THE CLEMENTS want to normalise inter-able relationships. We last filmed with Mayfair and Winston in 2021 and since then, they have moved to the US and had a child together - Malaika - who is now three-years-old. How would they describe their parenting style? Winston told Truly: “We balance each other off really well. My wife kind of takes the lead with the nurturing of Malaika and I'm the one who kind of pushes her to be more independent and just try different things out for herself.” Mayfair added: “Yeah but you're a really hands-on dad too.” The couple faced judgement online when they shared they were welcoming a child, with people accusing Mayfair of cheating or that she must have had IVF. Winston said: “People asked my wife if our child was mine.” Winston has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bones disorder and when they had Malaika, people judged the couple as parents. Winston said: “I think it just comes from that ableist mindset that disability is such a heinous, like bad thing is such a dirty word.” The family are now YouTubers and are motivated to share their story to provide representation and make the world more inclusive. Mayfair said: “Our bigger mission is to normalise inter-abled relationships. We’re all just people trying to do the best that we can.”
00:37It's hot, hot, hot, so you have to blow it, OK?
00:39Daddy's going to help you.
00:41My name is Winston.
00:43And my name is Mayfair.
00:45We have a three-year-old daughter called Malaika.
00:47Who is this?
00:48Oh, my daughter.
00:49Yeah.
00:50Who is that?
00:51Hello.
00:52Hello.
00:53I mean, Winston's handsome,
00:55but I think it was really his personality
00:58and when I really saw who he was as a person,
01:01when I started to feel attracted to him.
01:03Last time we filmed, we were based in London,
01:05which is our hometown.
01:06Yeah.
01:07But we've since made the big move with our family
01:09to start a new adventure in the US.
01:12I think the last time we filmed,
01:13I was pregnant with Malaika, so...
01:15Oh, yeah.
01:16I'm going to tear now.
01:17You have to eat your breakfast so that you can be big and...
01:20I love strong.
01:21Show me strong.
01:22Got any muscles there?
01:25Malaika is super bubbly.
01:28She's just got the brightest personality.
01:31She's super funny, knows what she wants.
01:33How would you guys describe your parenting style?
01:37My wife kind of takes the lead with the nurturing
01:40and I'm the one who kind of pushes her to be more independent
01:44and just try to put things out for herself.
01:47Yeah, but you're a really hands-on dad, too.
01:50Come on, let's get it.
01:51Yeah, come, let's get it.
01:52I think it's over here.
01:53Where's the necklace?
01:54What are some misconceptions people have had
01:57about you both being parents?
02:00I think the main misconception is that somehow
02:03we're not going to be able to provide the same quality of life
02:06for our children as a couple where both parents are able-bodied.
02:11But that's obviously not true.
02:13Malaika has so much.
02:15She's such a happy girl.
02:17How about this?
02:20How about this?
02:22I want this.
02:24She said, I want this.
02:26What condition do you have and what do you have?
02:29Yeah, so the condition that I have is known as osteogenesis imperfecta
02:33and it just means that my bones are more fragile than the average person.
02:36And you can think of it as having bones that are made of glass.
02:40And, of course, I'm a lot smaller than the average person
02:43and I use a wheelchair, but to me, I see that as an opportunity
02:47to stand out in every room that I roll into.
02:49I guess I just have to be a bit more thoughtful and creative
02:53in how I approach parenting.
02:55Does Malaika have the same thing?
02:57So, Malaika was diagnosed with brittle bones when she was born.
03:02So far, she's even been able to do stuff which me, as an adult,
03:06I've never been able to do.
03:07So, she's doing amazing.
03:09And how did you both feel when you found this out?
03:11I guess, like any parent, when you hear about a potential diagnosis,
03:15there are some different emotions that you feel.
03:18But with people of faith, we prayed a lot over the situation.
03:21Even when she was born to us, that just felt like such a miracle.
03:26I think that's the cool thing now is, like, compared to maybe when you were growing up,
03:32there's so many more different things that are available to kind of allow her to thrive.
03:37Physical therapy and then also medications.
03:44Good job.
03:47Good job.
03:48They can't bubble.
03:51Should we bake something yummy?
03:53With chocolate in it?
03:56Ready?
03:57Okay, that's perfect.
03:58Can you give Daddy a big high-five?
03:59Yeah.
04:00Good job.
04:01This one.
04:02Okay, you can taste one.
04:03Is it yummy?
04:04More?
04:05You're gonna eat all the chocolate before we've baked.
04:07All right, one more for Daddy.
04:10How has your content changed since you have had Malika?
04:11Our content has evolved.
04:12I don't get any.
04:13Being able to showcase not just a couple where one has a disability, but being a whole family
04:15unit where at least one member has a disability.
04:16Aw, thank you.
04:17The kind of responses that we had to our content are primarily, honestly, 95% of it has been
04:19fantastic.
04:20We get messages every day that really move us.
04:21Yeah.
04:22But there is that small minority of comments.
04:23Yeah.
04:24That's a small minority of comments that are negative, that are full of stuff.
04:25I don't get any.
04:26I don't get any.
04:27I don't get any.
04:28Being able to showcase not just a couple where one has a disability, but being a whole
04:31family unit where at least one member has a disability.
04:36Aw, thank you.
04:39Aw, thank you.
04:40The kind of responses that we had to our content are primarily, honestly, 95% of it has been
04:46fantastic.
04:47We get messages every day that really move us.
04:49Yeah.
04:50But there is that small minority of comments that are negative, that are full of stereotypes
04:55and that are just mean.
04:56Mm-hmm.
04:57We try not to do this too much, but occasionally we do kind of scroll through comments.
05:01One of the ones we have here says, you are not the father, which is a huge thing that
05:06we used to get, basically starting from when we announced that we were pregnant.
05:09We used to get that comment a lot.
05:11And again, this comes from people just not having an awareness that disabled people can
05:16have children.
05:17Another comment we have here is, the audacity of this lady is on another level.
05:21IVF successful.
05:22I think people kind of try to use that as an attack, but actually we don't see anything
05:27wrong with IVF.
05:28I think it's amazing.
05:29I've got one here, which I think is hilarious.
05:32She cheating for sure.
05:34Some of them just, they just make us laugh.
05:37Yeah.
05:38And we've gotten that a lot.
05:39Like people basically assuming that I have to go somewhere else to get my needs met.
05:44It's just not the case.
05:45That's not our story, eh man?
05:47So there's one here that says, you literally went out of your way to make someone have the
05:53same disability as you, which in what world does that make sense?
05:58I think it just comes from that ableist mindset that disability is such a heinous, like bad
06:04thing.
06:05It's such a dirty word.
06:06Wow.
06:07You have two babies to look after.
06:09Just not true.
06:10Winston helps me massively in terms of parenting.
06:13Before we got married, Winston was living alone.
06:15He doesn't like to cook, but he was surviving.
06:18Like most husbands.
06:19Somehow, he doesn't like cooking, but yeah, he was very independent.
06:23There were moments when we were overwhelmed.
06:25I've had moments where it's like, wait, why were you doing this?
06:27Yeah, it's tough.
06:28For people to kind of just respond negatively.
06:30But I think what kind of brings us back is why we're doing this.
06:34You feel by providing that representation that you don't normally see for people with disabilities
06:39or for couples who look like us, families that look like ours.
06:44Our bigger mission is to normalise interrable relationships.
06:47We're all just people trying to do the best that we can.
06:51And our family have been really supportive even since we started our YouTube channel.
06:56So we actually have my twin sister Mayfield coming over, which we're super excited for.
07:01So hopefully she's going to get to taste one of these treats.
07:04But Malaika loves to eat as she bakes, as you guys could see.
07:08But yeah, we're really excited to have my sister over because we have some big news to tell her.
07:16It's auntie!
07:18Being an auntie to Malaika is literally the best thing ever.
07:21I'm completely obsessed.
07:23How do you feel about the judgment Mayfair and Winston have received as parents?
07:28It's tough for me because I'm like, I want to square up.
07:32But at the same time, like I know the love that they have.
07:36They are just so full of peace that for me, I'm like, I should also try and kind of have that same thinking.
07:42We want to square up too sometimes, to be honest.
07:44And it's tough emotionally when they talk Malaika.
07:48It can be a lot, but majority of them are positive and people saying they're going to share our videos or something that we posted and maybe help them see a future for themselves, which they couldn't before.
08:01Yeah, it just feels like we're making a difference.
08:04So, you know, obviously you've been an amazing aunt to Malaika and well, we think he'd be a great auntie a second time round.
08:16And we've actually been thinking about growing our family and having another child.
08:22So, yeah.
08:24You're the first person we've officially shared our intention with, so.
08:30I'm elated.
08:34Would you like a brother or a sister?
08:37A sister.
08:38I want a sister?
08:40A sister.
08:41Yeah.
08:42I think in terms of what we hope the future holds for our family is normalising inter-abled relationships.
08:48Seeing Malaika grow as well into all that we hope she can be.
08:52And obviously growing our family as well and hopefully raising kids who are making the world a more inclusive place.
08:58We're just made for each other.
08:59We're just the perfect pieces of the jigsaw that makes up our family.
