Blame The Parents

In the third episode of Blame The Parents, Mario shares his fourth and fifth grade years after his mother returns home from prison. Although crack is no longer part of the picture, a new addiction quickly takes its place. As pain pills consume his mother's life, Mario watches her drift through church services, basketball games, and daily life while surrounded by others caught in the same cycle. During this time, family tensions come to the surface, changing the way he views the adults around him. Pill Popper is a story about addiction, family conflict, and growing up in an environment where chaos never seemed far away.

In the second episode of Blame The Parents, Mario shares the next chapter of his childhood. After moving to Joplin, a drunk-driving crash involving his stepfather changes everything. As his mother runs from a prison sentence and flees to Texas, addiction and chaos continue to follow the family. While living in Conroe, Mario is left in the care of strangers after his mother is arrested, leading to the incident that gave this episode its name. Covering one of the most turbulent periods of his early childhood, Chipped Tooth is a story of instability, survival, and the lasting impact of addiction.

In the first episode of Blame The Parents, Mario shares the beginning of his story. From being born a crack baby to losing his father to suicide at age three, navigating life with an alcoholic stepfather, and accompanying his mother on drug runs, this episode explores the chaotic reality of his earliest childhood years. Covering ages birth through seven, Crack Baby is the starting point of a story about addiction, family dysfunction, and survival.

Blame The Parents is a documentary podcast about growing up in addiction, abuse, foster care, and family dysfunction. This trailer is a brief introduction to the story, the people involved, and the events that changed Mario's life forever.