The Real Difference Between Parenting and Letting Go for Zay's Future!

Join us on an emotional journey as we celebrate a major milestone in our son's life - his biggest step towards independence! In this heartwarming video, we share the momentous occasion that marks a significant shift in our son's life, and we couldn't be prouder of the young person he's becoming. From learning new skills to taking on new responsibilities, our son is spreading his wings and flying high. Watch until the end to see the excitement and joy on his face as he achieves this incredible feat. Get ready to feel all the feels and be inspired by the next generation of independent thinkers!
Peter Mutabazi founded Now I Am Known, an organization that supplies resources to support vulnerable children. Originally from Uganda, Peter ran away from an abusive home at age ten and lived as a street kid for nearly five years. Today, Peter is a single dad to countless foster children and his adopted children, Anthony, Ryder, and Skyler.
Every child deserves a space like home-a sanctuary that echoes their unique spirit and aspirations. Through our Surprise Bedroom Makeovers, we transform the rooms of foster kids and teens into personalized havens of comfort, joy, and belonging. Because when a child feels seen, they feel known. And when they feel known, they shine.
As an African-immigrated citizen AND a former foster child himself-Peter provides educational, inspirational talks on foster care, adoption, child advocacy, and parenting. Peter has overcome a variety of life challenges, and he encourages listeners to love those around them and choose to see the hope in their stories.
Website: nowiamknown.org
Facebook: fosterdadflipper
Instagram: fosterdadflipper
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@nowiamknown
Produced and edited by J42 Productions: www.j42productions.com ( / @j42productions )

[@melg8475]

I'm really glad Zay had you for support during these years, Peter 💕

[@danielreher1987]

The looks of pure happiness on their faces on how the apartment turned out was all the thanks that you needed.

[@lemonsupernova8833]

I love everyone's smiles going around the apartment. It's a family event! Good of Anthony to help out. Hope Zay & Maddie's milestone inspires Jay too. Isabella and Luke's wish to see the couple everyday is a testament to how close they are. And Peter is one proud dad. We are always cheering for all your perseverance, Zay and Maddie!🎉

[@reneesteward7133]

Peter, as a Christian dad you handled this beautifully.

[@lisaortiz8168]

As a Christian marriage first then sex after: it is a sin to have sex if not married read the bible

[@Kirsten_is_cursed10]

I’m a 33-year-old professional with a good job and this place is STILL bigger than mine! 😅 It’s gorgeous, and a smaller space can be so cozy.

[@Dan5819]

Yes, and it's even nicer than any apt I ever had to live in!

[@FosterDadFlipper]

Oh wow!

[@serenast.germain3469]

But is it just you. Or do you have a spouse or kids

[@simplyblessed7036]

I have two young adults, a 19 year old daughter and 21 year old son who are out on their own. Debbie lives with her boyfriend and lets her older brother on the autism spectrum rent a room from them So proud of Zay for moving out on his own

[@JackieM414]

I love how your family work together for each other. Looks really beautiful good job of a great surprise and decorating apartment. Peter you’re amazing and so loving. Thank you for sharing

[@cinramirez8627]

Such a cute place! ❤ Congratulations, Zay & Maddie

[@SporePatriot]

The two big boys are so good together. Much props to Anthony 👏 - it isn’t easy being the first ‘born’.

[@mindykubat4232]

Good luck to Zay and Maddie. 👍🥰 Great job with the kids Peter, I always say that you are an amazing Dad.

[@rut8851]

As a now grandparent, I am a bit nervous with this being his first independence living, but I know with you Peter, you will make sure he’s good. Also I think Maddie’s calm nature will be a plus. BTW, I love how she fits in with the girls. I’m sure she’s really good help to you with the “girly” things…. lol. I will keep praying that Zayn continues to beat those statistics.

[@suzannetennent3804]

So excited to see Zay come so far. Peter you must be so proud of him. Wishing them both all the very best in their beautiful new apartment 😀

[@suusje004]

Zay I am so happy for you!

[@joanneganon7157]

I am very proud of you 2 . Live long and prosper🖖❤. JO JO IN VT 💞🤶🎅☃️. Peter having their apartment setup like a home is comforting and beautiful ❤.

[@annlouise4430]

Congrats Zay & Maddie on your first apartment together! It looks really cozy, love the deck/patio area too! Thanks for taking us along, so cool to see all the love & support from your family! Enjoy & God bless you! 🙏🥰🥰✨🕊️✨

[@roseharvey2664]

Great apartment. A good start for Maddie and Zay. It's good for the other kids to see they can move out and still be cared for when they are older.

[@jillg9108]

It looks great, especially the dining area is so warm.

[@creinicke1000]

Yes he hasnt been with you his whole life.. But even from 16.. you've given him the experience of visiting apattment for first time with someone who has his back!

[@pattiday-malina7550]

Sweet. God bless you and yours indeed.

[@AngelaValentine]

Gorgeous. I can’t imagine this being my first place! Such an amazing experience.

[@MiiWhisper2]

Congratulations Zay! Wishing you the greatest of fortune, success and health. Looking forward to updates on your new journey! Blessings! Peace! Love!

[@lindareynolds1909]

Congratulations, Zay and Maddie!!!💕🏡

[@LifeOfZay7790]

Thank you 😊

[@danatate8803]

Wow! This brings back so many memories of my daughter's first apartment... mine too! Good for Zay!

[@TangerineTulip]

Beautiful home Zay + Maddy, much ❤ from Auckland New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@AnnHowes-uk5wp]

Love THIS... Awesome 😁💕👏‼️ Congrats Zay and Maddy... Beautiful Home and Decor... Family 😍

[@LastingHope]

It’s a beautiful first apartment ❤

[@susannesergent4448]

Hi ZAY, buddy I could see in your eyes it's a bit of a emotional transition....I hope you know you are still wanted and loved at Peter's house and yes they ALL will miss you dearly. It's difficult being encouraged with love to grow into independence when we want to run and feel safe back in our comfort zone. I surely hope their is understanding this assurance is needed as a refuge and safe place to go in the world when things are difficult or life happens. It's then we can breathe and know when papa eagle encourages you out of the nest..it's sincerely genuine love and not tired eye grumpy bum speaking,lol. Congrats 🎈 🎉to you both for stepping up and out into future..and I hope you both grow within in spirit and wisdom and blessings. May Jesus be the keeper and caretaker of your heart life and home and I hope you both flourish into a great young people church community who are an extension of God's family and his faithfulness of a shepherd keeping his sheep close to his heart. Good friends can be made. Abundance and blessings to you in heavenly joy xo🙏🌟🙌😇✝️🎄🌈🥳 Remember ..do it your way... their is no right or wrong and a journey starts with one footstep... Enjoy

[@angelahall7147]

Amen 👏❤👏

[@sereion]

Congratulations, Zay and Maddie!!🎉🎉🎉

[@LifeOfZay7790]

Thank you 😊

[@mummymoomoomummymoomoo8443]

It’s a gorgeous first apartment, I pray for happy times for them, I love the dining area, the table and chairs, rug and wall art is lovely. Good luck zay on this journey xx

[@kathyallison2298]

This is so great you are able to help your son launch into adulthood!

[@sharon9532]

Wow your apartment looks so great. All the best to you and Maddie.Your Dad is such a great support. You deserve the best that life has to offer,go for it.

[@citychicdoc1596]

Congratulations Zay!

[@sherylheidecker9025]

This was so awesome. I love the apartment. Peter I can see how much joy it gave you to do this for Zay.

[@marybethcastaneda8341]

Great job, Anthony and Zay!!! You are both very strong!! 💪

[@karenwebb695]

Nice apartment, and I love the trees outside. Makes it so cozy.

[@lorettemainville688]

Congratulations Zay. You have a nice and clean apartment. I wish you all the best in your new chapter of your life👍💕💕

[@PatW-k7j]

Peter, you look so happy for Zay and Maddie! Congratulations Zay 🎉

[@marig6184]

Zay will do fabulous, he has his family cheering him on.

[@suelisilva2929]

Parabéns, Zay! Deus o abençoe nessa nova fase de sua vida.

[@Debora-m8r]

Teach Zay to set a timer on his phone every time he turns the stove or oven on, to check the phone to see if the timer is set before he leaves the house.

[@JediJan]

Apqrt from timer I would tell my son he has to STAY in the kitchen when cooking. Definitely not allowed to.leave the house when cooking! A school friend did that to arrive home to find pressure cooker had exploded and parts hit the ceiling. Gas is so dangerous.

[@serenast.germain3469]

No way. If your cooking or baking anything. You need to stay near the kitchen

[@imeldaalfonso3743]

Beautiful!

[@triciaguillen3708]

That's a beautiful space! Congratulations 🎉

[@hugasal2379]

God bless Zay and Maddie and their future 🙏🙏

[@MarilynRuel]

You are amazing Jay,what a wonderful family you have!🥰🇨🇦

[@ChrissieSM]

The apartment is great, a lot larger than the average UK apartment.

[@peacesiadangu8286]

You are the best dad , Peter ❤️❤️

[@ednanelson1897]

This is a beautiful apartment 😍. You did good Zay and Maddie ❤

[@LifeOfZay7790]

Thank you ☺️

[@hollyjobitner3285]

Dear Zay and Maddie, please be frugal and save 10% per week or month. You won’t be sorry in planning for your future. Money can be the biggest problem with couples, so don’t let that be a problem. 🖖💙

[@lightningbug276]

Beautiful place! Congratulations 🎉🎊!

[@meomy29]

That’s a huge first apartment. Mine was three rooms in the basement. I had a small kitchen, a living room, one bedroom. My bathroom had room for a toilet and a very small shower. Very small shower! I could barely turn around in the shower since it was a basement apartment. There was also a furnace room where the house is furnace and water heater were. The house was built in the 19 teens so I didn’t have air conditioning. Thinking back, I would probably find it miserable today, but then it was exciting to move out of my parents house and live on my own.

[@terryhenderson424]

That's a pretty big, pretty nice apartment! I can remember the time I moved every couple of months, upgrading every time. Everything permenant I owned fit in the bed and under the tall boy, canopy of a Datsun 1300 pick up. It was during this era that I learned all the parts in bedroom, table, and standing lamps because new lamps cost a lot of money and free lamps could often be found -for free- along alley ways. My first free lamp was the most God-awful ugly orange living room lamp; there was a reason why it was in the alley! I also learned the art of upgrading freebies, finds, and others' forgottens; it begins with always keeping your eyes on a swivel and ears cocked. I did gather and move a few red fireplace bricks for missing couch and furniture feet.

[@gerrih43]

I believe my son lived in those apartments in Charlotte. Looks exactly like where he had his first apartment. Good luck to Zay! Peter, you are amazing !

[@deniseharris2982]

Aww so Beautiful ❤❤❤❤

[@chef-2117]

Congratulations Zay !!!!!

[@Advanced183]

I hope Zay and his Gf work out. I hope he finds his partner in this life and builds a beautiful family of his own one day. God bless all of you

[@linajams]

All of this is LOVE in action💞💓💞

[@craftaddictRoxanne]

Beautiful apartment my first apartment was no where as nice as this one. Used furniture but we loved it. Congratulations

[@peggyvincent2310]

Zay and Matt, lovely apartment. Enjoy! 🎉😀

[@kimberlymigliorato8755]

That's a perfect little starter studio apartment for them! It turned out beautifully. Much better than mine was.

[@Maggiegirl1959]

That’s a fantastic space!

[@carolynza2481]

Congratulations Zay and Maddie!! Looks amazing and cozy. Enjoy!! Let's do a room makeover for Jay now....!

[@debidrake4593]

I got a bit of a kick out of hearing Zay say not to jump on the bed, remembering videos of him jumping on the bed. Lol

[@Preciousbecks]

I didn't know zay has a channel..i just subscribed 🇰🇪🇰🇪 congratulations

[@majachh.3034]

Can you please tell me what is the name of his youtube Channel ?

[@lornakal5300]

Best wishes Zay.

[@melg8475]

Looks so cute!

[@terryhenderson424]

Not that my personal aesthetic matters but I like the natural wood/ wood tones in the selected furniture.

[@Myraisins1]

Watching from nyc while you call that apartment small is hilarious. Congrats young man!

[@kathyowens4811]

Congratulations! 🎉

[@itsmeshay8089]

Congratulations zay ❤🎉

[@terryhenderson424]

Dear Dad (Peter), ypu have helped get these two set up very nicely but they will need a serious cook book. Ive owned a few (haha and lol) and I'm going to suggest an OP (Out of Print) titled "Joy of Cooking"; the edition with the blue cover and red ribbon place holder. It is likely FAR more of a cookbook than what they will need to start with but if you want to coo ,a pot of fluffy stove top long grained rice, venison, drop biscuits, or stock, these and so much more are in this book. Each chapter begins with a cooking therory section which is where I learned about crustless quiche and pumpkin pie; in the world of cooking, these are about the same as they are egg custards with one being sweet and the other being savory. When or if these two become economically challenged, it is a good resource and what led me to be able to make lamb neck bone stew on a wood stove with confidence and prepare carrots 7 ways for the 7 days of the week. I pretty much stopped with a roasted turkey for the company foods (impressive and easy if you don't keep to a set sit down time) but some of my more pleban foods did have some pretty dressed up sauces.

[@dramaqueen6G]

What a lucky couple Zay and Maddie are to have their first apartment fully furnished when they move in! Of course they're missing the wonderful experience of filling their place with thrift store purchases and friends' second-hand castoffs until they can afford to buy their own things. It was a big moment for me when I bought my first full set of matching dishes! 😄 One thing that concerns me though, is that bedroom up to code? It has no window. Every room needs two means of egress.

[@nomzimasinyalela5080]

So happy for Zay

[@Dan5819]

If Zay forgets the stove/oven, maybe he can do what I used to do. I had an old big ring -- I'd put is on a small finger like my pinkie so I had to keep curling the pinkie so it wouldn't fall off. Because of that --- I NEVER forgot I had something on the stove or in the oven!

[@DanaLojewski]

Congratulations.

[@goldgirl8771]

So sweet congratulations Zay and Maddie,care your apartment and save money for rainy days even if it's 200$ per month

[@candykane4271]

I lived in apartment with similar kitchen with 5 kids an a husband with 2 small bedrooms like that and one larger bedroom. We managed for 1 year.

[@joycecollins7148]

So nice happy for you

[@MarjorieGeorgettefmm]

Asante sana

[@OutdoorAdventuresFun]

What's Zay's channel? I want to support him.❤

[@LifeOfZay7790]

Lifeofzay7790

[@dhunter1423]

I loved this from the First 🎶Note🎶💯‼️ Miranda looks Beautiful💯‼️ deb in SC🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #HappyHolidays2024# 🎄🎁🎅☃️🛷❄️💙🌲

[@sherriboggs]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@davinacoppler8204]

Nice place. No window in the bedroom? Congratulations Zay and Maddie!!

[@LifeOfZay7790]

Thank you ❤

[@Izzymill]

take the shoes off at the door to keep the place cleaner

[@isabellrc]

Zay & Maddie, From an ole’ chic who once was a very young Mom, living on her own, I wish you all the best!!! Keep your eyes on your budgets, limit eating out, lessen how many video channels. Not everything needs to be brand names…. Take care of each other; positive energy, feedback while communicating is key…. ***No Dollies to bring items into the apartment 🤦🏻‍♀️ 😅… Peter, “No,” was his answer about assisting. 😜 He’s in great shape!!! However, I did notice ketchup stain on your seatbelt; Nonono.. 😂

[@valeriehughes7221]

I pray that God will continue to watch zay and every child that needs a loving home. Peter you are doing a wonderful job taking care of these young people

[@mayramoran8265]

❤❤❤

[@12345sherri]

Please encourage them to get married first before moving in together

[@12345sherri]

Please encourage him to get married. Not just living together.

[@stephaniecannon410]

Great News and family fun 😊

[@sallyrobinson2265]

Zay, Maddie, never leave the kitchen if a fry pan is on!!

[@gemmabraganza4958]

Congrats on your new home.🏘 What is his KZbin account?

[@LifeOfZay7790]

Lifeofzay7790

[@SpreadShalom]

Wow where did you get those washer/dryer? How are they called?

[@LifeOfZay7790]

Walmart portable washer and no vent dryer

[@mariaafunugo]

cozy

[@kandacenoelle5265]

The closet would be a great place to put a dresser.

[@kerrylynnparsons7879]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@zepolie4206]

You didn’t put summers Instagram???

[@JediJan]

I hope they can afford the rent and all the utilities apart from just food and petrol. Could barely afford sharing when I was a teenager and only received junior wages. It was a serious and stressful struggle trying to survive during those years and did not receive any help from anyone.

[@mapsdg8591]

It's like a hotel

[@lorikennedy1127]

At least they are on the 1st floor.

[@rebeccapadlock5847]

I'm still here🩵

[@MicheleEdwards-tz9gf]

just a thought can your little girl please wear trousers in your car when you record your video at point 1.38 is wrong