Digital Dads

Social media is an inescapable part of modern life. People everywhere check for “likes” to their posts frequently throughout the day. There is no escaping the net of the electronic social web. In this episode we are joined by Laura Tierney of The Social Institute to help us teach our kids to use social media successfully. The truth is, kids generally don’t make a distinction in being social and being social on the internet. To them, it’s simply about connecting. That’s why it’s important as parents we guide them on social platforms with more permanence and consequences than perhaps some of the old school methods of communication. Luckily, there are people like Laura out there to help us out. Additional Resources * Social Locker Room (for parents to connect with each other) * Combat Cyberbullying in 4 Simple Steps – Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Mosaic * Brent – Lord of the Rings TV Series Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

We all have goals. Many of the things we strive for make us better men and better dads. But positive change is hard. Especially when we’re dealing with overcoming resistance and perhaps a bad habit or two. Lucky for us, Sean Young has spent years researching the solution. His results, discussed in his new book Stick With It, are nothing short of life changing. If you have a desire for your life to improve in some way, you don’t want to miss this episode! Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Movies Anywhere * Brent – NASA’s Ion Thruster Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

We all want to raise great kids. But how we go about it has changed drastically in only a generation. It used to be kids roamed about freely while adults hardly knew where they were. Just as long as we were home by dinner. And that’s not all. I vividly remember showing my parents my report card only to have them say simply, “that’s good son” without much of a second thought. With today’s hyper competitive college landscape a lack of parent involvement is a thing of the past. In this episode we’re joined by our own Patreon supporter Kevin Stanley to discuss just how much the world has changed with respect to parenting. He discovered Julie Lythcott-Haims’ book How to Raise an Adult and found the answer. Kevin told us about the book and an episode was born. Don’t miss this one as it’s chock full of anti-helicopter advice about breaking free from over parenting preparing your child for success. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing *  Andrew * Your Mechanic * GreenPal * Brent * Stranger Things app * Google translating earbuds * Kevin * 3D Holograph games * dynamic positioning Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

We all know how important reading is for our children. And if you have school aged kids you have no doubt heard about Scholastic. They have tons of great books in inspiring in our little ones a desire to read. It turns out they are also responsible for a Reading Report based on real families around the country. The results are incredibly interesting especially with the rise of technology in all of our lives. We dive in deep with Liza Baker to see just how these answers affect our own children. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Oregon Trail Minecraft Edition * Brent – Mortal Kombat secret menus Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

As a dad we spend a great deal of time teaching our children lessons. And why not? After all, we want them to learn all they can from our years of experience. By the time we have kids most of us have learned plenty from the school of hard knocks. So we work hard at sharing our vast knowledge every chance we get. But it turns out, there’s a lot we can learn from them too. This time we are joined by author Nick Britton to discuss the ways our kids can actually teach us a thing or two. We dive deep into his book Lessons from the Little Ones and explore the ways we can flip the script and learn from them. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Leela Kids * Brent – Recoil Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

It’s no secret technology is taking over. Nearly every facet of our lives are being affected by its advances. And with it comes a rise in the need for all types of computer related jobs. That includes the infamous title of computer programmer. Many of us want our kids to learn coding for the job opportunities it provides. And there are many other benefits as well. But should every child learn to code?  In this first ever co-hosted episode we’re joined by Bill Dwight of FamZoo who shares his unique perspective on this hotly debated topic. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Bill – Rocket League tournament * Andrew – YouTube TV * Brent – The Defenders Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

As parents, we are no strangers to stress. From the late nights with infants to the challenges of adolescence, we feel it. But we know better than to let it affect us too much. After all, stress is bad. It wreaks havoc on our bodies and can even cause us to lash out at loved ones. But what if I told you stress can be good? This time we’re joined by The Stress Test author Ian Robertson who explains how stress can benefit us. I know, it sounds crazy but the science shows stress can actually make us sharper and stronger. Plus we learn how three little words can change our brain from feeling anxious to being excited. Don’t miss this one! Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Slime Rancher * Brent – Lego Boost Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

Have you ever felt like you are raising a bunch of untamed animals? Well, maybe the idea isn’t so far fetched after all. It turns out there’s a lot we can learn about parenting from careful observation of the animal kingdom. This week we have the privilege of talking with Dr. Jennifer Verdolin about her newest book Raised by Animals. It’s packed with tons of useful tips ranging from breastfeeding to sibling rivalry. We cover as much as we can in this episode and she shares some wonderful analogies from the animal world. You don’t want to miss it! Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Tesla Model 3 * Brent – Driverless Cars are Coming Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

Winning isn’t everything. We know and teach our kids the important thing is how you play the game. But is that entirely true? If we’re being honest, winning in life does matter. We want to win a good job, a loving spouse, and maybe even an adult softball league. Competition can be healthy for both us and our children. So the question becomes, how can we win more often. In this episode we dive into something called “The Winner Effect.” It turns out that winning actually begets more winning. We discuss it in detail and why it matters to us as dads. Enjoy. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Ready Player One * Brent – Ear Hustle Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

Happiness is a fundamental part of a healthy life. It affects our relationships, career, and even our health. But how much effort do we make to keep an upbeat attitude? That’s the topic of this week’s episode. We dive deep answering the question of how we can be happier adults and dads. Not only will this help us be better individuals, it will also aid us in being the best dads possible. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge * Brent – Robby Robot Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

For many guys hanging out with buddies all but disappears as kids enter the picture. As parents we get busy and when we do catch a break we normally end up crashing early from exhaustion. But getting time with friends is important. Especially for dads. It’s so easy to lose our identity as a father (one that we embrace) and those time with buddies ends up adding to our role in the family. In this Round Table episode Jesse Embree and Jeremy Muse join us to talk about their experiences and the importance of having time with friends. Oh, and Kevin Stanley would have been here too but he was having emergency hangnail surgery and couldn’t make it. But, even though it was a smaller group the episode was still terrific! Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – fitbit * Brent – GameCredits Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls) shows. No contribution required.

Summer is finally here. Many of us will head off to the beach to play in the sun and the surf. We’re ready to cash in those hard earned vacation days and enjoy some well deserved relaxation. But as parents we can’t let our guard down entirely, especially around bodies of water. As you might imagine, there is a huge increase in pool/beach accidents in the summer months. But most of us think it could never happen to us. We are wrong. The parents who end up living the nightmare of a child getting hurt never thought it would be them either. But it only takes a few seconds for life to be changed forever. In this episode Dr. Shoba Srikantan tells us how we can protect our children from such devastating tragedy. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Cosmic Powers * Brent – The Dark Crystal returns Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

Some people love their jobs. Others, not so much. But with the cost of college sky high and the responsibility of a family it can feel impossible to change careers for most dads. Until now. In this episode John Morris teaches us how (with a little desire) we can break free from our current job. A career in coding can mean an increase in pay, flexibility, and often more job satisfaction. If you have ever considered making the move this episode is for you. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – The Leftovers * Brent – The Orville Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

Yelling is bad. Very bad. Especially when we do it to our children. But sometimes our frustrations gets the best of us. There are occasions where our precious little angels may be the cause of said anger. The truth is that even though we may feel compelled to yell at our kids, it rarely does any good. They often get scared when they’re younger and shut down when they get older. In either case, they aren’t very receptive to what we have to say. And it takes an inevitable toll on the relationship. In this episode we dive deep into our own challenges with yelling and how it can affect our children.   Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – The Gunslinger * Brent – Stan Lee = Uatu the Watcher Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).

Failure is the enemy. At least that’s what we’ve been taught. And we in turn teach it to our own kids. But the truth is, failing is a very necessary part of the learning process. As a society we have come to try to protect our children from failing and disappointment at all costs. Child got a bad grade? Go fight the teacher about it. Blame their efforts (or lack thereof) in the classroom or any other plausible excuse. Just don’t blame your precious little angel. The challenge is we now have college age adults that are incapable of handling everyday tasks. Even then, many parents are still there handling affairs on their behalf. These are typically loving, well intentioned parents. But the harm being done is difficult to undo. In this episode we are joined by Jessica Lahey to discuss her book The Gift of Failure. We dive deep into how we got to this place and what we can do to make things better. Don’t miss it. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Corpse Talk * Brent – Boomerang Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus get access to every episode of both our retired shows Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls).