Worth the Drive
Worth the Drive 🎙️
The people behind the places you love.
Real conversations with local creators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders—recorded while driving through the city in a classic car.
Stories about culture, identity, and the moments that shape our communities.
📍 Long Beach & beyond
🎧 New episodes dropping weekly
⬇️ Tap in
Worth the Drive
Turner's Cubs: Worth the Drive
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What makes someone worthy of trusting with your child?
In this heartfelt episode of Worth the Drive, Michael sits down with Nesha Turner, founder of Turner's Cubs, to talk about one of the most important jobs in the world—caring for the next generation.
Nesha shares her journey from working with law enforcement with the Los Angeles Unified School District to taking the leap of faith to build an in-home childcare program centered on love, structure, and emotional development. Together, they explore the challenges parents face in finding childcare they can truly trust, why kindness and emotional intelligence matter just as much as ABCs and numbers, and how the smallest acts of compassion can shape a child's entire future.
This conversation is about more than daycare. It's about community, the village it takes to raise children, and the responsibility we all share in creating a generation that's more compassionate, confident, and connected than the one before it.
If you've ever wondered what it really means to invest in the future, this episode is a reminder that it starts with the people who care for our children every single day.
Because the future of our community is sitting in today's classrooms—and the people who guide them are absolutely worth the drive.
One of the most important things in the world right now. If not the most important thing in the world right now are the children. They're our future. I know it sounds corny. I know it sounds like that song. I believe the children's future. But it's true. The next generation coming up will decide the way this world is going. The way we raise them. To be better than ourselves is the only way humanity continues on. In these times where, frankly, there's a lot of horrible things going on. We need to protect them and show them the right way of doing things. The right way of thinking, the right way of interacting. With the working climate the way it is, parents are constantly working to provide for their families. And putting our children in the care of people that we trust is necessary. The way others teach our children is just as important. We need them to feel safe, understood. We need to teach them in the ways of compassion and honesty. So when it comes to our youngest, we need to put them in the hands of someone important. Today I'm lucky enough to sit in the car with Nisha Turner of Turner's Cubs. I've known Nisha and her family for years. And uh have to say, I'm I'm proud to be in a community with her. And I see the way the kids look up to her and interact with her, and I see the way she interacts with the children, treating them just as if they were as important as her own children. She guides them, she teaches them the right way to do things. They run to her with such joy and enthusiasm. As a parent, I think that's incredible. When you see your kids latch on to someone so positive and nurturing, and know that your children are safe and are being treated like they're just as important as they are at home. And it's for you all to figure out and understand why Turner's Cubs is worth the drive.
SPEAKER_01Who am I in the car with? Nisha Turner.
SPEAKER_00Nisha, Nisha. I've known you for like, I would say six, seven years now. Or I've seen your family grow over the past six, seven years. Just looking out the window and watching all the kids get bigger.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And your family grow.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And uh, so when did you move into Cal Heights?
SPEAKER_01In 2015.
SPEAKER_002015.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So five years, no Turner's Cubs.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00And then what made you start in 2020?
SPEAKER_01Okay, so prior to opening Turner's Cubs, I was working at Los Angeles Unified School District in their police department, and I was there for 13 years. Um I didn't know that. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Your LEO? That's awesome. Good for you. Good for you.
SPEAKER_01Um, I always knew I wanted to work with kids.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I didn't really have the courage to like start my own business.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it takes a lot of.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I was playing to safe with my job. I had a really good job. I really enjoyed it. But once I had my first son, it was kind of hard finding child care.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And um Well, even then, you'll pay just as much of child care as you'd be making your work.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So um we went through a few bad places and some terrible experiences until we found one good childcare. Um, she's also here in Long Beach, also. And she helped with my first son. And then when I got pregnant with my second son, she had already knew that I wanted to work with kids. And she was like, you know, I don't think it makes sense for you to continue going on playing it safe when you know it's something else that you want to do, and then paying me to take care of two of them when you can do it yourself. And I was like, Yeah, you're right, you know.
SPEAKER_00Um So what was one, what was, for example, what was one of the bad experiences that you had to live? Were they like in-homec carers?
SPEAKER_01Um, well, you know, I think I had it wrong from the beginning. I as a parent, I never really thought that I would have to put my kids in child care because my mom initially started taking care of my son. I thought that was gonna be how it was gonna be, but then she was diagnosed with cancer. And um, so alongside her health journey, I had to find child care for my son, make sure my mom was okay, and my mom was also the care provider for my grandmother. So that also became So it all fell on. Yeah. So she moved, my grandmother moved in with me, and that's why I started searching for childcare.
SPEAKER_00So you were overall just taking care of the whole family at the point.
SPEAKER_01And trying to balance word too. It was it was really hard, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So what finally made you take that leap?
SPEAKER_01Was it the advice from uh it was that advice, and then my husband was like, you know what? I just got a promotion, and if I have to, I'll take on some more work so you can feel comfortable with just giving it a try. Um, so when I was pregnant with my son, I knew I would have maternity leave. So I started um putting the business together while I was pregnant, and then um I opened up like maybe three weeks after I had him.
SPEAKER_03Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And then um at this point, I still haven't quit my job, but I'm on maternity leave. And then um my husband said, Don't go back, take a um leave of absence once my time ran out. So I took a leave of absence, and then once I got going, I was like, wow, I mean, I can't see myself going back.
SPEAKER_00No, yeah, no, I find out a lot of people once they start their own business, they realize the one, the freedom of it, two, the ability to grow up with your kids.
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness. Right? Like the best part.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like I mean, I work for myself, you know that. So my ability to be able, I'm not taking work right now so I can go on a field trip. I'm not taking work right now so I can do this. So actually see your kids grow up.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. The flexibility is unmatched, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, that and when people come to you, it's because they have to work. Yeah, it's because they have things they have to do. But the trust that these people put in you, yeah. Taking their spot for that part of their life is incredible.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. I do not take it lightly.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, it's a big, it's a big responsibility. Like with me, I instantly, since I know you and your family, I know how you raise your kids, I instantly would feel safe putting my kids with you. Right. Because you raise your kids the same way I raised my kids.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00There's responsibilities, there's um there's trust, there's all this stuff. What in your brain when you first started made you think, yeah, I I I know I'm raising my children right? How do I let other people know that I could help them with their children?
SPEAKER_01Well, I just kind of felt like my experience from the very beginning of looking for child care, I knew what I wanted as a parent, and I knew what was out there because I had I was in the market at one point. And um I just felt like I kind of understood them on that level. You know, parent to parent, we want our child to be in a loving environment. Um, we want them to care for, not only care for, but they're we're meeting, making sure they're meeting their developmental needs, um, focusing on helping with language development and they want a safe, clean environment. So I always tell the parents, you know, you have to go off of your intuition. You know, you can feel, you can feel when it's right and when it's wrong. And if you have any kind of doubts about it, I'm okay with that. Because I want overall, I I would rather them feel comfortable with me than not too sure.
SPEAKER_00It's gotta be a match on both sides.
SPEAKER_01It has to be, it has to be.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. And that's important because that's I think that that vibe or that feel you give when you go in, that all the kids are happy. Yeah, all the kids are having fun.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, I see a lot of times with younger kids, they like don't want to go. I've never seen that out of your place.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Even the kids that come and see us one or two times a year, they're happy. Yeah. The best thing I ever heard was when I was started, my kids started going to public school. Was the teachers say, We know when they went to preschool, we know when they were supported as a child. Oh, yeah. Because when they leave you, they go to public school and they already know how to learn.
SPEAKER_01Right. Yeah. I I get that feedback too, even from some of the um kindergarten teachers at um Longfellow, Miss Winston. She she told me even my son um and some of his peers, they came in over prepared.
SPEAKER_00Yep.
SPEAKER_01You know?
SPEAKER_00They were advanced.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's like, oh, they they were ready.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's because you give them things to do. So as a parent, when you were looking for childcare and stuff, what were those key things you were looking for?
SPEAKER_01Um, I was so scared. I was, oh, it's it's such a scary, oh my goodness, to just put that trust into somebody else.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, especially in today's world.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, um initially I was scared of like home daycare, but I think that now I feel like, you know, actually, that's probably better. It's smaller, it's more intimate. And if you can trust the the owner of the home, of the business, then you kind of got a good overall idea of what's going on there. But a center sometimes it's big and it's you have staff um that's there just for the pay and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and your children could get lost, like in not in the sense of physically lost, but lost in the crowd of kids.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and they're so young. So I think that starting off home base is probably um it has its cons, you know, it's smaller and more intimate. Um, I was looking for safety. Um, I wanted to make sure that my kid was in the environment where they wanted to pour into him love, care, and um learning too. And I just wanted him to be happy. Um I found that at the end, but it took a while.
SPEAKER_00It took a while. So you did a couple test runs at other places?
SPEAKER_01Yes. Um, we went to one center um and there was no communication, you know. Um, I didn't have clear, a clear understanding of when he was eating, if he was fed. Um there was issues with the diaper changes and and stuff like that. And then when you drop off, they kind of made you feel like um You were annoying them.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I I had the same experience, and it's like, wait, I'm I'm paying you. Right. I'm I'm wanting the best for my kid, and you're not even treating me with respect. It made me question um how they were treating my children. Right. I like the home environment personally. Maybe it's because I like when I was younger, we were in a house daycare, and I vividly remember the nap times, I vividly remember the play times.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00And it it was uh a developmental time of my life. I mean, I remember those things. There's a lot I don't remember, but I do remember the little things from that in home care. Because it felt like home. I wasn't afraid to take a nap in this environment because it felt like home. And I think with kids, if they know they're being cared for, if they know they're being cared for, they're gonna be more comfortable and they're gonna relax and they're gonna be true to themselves.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Right? So when is it, do you think, when a kid comes in to you, how long does it usually take them to kind of settle in and to get get with the the program and to not be the new kid, the scared kid?
SPEAKER_01Mm-hmm. You know, every child is different. I've had some that the mom's like, I don't know how this is gonna go. They've never been away from home, and and they come in with no problems. And then I has I have had some where like two to three weeks, you know, there's crying at the door. Um but usually about two to three weeks, they kind of get a feel of who everyone is, the schedule, the routine, consistency is very important, huge, you know. And I just spend that initial time just letting them know, like just lots of cuddles, hugs, and keeping them close by so they can feel safe. And before you know it, they're like letting pulling away from your hand and ready to just take off.
SPEAKER_00I also think that's another thing that you don't get when you go to a large, and and this is not saying anything bad. I don't know about a lot of these large, but there isn't that personal connection.
SPEAKER_01Yeah right?
SPEAKER_00Because there's so many kids.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00There's only so many like laps or hugs that are available when that's that many kids.
SPEAKER_01And there's a lot of things that needs to be done.
SPEAKER_00Well, the idea that you can actually talk, you could actually focus on their emotional well-being, right? As opposed to a lot of other places, I think it might be too much for them to handle. Yeah. So when a kid comes to you, what's the most important thing that you feel you do as a company, as a person? What is the most important thing do you think you provide as a caretaker to these children?
SPEAKER_01Um, safety, love. Um, you know, nobody can replace their parents, but I try to make sure that the environment is like a second home, you know, and that they're getting everything they need, they need. And I try to make sure that I communicate with the parents also, so the parents have a good idea of what the day looks like. I send pictures throughout the day, um, just so they can kind of get a feel of what's going on, and they can focus on whatever it is that they need to focus on and know that their child is being loved on.
SPEAKER_00See, I love that because sometimes it's just that little like, yes, I trust you as a caretaker. I I just want to see my kid ever throughout the day. Like when I did have to uh deal with that, like seeing those little check-ins, even with camps, like my kids are in camp all this summer, and that little check-in photo. My son went to Catalina Island for a week.
SPEAKER_01Oh wow, how was that?
SPEAKER_00Oh well, it's his third year doing it, so it's fine for him. But for us, it's like I'm scrolling through the pictures, like I hope he's having a good time, I hope he's this, I hope he that. And these and my boys are older now, but it's still that way. So I look back now and remember like just the immense fear I had, like letting my kids go. Right, right, and that that's the hard part is parents. And the great thing about every kid that goes to you that I've seen is they all feel like they're, like you said, at home, right? Emotionally, you guys are there for them. What's kind of the curriculum that you start with?
SPEAKER_01So um I love Montessori, but I wouldn't say that our program is Montessori. I say that we take some of the um the independence that we inspire like the independence part from Montessori, but we take a little bit from different philosophies and put it together to bring out the best. But overall, I think they learn best through play.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, and I try to provide a space where they have the opportunity to be creative and they can play, and we focus on language development. Um just meeting them where they are.
SPEAKER_00And I like the monastery idea as well, but I don't think it's the of all and all.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_00I think hands-on is important, but there are other things that you can learn by talking and by teaching. Uh that way they get the best all around. And all kids learn different, right? Yeah, so someone might grasp that more than other kids. And that's important to have a well-rounded thing, especially when they're learning to learn right now, right? They're they're getting excited about stuff. That's the best thing about kids. I think you find they learn something new, you see that synapses form. Like, oh, like they just got it. And it's amazing because then they're like, oh, well, I I found something.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_00And you get to follow along with that. In the world we live in now, with all the dangers. I mean, I'm not sure how it was when you grew up, but when I grew up, I would I was eight years old riding down the street on my bike. And the streetlights come on, you come home. How do you deal with that, like the difference in parenting and then the kids coming to you?
SPEAKER_01Well, we have structure and consistency, and I let the parents know like how our day run and some of the things we do and focus on, like, we also focus on their um social and emotional development. We spend a lot of time with that. Um, but today is a lot different than before, like you said. So safety is very important. So I don't know, consistency.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it's for me, like we have friends that have kids and they raise their kids completely like that.
SPEAKER_03We do.
SPEAKER_00And they say certain things in the home that I wouldn't ever say. And then that becomes my house and the bring that's my house. I know that has to happen to you, right?
SPEAKER_01Right, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00How do you correct without infringing? Like, is that it's that has to be hard, right? Like I've had some kids say some wild stuff.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So the kids that we have, they are on a younger end, but every now and then, you know, some of them have older siblings. Yeah. So they're picking up some stuff there too. Um, but they kind they they know the program. When they come in, no matter what's going on at home, we're not doing that at Miss Niches. Yeah. You know, so we would we don't talk like that. We have to be respectful. They know about kindness. We focus a lot on manners.
SPEAKER_00Um, so I think that's something we're lacking in the world.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I think of a lot of our uh our new parents and a lot of our older parents see things differently. And I think manners are lacking in a lot of people. And if it's lacking in them, that means they're gonna lack in their kids, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know what? I think that I do a good job at um making sure I choose the right families also.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, I know that conflict may happen in the future, but as of right now, every family that I've had, even no matter how different we are, we get on the same page when it comes down to the kid. Because up front, I I let you know how this program runs, and everyone has been respectful of that. Um, all the families always let me know. Like I can tell that they're learning. I can tell that they come home, they say thank you, you're welcome. The manners are there. We we spend a lot of time with that. At lunchtime, breakfast time, we sit down, we eat together, family style, and we always say thank you. We always say please.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, it's a really that's a really important thing.
SPEAKER_00I notice that from the outside too, because when they come and see me, they're always very, very nice and uh very appreciative, and they say thank you, and they say all that stuff. So I I get that. It's just in the world we live in with such like polarizing ways of raising children. I see with me, and I see someone like you, and I was like, Well, that's someone I want teaching my child, right? I know I haven't seen it. I think people that generally care about children are teaching those manners. I just know my kids are in school with kids that weren't taught those manners, and I'm just wondering where the disconnect is. Like, do you think those maybe maybe it is this? Maybe they don't have a person like you in their life, right?
SPEAKER_01Sometimes it's home, you know.
SPEAKER_00Sometimes it's only home. And I think a lot of times parents get tired. Yeah. I get tired. There's times where I'm like, should be hanging out with the boys, but I'm just emotionally tired from a long day or I'm doing something. Right. So having what's that phrase? It takes a village, right?
SPEAKER_01That's what I was just thinking. You have to have other people that could carry along with you the whole parenting thing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, you can't do it by yourself.
SPEAKER_00No, no, I think it even the best parent. You think you're the best parent in the world, you need help, whether it's grandma, grandpa, uh someone like you in their life. Yeah. You need someone else. There's I I find if you're if you think you can't learn anything new, you've already lost. You need to keep learning and growing. Right. So, what's your philosophy on like their emotional support? Like, what what do you tend to do emotionally to help guide them as I mean, because they're fairly young, yeah.
SPEAKER_01They are. Um just making sure they feel safe and then um helping them to self-regulate, teaching them what that is. We bring in a lot of books um to introduce them about like what to do when I feel mad or sad. Yeah. And um even when you think that they they're too young, they're not, you know, start with photos of the different emotions and stuff like that. Um so we just start really early with teaching them about their emotions and some things that we can do when we're feeling upset. Take deep breaths. I create like a little white corner that they can go in. Sometimes you just need a break.
SPEAKER_00Yeah because they don't know what they're feeling a lot of these times. They don't know that feeling yet.
SPEAKER_01Right. And sometimes they just need a place to reset, read a book um can I have that I want that I want that too I want the nap I want the nap time too I want the nap time I want the time I want the nap time can I have the moment just to go read in a corner I truly think we're we're raising our future right like all these kids that are coming out of your school of these schools that we're driving by now they're gonna be deciding what's going on when we're old.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely right and if we don't treat them compassion right we don't teach them that compassion at this age they won't have it at all. Yeah and I was raised 100% without compassion I I I always say this I was raised by the wolf I was raised by the wolves. Oh man because you know we were poor we didn't have childcare and when we did it was because my grandma did it and other times we were on our own and it was like literally that book um Lord of the Flies. So it was how we started our own religion we started our the way we treated each other and so I had to learn compassion later which has really I think stunted my emotional growth when I was younger. Whereas the way I raised my children I talked to them about everything.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_00And my favorite question ever is like well how do you feel how did that make you feel because I want them to be able to dissect their emotions right because if they can dissect their emotions they're gonna understand these things a lot clearer and they're gonna be able to handle themselves in stressful situations.
SPEAKER_01Right so once we get the emotional stuff handled you go more into the education field like what's your goal when a kid starts with you until where they end what's your goal of giving that kid to fly as it were I like to see them leave confident um feeling independent um I like the language development part um have them ready for kindergarten um but the foundation is the the values the manners respect the kindness and stuff like that and how you treat people um and then after that we focus on the learning you know the ABCs the shapes the colors yeah and all of that stuff um the fundamentals so it's 206 uh 26 now so you've been doing this for six years actually seven seven years okay yeah seven years so that means you potentially have a sixth grader in school out there somewhere right no no no um my well you they start so young you're right yeah you're right so what are they in third grade he's going to fourth grade he's going to fourth grade yeah that's incredible he's going to fourth grade so that from when they started to fourth grade yeah that growth must be incredible oh my goodness yeah and to be able to have all the time to watch also you know yeah um and so seeing that growth and knowing that you had a hand in that growth must be pretty rewarding it's the best it it is I mean it's it's challenging the parenting part the childcare part it's a lot um but it's very very rewarding it is um yeah and now it's I have four sons yeah yeah you kept trying kept trying for the girl no just wanted boys you know yeah I I we we knew that I I wanted to be a boy mom for sure yeah yeah um if I would have had a daughter I'm sure I would have been happy and hopped on the whole girl mom thing but um I was okay without being a girl mom and I say that because I'm not having any more that's it yeah my wife she she's happy with being a boy mom too yes it's fun I'm the one that jokes all the time like we could try for that girl and she just looks at me and shakes her head because I'm I'm a fool sometimes. Oh man so in 20 years when you see some of these kids not necessarily your own kids but some of these kids that have gone through what you've done what do you hope to see them achieve oh I'm excited about that because um even though they're really young um you just know that you played a big part in that yeah like on my door on the I have a frame on the door and it says the future of the world is in my classroom today. Yeah and I really believe that so I'm just excited to see what it is that they they all do. And as of right now I'm in contact with almost all of the kids I've cared for in that timeframe.
SPEAKER_00Yeah still yeah so yeah so I'm excited for that too I'm excited for you to see that I mean you know what I do dressing in the big red suit. Right I've uh seen kids grow and uh they now I have some coming back to me with their own kids. Oh my goodness which is unbelievable.
SPEAKER_01Yeah I'm not there yet it's unbelievable because I'm like wait a minute but I instilled something in them way back when that they're like no I need my kid to have this.
SPEAKER_00Exactly which is pretty pretty cool it's it's it's reward more rewarding than anything else I think is that idea that you've made an impact not only on a person not only on a child on the future of this world. Absolutely because it's our job to try to make it better. I say we gotta screw it up less than our parents did and so on and so forth. So by the time these kids are grown I hope they look back at their time with you and be like that's where it started.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Right?
SPEAKER_01I hope so too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah I can't even remember the caretaker's face but I do remember the feeling of being in her home. Yeah it was that like yeah almost exactly it the safety the safety of feeling I was taken care of no matter what.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00And sadly a lot of these kids don't even get that feeling at home.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_00Right? I'm not saying necessarily your kids but there's a bunch of kids out there I had a kid the other day come to my son's party needs to turn 12 because kid came home and gave me the biggest hug I've maybe met this kid three times. But I can tell he needs that hug.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00So like for me there's a rule I'm gonna if if they hug me I'm gonna hug them until they let go. Yeah I think that Disney does that right so I'm gonna hug him until they let go and that kid hugged onto me for a while so the emotional support you give a lot of these kids I think is even dare I say more important than the educational aspect. Absolutely because they become more confident like I have other daycares come in and I'm not gonna name names or anything but these kids are genuinely frightened. I understand new environments and stuff right right but genuinely frightened and it takes a long time to get them calmed down enough in order to have a conversation in order to take their photos. Right. Whereas your kids come in with such confidence there's almost little to no unwinding time.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00It's like they're instantly in and out of their right they're instantly in play mode and fun.
SPEAKER_01Yeah right what is it that you think differentiates you from other in-home childcare facilities um I don't know I I I do think that my group of kids um feel safe you know and we have that bonding time um which is really important like you said there's only so much time and you only have two hands so you have a the ratio matters. Yeah so if we take on too many kids the quality will go down you know so I think that it's the low probably the low ratio um and you have people to help you not just you yeah even if I only have two or three kids in my program I'm still gonna have help. Yeah because I have my own kids and I don't want to burn out and I want I don't want the quality to drop that's really important. Yeah you don't want to steal the quality from the other not at all no on a day-to-day basis how many kids do you have and then how many teachers do you have so right now we have two teachers um part-time and our ratio is one to four if we're in a large group will all the teachers will be together and I'm the third person. So it's three of us to 12. Oh okay so that's incredible yeah considering other schools oh yeah because you can technically do a one to six ratio uh um but we have infants too so one to four I find is really good it works pretty good yeah okay yeah infants wow that's a yeah you're a stronger human than me yeah definitely a stronger human than me I say we start at six months but I have one family where I've had two of their kids and her last son came at four months oh wow yeah wow that's a well they trusted you enough to have their infant like that's incredible so why Cal Heights why this community well um this is where I live right and it's out of my home but um when I first started I had parents that was driving from um North Long Beach um Carson um I think one was even as far as torrent wow um but the last few years you know from word of mouth it's kind of became all cow heist the moms they're the parents they're walking they don't even have to drive they're so close they walk to pick up and drop off and that has become really really I I really admire that and I I enjoy doing it because it's the sense of community is there. You know we bump into each other at the stores or on walks and and that makes the kids even more comfortable because we're like we're all like family.
SPEAKER_00Yeah it's like you're the neighborhood spot which is important. I mean even to the fact that when some of your kids come and their parents bring them to me too so it's right it's like because of the community we've developed right and you're you're right there. So it's like they know even if they're working from home they know where their kids are absolutely they know they're safe they know they can get to them like that and that's it that's important yeah so community I think pays a huge thing. But my favorite thing is when people ask me like oh where where's a good place because I get newborn photos I'm like oh you gotta go over to Turner's cubs like why the name why the cubs um I'm not sure what what made me decide on cubs but obviously my last name is Turner's and um I just think of my own kids like you know like they're little cubs and it just kind of stuck. Yeah um yeah well in my culture cubs like bear cubs uh in my culture bears are really important I mean I've got one on my arm here but oh nice um and so my kids are always like my cubs and my my father used to be like oh I'm a daddy bear and if my cub take care of my cub no matter what so just in the name alone for me is a symbol of protection. Exactly and it's like you don't mess with mama bear like that's instantly what I see when I saw it.
SPEAKER_01I think that's what drew me to the name in a perfect world you said what yeah four graduating um I have four they're going into taller spots so I have four infant spots that's gonna neck early next year yeah.
SPEAKER_00You're gonna let have openings for four infants how would people get in contact with you?
SPEAKER_01Um you can start off by either going on Instagram or um look up Turner's cups the Yelp program I mean the Yelp page you can see photos there kind of see um how our program is and my numbers there send me a message or give me a call.
SPEAKER_00And I say go through the Instagram because you know you like you said it goes both ways right like they gotta feel comfortable with you and you've got to feel comfortable with them. So uh I mean the Instagram page you can go through you can see the activities you can see what you guys are doing exactly see how I can't walk by your place without your husband saying hello and that smile that he has right infectious like even if I'm a bad day because I've been walking to Salute every other day to go get juice and he's always working I was like man vacation absolutely it's I always see him and it's it's inviting right like whenever I see you guys walk by you're smiling waving and even your sons now which is great they're biking down by the shop and they they say hi. That type of personal interaction is amazing to me because a lot of kids right now in this day and age are too shy or too quiet. They don't I don't know if it's emotional intelligence I don't know what's lacking right but they don't do that. But I remember when I was a kid I was hello Mr. So and so hello Mrs. So and so like it was something we had our parents told us to do out of respect right so teaching that respect is incredible and you do that in your boys and I see the respect that your boys have for everybody. Absolutely and it's almost like they become the poster children for your business. Oh yeah because you see how your kids interact right in the world and how they're respectful and and nice like genuinely nice people that I go oh man well there's no doubt in my mind I wouldn't want you to be part of my kids' life if you're gonna uh teach my kids to act that way.
SPEAKER_01I get that all the time too like the parents like your kids are so sweet and they're so kind um they seem so happy when the daycare kids arrive and I'm like yeah they they got their little wild side but for the most part for the most part they they're they are very kind and they love the daycare kids. And I I I I am so happy that they love what we do because I hear some providers like my kids they get mad that they have to share the house or um you know yeah um that the daycare is a part of the home but my kids they love it.
SPEAKER_00I know you got a built-in friend group right they love it and the older two they're kind of outgrown our group but now they're like oh can I can I help put the posters on the wall or can they'll come in and try to read a book with the kids or it's also really nice that those kids see an example of an older kid in the home teaching them how things are done and seeing the respect that the older kids give yeah I'm sure is a great learning or an example for a lot of these kids. I think that's important too to have them around which is incredible.
SPEAKER_01My older son he said Mom you you got a cool fun job right like thank you.
SPEAKER_00Well you're also inspiring by doing right yeah like you could be inspiring your sons to get into some type of care field right hey my second one's like I'm gonna be a teacher I'm like oh you are okay we need teachers and we need good teachers I mean there's a lot of teachers I think and I've lucked out and every teacher my sons have had has been pretty amazing. Yeah um all the way through and my son one of my sons is in junior high now so it's wow yeah 12 years old man that happened fast yeah I blinked and it happened and I blinked and it happened so it it's important to start them off on the right foot and to give them the confidence I think even at a young age that confidence is is paramount. Absolutely so the show's mainly about community what's your gift back in life when you're sitting around and you feel your gift to the community is what would you say then um peace of mind to the parents um a village to the family you know a villager yeah yeah yeah um I feel like it's it's so much that goes into it um I feel like I give my whole heart you know to this community when it comes down to our children.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I think you do too.
SPEAKER_01And I just want them to know that there's nothing that I would let happen to their babies you know they mean so much to me from when they walk into the door early earlier today um I was putting one of the babies to sleep and he just kind of held on to my fingers and I and I just get those moments where I just it's just like when I have my babies and you just stare into their eyes and you're like wow how lucky how lucky am I or as soon as you sit on the floor they just come hop on you and you just get these little hugs all day long.
SPEAKER_00It just with all the stuff that's going on in the world it's like I felt a feeling a lot of people don't get I I truly believe that because I get that three months out of the year where there's this unconditional love from children. They trust you they know you're looking out for them and I think they feel that when you're a good person I think children feel that and they feel safe with you. I think they have this extra sense that maybe we lose as we get older but there is it's also our job to let them know when that trust should be given right right it it shouldn't be given to everybody. There's some creeps out there. Absolutely but it's our job to teach them how to decipher the good from the bad and how people treat you is a great way of judging that. Yeah. In our community here do you have some shout outs give me three shout outs of businesses you love in the community that you think deserve a little extra attention okay um well I'll say right here lashes and oh yeah yeah Georgette I love Georgette she's another member of the community right here right here yeah yeah um I don't get my lashes done these are natural you should give her a try though my wife went and got the the tenting or no yeah laminating oh okay yes and and there's like she was wearing mascara channels wear mascaras so I love Georgette because another family I've seen grow up walking through Cal Heights. Yes right beautiful family yes in this huge city we have it's a small town here and I love that we can support people like that. Absolutely and Georgette's amazing um with her two little girls who else Trina Trina Rufo oh my goodness I love her she she's one of my favorite people in the world although she cost me to spend a lot of money this weekend.
SPEAKER_01Really? The garage sale oh the garage sale oh yeah Trina yeah so how has Trina impacted your life um you know what I met Trina when we were searching for a house we had a realtor and she was um she was selling a house in Lomita I think and then we put an offering on that house but someone outbid us and then when we got this house we started going around the neighborhood and found out this is where she lives and she sells a lot of homes in this area and um she would just always make us feel so welcome. She also watched the kids you know be born and grow up and um they know her they're familiar with her so I'm like when we buy our second home we're coming to you Trina she's just so kind you just feel her her love for the community she's the best. Yeah she is you guys are so similar too so when I saw the collab I'm like yes my two favorite people well because Trina makes you want to be better.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely and I love people I think the moment you stop growing you start dying Trina makes me want to be better absolutely yes I do think I do some stuff for the community but I'm not at Trina's level yet. Right yes because I see what she does and I was like all right all right now you're gonna make me want to up my game Trina thing and it's all out of love like genuine love because where Trina came from it's amazing. And I think that's it's true though no matter where you are the people who at one point had the least will always give the most it may be just showing up right I think showing up is probably one of the most important things people can do.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because if you're just there and you're there for your community you stand out. The thing about Trina is she doesn't like the prompt and circumstance about what she does.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Which is another thing. It's being humble.
SPEAKER_01She's so humble. She answers all your calls.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I'm surprised she like hasn't um blocked my husband because he always called, like, Trina, do you know about this house? What about this house? Like, she will stop answering.
SPEAKER_00She'll never she'll never block it.
SPEAKER_01Never. No.
SPEAKER_00She'll never block it. No.
SPEAKER_01No.
SPEAKER_00And her husband's an amazing person, too. The whole family. So we're we're grateful to have Trina in the area here. And uh she'll always answer your call, which is really cool. Really cool. Number three, who you got?
SPEAKER_01Number three, um. Well, I just start getting into matches, so I'll say stillhead.
SPEAKER_00Stillhead.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00John is still head, another member of the community. See, that's a great thing. You mentioned people that live here.
SPEAKER_03Right, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Which is awesome. And John lives here. Uh John is quite successful in the coffee world, and he's teaming up with my friend Angela over at Salude.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And uh they are becoming a powerhouse. Because my wife can have her coffee at Steelhead, and I can have my juice over at Salude. You don't want to see me on coffee. You don't want to see it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's why I'm gonna stick. That's why I'm gonna stick with matcha.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, get your matcha, you're good.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no bitters.
SPEAKER_00It's perfect. So thanks for being on. I love what you do in the community. I love seeing your smiling faces, I love your kids, and I love the impact you're making. Because you may not see it now, although I think you do a little. But in the next 15, 20 years, these kids are gonna become leaders in our community. Right. They're gonna become givers, they're gonna become the next Trina Rufos because they're emotionally taught correctly at a young age. And I think that's incredible. And a matter of fact, I don't know why I pulled up here. I could just drop you off of your house.
SPEAKER_01Oh wow, check that out. You're not gonna see me walk at home. Okay, I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00I'm not that guy. I'm not that guy. Thank you, thank you. I I I truly believe that. Like, I cannot wait for you to see the impact that you've made on society. I mean, even now at the schools, when your kids leave you and go to these schools, that impact is gonna be there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because the teachers tell me about it.
SPEAKER_01And they they're growing up so fast, the time goes by so fast.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's uh that's a problem. That's the problem I'm dealing with that I cannot emotionally handle. When my son went to the doctor the other day, and they're like, he's 121 pounds. I was like, what? What? Wow. How did my eight-pound, six-ounce baby boy like when did this happen? Become 121 pounds of incredible child. Wow. And I think they're so incredible because I've always treated them like they're little adults. Not to the fact that I put stress on them, but like to the fact that I talk to them like they're grown men.
SPEAKER_01Right, I can tell. I I see it too. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I think if we baby our kids too much and we're like, oh, they're gonna talk like that.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_00Uh so I talk to them about their decisions, and I support their decisions, right or wrong. It's like, okay, your decision, now that you got the consequences from your decision.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You gotta ask yourself, was it worth it? And I think those lessons are important.
SPEAKER_01Mm-hmm. Absolutely. And then my bonus, I want to shout out F8.
SPEAKER_00Oh, you gotta shout out me. Well have to. I love it. I love it. Well, because what we try to do is we try to be. I think a lot of businesses come into places, right, and then they're like, oh, well, I'm just a fusiness here and I'm gonna reap the benefits off the community. Well, I think a business needs to come in just like you and help the community. Right. Right? And expand the community and make the community better. Yeah. Because otherwise you're not needed. Absolutely. Like, get out of here. If you're not needed, if you're not helping, go to downtown Long Beach. No offense, yes, offense, downtown Long Beach. Clean up your act at downtown Long Beach. Come up here to the north side.
SPEAKER_01This is such a beautiful community for real, though.
SPEAKER_00It is, and I think we're spoiled. I really do. We're spoiled in our neighbors, we're spoiled in the stuff we have around here. Mm-hmm. You don't even need a car. No, and what's funny is all my friends downtown are so jealous of our food scene up here now because they have no clue. They're like, oh, have you heard of that place, Nona? I'm like, of course. Nona Makado? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, oh, okay. Bacon broil? Yeah. Uh sushi nakai. Yep. Okay. All of these food, all these food places up here. Even the best pizzas up here. So I don't know what they're saying. I mean, it's people debate. Right. I love Dutch's brew house. Okay. Because they make a white sauce pizza. Phenomenal. So it's like all these great things we have here that the rest of the city doesn't have. And I love it.
SPEAKER_01I do too.
SPEAKER_00I don't think I'm ever leaving.
SPEAKER_01Me neither.
SPEAKER_00It's a problem. It's a problem. Well, you gotta expand. Your business is getting so so big, you gotta expand.
SPEAKER_01I don't know. I I almost I almost want to stay small and because you have a hand in it, right? Yeah, I don't, yeah, no. I I don't think I could. Everyone's like, you want to get a center? No, I don't.
SPEAKER_00Because you lose the personal touch.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I I just is it because you like to connect with each of the kids? I want to connect with the kids. Um I do not want to. It's such a like a liability, too.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And you have to trust other people to create a team to take care of the kids.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So keeping it small allows me to really know who I'm working with, my team.
SPEAKER_00It's true. You know, it's so hard to find it's true, because I worry about that with like big companies, right? Like I know me and I background check me every year as the guy in the red suit because I want people to feel safe.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_00Right? I don't know if a lot of these, I mean maybe they're supposed to. Do they? We don't know. Right. But with you, I would know because this is your house. Exactly. If I look you up, it's gonna come up to your house.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00What's the old saying? I we know where you live.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Exactly. So and that's why I have to make sure it's a good fit, also, because I'm welcoming you into the home. Yeah, your child, your kids.
SPEAKER_00And everything that comes with it. Exactly. All the baggage that comes with it. Have you had any of these scary situations?
SPEAKER_01Um no, I haven't really, no.
SPEAKER_00Knock on wood? No. Because I know with a lot of families, like not everyone's family's perfect, and not everyone's family gets along. And that would be the scary thing for me.
SPEAKER_01You know, I I send out a questionnaire before I even do the interview.
SPEAKER_00So your pre-qualification is.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think that sometimes they don't even call me back. They're like, why do you want to know all of this? You know?
SPEAKER_00For your protection, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. So the ones that fill it out, send it back, then we meet. And um, there's been times where I I I would say, like, you know, I don't think that I'm able to meet your needs just to avoid any future conflict.
SPEAKER_00Do you say that?
SPEAKER_01After the tour?
SPEAKER_00After the tour, and you just get a f you get a feeling. Yeah. You have to trust your gut, right?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00I've been talking to my wife about that, because there's some clients she gets.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00And she's all I should have trust in my gut. Just trust that initial instinct, right?
SPEAKER_01Because it could turn into a headache.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. What's another like disqualifying thing that you is it just attitude?
SPEAKER_01Is it um maybe some of um like some parents, they don't want like the structure. They kind of want to.
SPEAKER_00So this isn't a plate place.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it's like, okay, but I'm responsible. I don't want anyone to get hurt. And I believe that the program runs best with structure and consistency, and the kids thrive with that.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01And if they don't believe that, that's fine. But we're not gonna be on the same page, so it's automatically not a good fit there.
SPEAKER_00So if you run into parents, like I run into this quite a bit too, and it's like, okay, I'm gonna hire you, you're gonna do this, this, this, and this. And I say, okay, I'm not gonna, I'm I'm not gonna take you as a client.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because they try to input what they want onto you. Whereas if I'm gonna leave my kids with it, it's because I trust you. Right. Do you have you run into people that are so strict in the way they want things run that it just didn't work out for you?
SPEAKER_01Um, I have ran into those people, but luckily I I haven't had them in the program though.
SPEAKER_00So you have the ability, like you have the wherewithal to just say no.
SPEAKER_01My group of families, oh, I'm I've I'm I I get nervous just saying it because I don't want to have those kind of families. And to up until today, I can say they've all been great.
SPEAKER_00But that's on you because that's how you choose your family.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, oh man. I I can't complain on that, any of them.
SPEAKER_00So you've never had to fire a client?
SPEAKER_01One time. One time, and it wasn't really um I didn't really fire him, actually. I I it was a new mom, and I don't think she really trusted me, right? Because he would like just come and ask a lot of questions and then ask them again. And um, she was really nervous and she had a nanny at first, and I think that that's probably what she needed to continue with because there's a difference between group care and a nanny. Um, so that was one thing is that she probably expected to have the same, like you said, I want this, I want that, I want it at this time, I want to know this. And I just told her, I as a person, I think that you're doing a great job. You're beautiful. She was she it wasn't really a problem. It was just I wasn't gonna be able to meet her needs.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I was giv given the bot that she probably didn't trust me. And I know how that feels as a parent to not really.
SPEAKER_00But she's gonna end up having to deal with that later. Yeah. Like the, you're gonna have to let go at some point.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You're gonna have to let your kid be themselves. And some of the most amazing experiences I've had with my children and with other children is when they're being their true self. Yeah. When they feel comfortable enough to be who they are.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Trust yourself as a parent and know that you've done the right thing for your kids.
SPEAKER_01I do understand that it's it's it's a hard decision to place your kid with somebody else. Yeah. Um, but I tell them, follow your gut.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01But I can't allow you to stress me out. True.
SPEAKER_00Because I got other kids to do it. Because that'll affect all the other kids. Right.
SPEAKER_01I I I got stuff to do, you know. So that was just that one time.
SPEAKER_00But other than that, um I find with me, it's never, it's never the kids. It's never the kids' energy. It's like, it's always the parents' energy.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Even so much so that sometimes they're like, you know what, you go sit over there. Let me deal with a kid. I got it. And then the kid becomes themselves, and I get the great photos and do all that stuff. Absolutely. I think they bring that stress that their parents have with them. A lot of times I work with a lot of kids with special needs, and so a lot of my autistic children, the parents will be like, oh, oh, I'm sorry, oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. When it's just breathe.
SPEAKER_01Calm down, take a deep breath.
SPEAKER_00Because the kids feed off of that, right? Just breathe, let the kid be the kid.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Like, especially with the Santa thing, it's like, oh, he's not supposed to touch that, don't touch that. And I'm like, this whole set is designed for the kids to mess up.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00It's it's not for us, it's for the kids.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00So let them do their thing. We'll stop them if they're gonna do something that could hurt them.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00But the rest of it, just let them be a kid. And that's the whole joy. And that's what I love about what you do, is I see kids truly being kids.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Right? Yeah. And I love that we get to expand our kids' childhood. I think we need to keep them children as long as we can. There's so much stress in the world that we go through, and there's so much stuff that kids see on TV and all this stuff that if we can keep them kids as long as possible, that's what I want. My older son goes to IVA over here, and they used to have a stuffed animal day.
SPEAKER_01Nice.
SPEAKER_00These are junior high kids.
SPEAKER_01So there's a waiting list to get in.
SPEAKER_00It's it's a lottery.
SPEAKER_01A lottery, okay.
SPEAKER_00But it's the best thing in the world that ever happened to me, I think, because my kid, they have stuffed animal day where they're all the kids are running around with their favorite stuffy. These are 11, 12, 13-year-old kids. To be able to be supported and still be a kid is an amazing thing. Exactly. Oh, they have nail painting day. Kids want to paint their nails, they can paint their nails. There's no stopping their imagination and their just ability to just want to have fun.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because this world tries to push the kids to grow up too fast.
SPEAKER_00I grew up too fast.
SPEAKER_01I did too.
SPEAKER_00And I think that's probably why our mission, a lot of our mission is to keep the kids kids, and to keep the kids safe. Because what the the great thing I heard the other day is you become the adult you would have felt safe around.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Like that's incredible, right? And I think it's a gift for me to be able to do that. And I know your ability to do that with these kids is a tremendous gift, not only to the kids, but to their parents, it's the community around them. And it's a gift for the future. Because maybe the future will be a little more compassionate, a little more emotionally um understanding, uh, maybe even just emotionally intelligent. I think that's what a lot of generations are are missing right now, the emotional intelligence. Absolutely. I don't think a world full of pull yourself up by your bootstraps is done us very much good. Right. Support me into making my life better. Don't just tell me to do it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and that's something I had to learn later on, too. Yeah. And just working with the kids, it allows me to kind of undo some of the stuff. Right. Undo some of the stuff that I was taught.
SPEAKER_00It's 100% the same way with me. Yeah. Like there's no reason, like I should have been told as a young kid, don't cry.
SPEAKER_01Don't cry. Cry. You're allowed to cry. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Let out those feelings instead of bottling. They do. Words hurt. You're right. And I think um even apologies. Like we're teaching our kids to apologize for what they've done. Right. If you've hurt someone, you need to understand why that person hurt and why your words carry such importance. I think, yeah, every day we're unlearning a lot of stuff and in turn making better humans. And I think that's the goal is to make better humans than us. Yeah. 100% better humans. Thank you so much for being on today.
SPEAKER_01You're welcome. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00I hope people get to know you a little bit more and know and love your family as much as I know and love your family. Because it is these little things. Maybe a parent's like, oh, I've just dropped my kid off at daycare. You're not. You're leaving your kid in great hands, and your child is learning all this amazing stuff.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00And even the little things of your child maybe saying please or thank you more matters.
SPEAKER_01It does.
SPEAKER_00And when they bring it home and they say it without prompting, that's good parenting. Yes, even if you have to leave your child at a uh a daycare, you're doing the right thing because you're putting your kid in the best place to let them grow.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00It's amazing. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01You're welcome.
SPEAKER_00And I hope all of you enjoyed the drive.
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
