Stop Puffer Fishing

Somebody gets too close and suddenly you “don’t feel like talking”? That pattern has a name, and learning it can save your relationships. We’re Kefla and Cree, and we start with the real-world catch up, including pollen fatigue, allergy survival, and a traffic court story that ends with a ticket getting dismissed.Then we get into “puffer fishing,” a new term for the way some of us protect ourselves when vulnerability kicks in. Instead of communicating, we spike up by shutting down, overthinking, or ghosting. We talk about how past experiences and fear can hijack good connections, plus a simple reframe that sticks: protect yourself with a fence you can see through, not a wall that blocks everything.The second half goes deep on adultification bias and implicit bias in schools, where Black children are often seen as older, less innocent, and more “problematic” for the same behavior other kids get grace for. We share what this looks like in real classrooms, how it impacts confidence and identity, and why parent advocacy matters when your child is the minority in a space. And yes, we end with a headline that sounds like a movie: sharks in the Bahamas testing positive for cocaine, caffeine, and painkillers, and what that says about environmental pollution and wastewater.If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with a parent or educator, and leave a review. What part of the episode made you think differently?Send us your Questions or Comments and we’ll answer them on the show. Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe.Thank you for listening!