear on what his mom had told him. I think she is putting pressure on him to get his sister and taking care of his mom.

I hope Peter say nope once you leave it’s no coming back but you can visit! If your not on drugs and not trying rob him! But I know Peter wouldn’t do that he will let Zay back in I wouldn’t though because he’s grown now!

His body language in this video was quite interesting...

I've seen this so much with my parents having so many foster kids and they always think they know more than they want to come back but by then it's too late and someone else had moved in. They end up making ruff on themselves but they learn from their mistakes and I pray Zay has learned what Peter has taught him about Real Estate and that Peter doesn't give into the calls of when they only call when they need something. That will start and Peter will have to set boundaries. I'm saying this because I saw the last video of him moving out

@@lovethyself94 👍💯Peter is a kind and loving Dad.

We can't assume that she could take time off work to be with Zay. It may be that Zay working for her boss was a way she could see him more during the day. But, I agree, buying the expensive ring seems to speak to her judgement being off. Wouldn't that money be better spent putting it toward him furthering his education, for example? As a former foster kid, he should qualify for educational financial assistance, too. He's such bright kid, I hope that's something he will pursue.

Yes they are.

No one is putting down his mother. We don't know her but we do know from life experiences the potential dangers ahead. As one who has been there, it is devastating when the dream shatters and you find out they were just putting on a face to get you to trust them and then they betray that trust. It leaves permanent scars. I never got over being deceived by my biological mother. So no, I won't not warn him not to move fast and make any life changing decisions out of emotions and desire for parental love.

I’m sure he’s been thinking about it the whole time, which is fine. I knew he was leaving when he refused to get adopted. He used a diplomatic reason to explain his refusal, which is smart, but I could tell he didn’t want to stay in Peter’s house permanently. What he feels (missing his mom) is completely normal, though. So I wish him well.

@@PatrickEvina4891 I see what you're saying but the dudes right you do need to put yourself in your needs first idk if he'll stay but to each their own is all I know what to say

@@PatrickEvina4891 my thoughts exactly when i heard why he chose not to get adopted! he knew it wasn't permanent all along, which i think is totally fine + normal, especially given his background. i think he wants to be near his mom. + he's taking that chance. there's also probably a bit of....overcompensating happening on the mom's end (eg. the ring she bought him, new hair color.) which is making this option a three more appealing. i think he'll be just fine! wish him the best.

You think it’s so easy like that to go spoil yourself and come back to polute the innocent ones left there.

@@Lordhavemercy410 something the matter with your brain. Get checked out. Seek help.

Yeah he is!!! 👊🏾👍🏾

I saw that. When Peter asked him if he were excited if Zay was back he said no. I don’t think it’s easy living with Zay.

we were so happy to see him

@@FosterDadFlipper I believe it! :)

@@FosterDadFlipper happy he's back but how r u today??

Zay looks sad

@@Likeusloveus how and why?

Did he have great time? He doesn't seem happy at all ...

Yes, thank God Zay will always be welcome back in Peter's home if he moves in with his mother full time and it doesn't work out.

If Peter has room for him. He may foster another child if Zay leaves as he will have the room

So true. Parenting is not an easy thing, Peter has God given skills and enough love and resources. I want him to stay but he's not Zay's mom or dad. I just want Zay to wait and take some time and I hope he is announcing that he decided to stay with Peter and feels that his mom needs more time to thrive, change and grow.

No matter what they is almost 19 and have to experience this transition. Peter had to let him go and make his own decisions because there's other kids who Peter can look after and care for it's sad but it's life it's a system

Idk if u would care to here this but me and my friend are actually two of the few people who never cared for zay

P

I agree with you. Zay seem a bit different first his hair. Peter didn't get a hug. Then he goes on and talk about $400 ring. It seem like he didn't want go back to Peter's house if that was the case he should've stay with mom. Not come back for a few days just to announce that he's moving back with his mom.

I think it’s just a really difficult situation when you’re that conflicted. I think that the mother has the hardest work to do now more so than before she became “clean” as Zay said. In my culture, we have a saying, ‘if you’re used to being around thrives, you will continually walk around with your hand on your wallet even if you start hanging around the most honest monk-like people on the earth. It’s reflexive and unconscious.’ Similarly, once you’re an addict, you will always be an addict, no matter how long your sobriety is. The OCD you develop chasing your next thrill is still there, and will always manifest itself in other aspects of your life. I’m an addict. I’ve been sober for over a decade. I don’t even drink coffee anymore. But my OCD does cause me to relapse. My relapses are always worst when I’ve lost control of my behaviors not of what specific addition I partake in. Worst than that, my OCD is often manifested in ways that are just entirely unhealthy, like in my stubborn behaviors that have nothing to do with my addiction. For example, I’m so disciplined that if I say I’m going to do something, especially for someone, I do it. I not only get it done, I get it done by the time I say I’m going to get it done. If I don’t do it, it’s usually because of a factor outside of my control. But the bad part of that, is that I’ll spend 48 and often 72 hours straight, in one spot just working, with no sleep, no food, no bathroom breaks. Nothing. Trying to recuperate from that kind of binge has set me back long time, years even. I know how to manage my time. I just don’t because my compulsiveness takes over. I try channeling them into healthier activities but I’m human. I say all of this because I’m sensing similar behavioral pattern’s in Zay’s Mother. I can see her addiction based OCD manifesting in other aspects of her life. My gut feeling tells me that she’s a loving woman who wants to please everyone around her, which was probably a greater, if not the greatest, contributing factor in her addiction in the first place. Being a nurse, she wants to take care of her kids and catch up on all of the time she missed out of; and she’s doing that to both her own and her kiss detriments; and she’s not able to see that. I know Zay wants to work and likes nice and expensive things. But as a parent, you have to learn when to let your kids earn things, when to teach them about hard work and when to enjoy your time with them. After not seeing your son for so long, why would let him go spend that much time with your boss, of all people, even if he was working? Why not get to know him? I don’t have any kids as I haven’t adopted any yet. But I don’t see myself letting my children, especially teens like Zay, go work after not seeing them in over 4 years. That just doesn’t make any sense to me. I think Zay didn’t hug his dad right away because he was just probably overwhelmed with happiness from seeing his family after having been away for such a long time. I hope Zay goes to college internationally or as far away from both his mother and his dad. I think he should go to California or NY or Boston for college. I do empathize with Zay though on his hesitant to fully let his guards down and feel like a part of his family in NC. Not only has he been let down every time he’s done that in the past. But I’ve also witness some gut wrenching moments from watching these videos of the way his dad acts, even though I’m sure Peter is oblivious to the negative effects he is causing. I hope Peter will leave this comment even I’m sure it’s not the easiest thing in the world to be receptive to feedback, even positive ones. The hair is a non-issue. If that’s all he’d done while he was there, I would’ve been OK with the idea of him moving to live with his mother. But that $400-$500 ring and that while working for her boss thing, gave me pause for concern. @Jeniece Collazo

@@alicetheegreetIt's ok for Zay to move with his mother. Peter took care of him all this time a hug would have been nice. The vibe I got from the her buying the ring was she buying affection. Its like she's saying to him if you come home I can buy you this and more. $500 on ring is a bit ridiculous. I feel like his mom might be lying to him. He's though been so much in his life. If he gets hurt that would be very sad. I understand the love he has for his mom but he needs to be careful because most promises are broken. Zay should have stood with his mom if he didn't want to come back. He doesn't need to make a video about leaving . I'm sure Zay can stay in contact with Peter. He come visit Peter anytime.

Peter is his *DAD*. The only reason his dad hasn’t adopted him yet, which I whole heartedly support, is for Zay to be able to afford college. If his Dad officially adopted him like they both wanted when he turned 18, his dad would be responsible for his entire tuition, which will be very expensive for what Zay wants to study, especially since Zay wants to go to grad school as well. Zay was removed from his biological situation because of neglect and probably violence as well. Zay talked about how he used to take care of himself and his younger biological sister before getting put in foster care. I see him doing exactly that again and becoming that parent again if he moves with that lady who gave birth to him. For him to leave his dad and his other siblings just to go back to the birthing lady, would impact him negatively. If Zay wants to visit that birthing lady, he should do so during the holidays. Maybe he can spend a week or two after summer break from college with her before going home to spend the rest of the time with his family. Yeah, I agree with you about the hug. I just don’t think it’s that important in the grand scheme of things. @Jeniece Collazo

😁😁😁

This is him family and he Do what his want and to do take care of your

@@castillotati1924 his do what his want and to do and now in English please?

The ring sounds like something she'd want for herself.

thank you

Cherry Lin my thoughts exactly 💯, Peter let Zak know, that whatever, home is always with you his dad Pete, and the family Yes!

I mean, well lets hope for positivity. But ewu😹

He said he has sisters. I could imagine if their mother gets the girls back, Zay will want to move back with his mother so he can be near his sisters. I just really hope he will have a good home there. Peter sure loves these kids and Zay would be leaving a loving, stable home.

@@XollyLee 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

welcome to family

Thank you 😊

Awesome. Im watching from St. Croix, Vrgin Islands

He’s a very compassionate young man.

Agreed my husband does a quick peek inside the door before our daughter goes in then he stands right outside the restroom door until she is done

I was raised by a single dad too and had to use the bathroom alone by myself. Once a lady was shooting up (she told me it was for diabetes -- i was like 8) and was real nice to me. She told me to tell my dad she needed a ride. You can figure what was up with that. I was mad at him the rest of the day for not giving a ride to the nice lady with diabetes. Today biological men are legally allowed to go into the ladies room by merely declaring the 'feel like a woman.' Little girls with single dads are in more danger than ever.

@@tanyatanya8325 that’s good to know. I really worry about children today and their safety.

@@a.wanderer5006 sorry you had to see that at such a young age. You are right this world is messed up. They opened up a can of hell allowing men to use women restroom all they have to do is declare they are a woman smh. It’s not safe for little boys inn bathrooms either never know what sick perv is in there.

thank you 😭

@@FosterDadFlipper 🙏♥️😇♥️🥰

@Thomas Greg I’m good thank you🙏 I hope you’re well and that you have a great day!

Ms, you sound very negative and dismissive. That’s not empathy. If you have nothing positive to add to this family, switch off! How dare you tell Peter to send him to his mom if he behaves strangely? Do you know what it takes to be a parent? You don’t cart your children off once things go wrong! That’s when you show love and support! I hope you have no kids living under your roof with that attitude? Seems you’ve learnt nothing about empathy from Peter! Go sit down! Typical Naija woman 🙄

thank you 😍❤