How to Raise Empathetic, Emotionally Aware Boys — with Payal Desai

2 Oct 2025 · 42 min · S6 E1

Episode How to Raise Empathetic, Emotionally Aware Boys — with Payal Desai

0:00 42:29

Beyond “boys will be boys”: practical ways to raise empathetic, emotionally intelligent boys—at home and school. Payal Desai joins Katia with tools that work. Follow for more.

What does it really take to raise kind, emotionally aware boys in a world still shaped by patriarchy and outdated gender roles?

To kick off Season 6 of The Unaparent, Katia sits down with viral creator and educator Payal Desai—known online for her powerful “Dusty Son” series. In this episode, they discuss the pressures and possibilities of raising boys differently, how her background as a teacher influences her parenting, and what it’s like to share that journey online as a South Asian mom.

They also touch on:

• The myth of “boys will be boys” • The importance of modeling emotional intelligence • What schools are getting wrong—and how to do better • Her transition out of the classroom and into digital advocacy • What she hopes her sons carry into adulthood

Don’t miss this powerful and heartfelt start to a season that dives deep into the intersections of caregiving, identity, and justice.

📲 Follow Payal: @payalforstyle

Don’t forget to FOLLOW the podcast on Instagram and TikTok. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for all the unapparent content you never knew you needed. 📺

The Unaparent Podcast is a Studio Dama production. For production, sponsorship, and ad inquiries contact marina@studiodamadesign.com or send a DM to @studio.dama.design

SHOW NOTES:

00:00 – Katia Catch-Up & Guest Introduction

02:45 – An Unapparent Truth of Parenting

06:10 – The Journey into Motherhood & Virality

10:22 – Raising Gentle Boys in a "Toughen Up" Culture

14:00 – The "Rowdy Boy" Trope and Language Shifts at Home

17:36 – Challenging Gender Roles as a South Asian Mom

21:12 – Leaving the Classroom, Finding New Purpose

24:50 – Teaching Through Social Media: The Weight of Visibility

29:05 – Hope & Legacy: What Payal Wants for Her Sons

33:30 – Final Reflections & Plug

Links in the notes 8

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