Digital Dads

Ah… the teenage years. This is the time kids, especially girls, become notoriously challenging. The switch gets flipped and the amount of drama around the house increase tenfold overnight. Well, maybe that’s a small exaggeration. But the fact is many people dread the years they will have to deal with their hormonally driven teens. This week Colleen O’Grady helps us learn how we can mitigate the drama in our house. These formative years (and even those leading up to it) are tough, but with the right approach we can keep our sanity. And in the end we can keep a strong bond with our children even as they grow into young adults. Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Google Family Link * Brent – Hollywood Studios Star Wars 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).

Sleep. It’s something that has plagued parents from the beginning of time. Whether it’s getting enough yourself or a baby waking up 5 times a night, sleep can become a central topic for every parent. As your kids get older it gets even harder with all the negotiations and bartering. What do we do? Luckily, this week, we have some help. We have special guest Dana Obleman, founder of The Sleep Sense Program, to talk about some practical tips that can help every parent get their kid to sleep. If your kid goes to sleep, then you get to go to sleep. Win, win. Enjoy the show! [The Sleep Sense Program] Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Spiders Will Eat Us * Brent – Heart of Spinach? 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 know reading to our kids is important. And we also want them to learn to enjoy reading on their own. And why not? After all, reading is the single biggest predictor of future success. And we all want our children to go on to great things. But there’s a problem. In today’s world, distractions are commonplace in most modern homes. Technology devices and gadgets are the go-to for the majority of kids when they get home from school. But it doesn’t have to be this way. What if our kids actually enjoyed reading? What if they willingly put down the iPad to pick up a *gasp* physical book? Do you think they would benefit from that action over time. Absolutely they would. Today’s guest Dr. Colleen Carroll tells us how we can inspire a love of reading in our own children in no time. [Innovative Reading] Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Evil Alarm Clock * Brent – Neuralink 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).

Stress. If you have kids there’s a good chance you are very familiar with the concept. Parents face it in their career, personal relationships, and even with their children. But if the stress level is too high it can cause all sorts of problems in our lives. In this episode we discuss ten ways we can reduce the amount of stress we face every day. Don’t miss it! Join the Facebook Group [Entrepreneur Article] One Cool Thing * Andrew – Pzizz * Brent – NitroType 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).

Are you spending enough quality time with your kids? If you’re anything like me you may think you have this on lock down. But after talking with our guest Jim Sheils this week, I realize the need to step up my dad game. In his book The Family Board Meeting, Jim shares the importance of one on one time with each of your children. This can be a challenge if you have more than two kids. That’s why the board meeting is so effective. It’s a priority for your both and a powerful way to take your connection to the next level. [Family Board Meetings] Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Legend Quest * Brent – We Dine Together 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).

Education is extremely important. And school plays a big part in that as our children grow their way into being adults. We know great teachers influence performance and inspire students to learn, but what about the school itself? How much does that matter? For many households the options of private vs. public school is worthy of discussion? In this Round Table episode Kelyn Mann, Tom Tate, and Michelle Stanley join us to discuss the pros and cons that factor into the decision. They have years of experience resulting in really great insights. You definitely don’t want to miss this one! Join the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Kids Baking Championship * Brent – Human Resource Machine 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.

Trying to eat healthy ourselves is hard enough. But getting our kids to eat what’s good for them? Nearly impossible. Especially when they’re faced with birthday parties and events at school that are full of sugary options. Then there’s youth sports. It’s all too common for the kids to come off the field from a great round of competition and exercise to be met with Hawaiian Punch and Donuts. This is not the best we can do folks. With us this week is child nutrition expert Thea Runyan and she’s going to save us all. She’s promised to tell us the secret formula that will guarantee healthy eating the kids will love. Ok, I might’ve fudged that last part a bit. But she has lots of really great info to share with us that will no doubt help our kids enjoy the benefits of improved health and nutrition. [Kurbo.com] – [The Kurbo Cookbook] Join us in the Facebook Group One Cool Thing * Andrew – Epic! * Brent – X-Plan: Giving your kids a way out Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Plus listen to old episodes of both our Outatime (Retro Movie Club) and Ginger Snaps (Brent’s girls) shows.

Kids and devices. This topic just won’t go away. Honestly though, how can it? With the always on, always connected nature of our society today is it any wonder our kids are following suit? Maybe we need to stop and think about how this will affect their well being. This time we are joined by expert pediatrician Dr. Jean Moorjani. This is a bit of a moving target as technology advances and she shares that the APA has new recommendations about appropriate screen time. She also touches on social media, cyberbullying, and video games in an episode you don’t want to miss! Join the Digital Dads Round Table Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. One Cool Thing * Brent – Lightweight Hang Glider

We made it. One hundred episodes in the bank. But truth be told, we nearly quit before we really got going. In this episode we explore pivotal episodes and how they’ve impacted the direction of the show. Spoiler Alert: The first show was bad. Really bad. But thankfully we got better with practice. We realized that since we weren’t experts at much of anything, we should probably bring others on to help. So we did. The result has been lots of great interviews and Round Table episodes and we couldn’t be happier. We’ve enjoyed the journey so far and look very forward to the next 100 episodes! Maybe you’ll even join us in one! One Cool Thing * Andrew – Humble Bundle * Brent – unGlue (Easy screen time management) Support the Show Check our our free bonus content available exclusively on Patreon. Digital Dads Facebook Group Join us in the Digital Dads Facebook Group as we help each other become the best dads possible in this fast moving digital age. This is also the path to being a guest on the show in one of our Round Table episodes.

Saying my first curse word was a right of passage for me. When I got to college and discovered girls responded well to “liquid personality” all bets were off. Late nights of poker playing cemented in a bad habit of colorful metaphors for years to come. But then I had children and all bets were off. Lots of people curse. In fact it’s becoming more common and accepted in our society in recent years. Unfortunately there’s no strong evidence of whether the habit is good or bad for us. So it begs the question… is swearing around our children harmful to them? We explore the pros and cons while tiptoeing around using any actual profanity on our “G” rated show. How to Stop your Child from Cursing Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag (Cody’s word) unavailable anywhere else. Digital Dads Facebook Group Join us in the Digital Dads Facebook Group as we help each other become the best dads possible in this fast moving digital age. One Cool Thing * Andrew – June Oven * Brent – Waymo Safety Report

It’s that time again. Time for the Dads of the Round Table to have a discussion. And this time, we get to talk about one of our favorite topics… Star Wars. Or at least a Star Wars Story. We are joined by Adam Hartvigsen, Ryan Bond, and Jon Harrison (of the Classically Trained podcast) to cover Rogue One in all it’s glory. The conversation was outstanding and I even watched the movie again that day for “research” purposes. Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Digital Dads Facebook Group Join us in the Digital Dads Facebook Group as we help each other become the best dads possible in this fast moving digital age. One Cool Thing * Andrew – Overcooked * Brent – MindFlix

Princesses, rainbows, and unicorns. That’s the majority of what you find on the book shelves for girls these days. But all little girls are different. Some of them don’t want another run of the mill princess-gets-rescued-by-the-prince story. Nope. They want something new, something different, something… exciting! Enter The Pinkaboos. Since Jake and Laura Gosselin were tired of seeing their little girl with so few options, they put their formidable writing super powers to work. The result is a wonderful set of stories more concerned with empowering girls to overcome their fears, than with fitting their foot in a glass slipper. Super cool to get to talk with them about it and they even give us a sneak peek at their new project too! Join the Digital Dads Round Table Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. One Cool Thing * Andrew – Robot Einstein * Brent – Beard Bro

Like it or not, many of us see a “dad bod” staring back at us when we look in the mirror. Years of less than perfect diet and more time watching sports than playing them eventually add up. Life happens, we get it. The best of intentions somehow don’t make an impact on our waistline or bench press. And trying to go it alone can be frustrating and exhausting. We need help. This week we have the privilege of talking with Steve Roy of Fit Dad Nation. Steve has spent his life helping people get in better shape and is now focused on helping dads like us. He is a great guy and the interview is packed full of useful takeaways. As parents we are busy. But it’s true the healthier we are the better dads we will be. Steve is here to help us do exactly that. Join the Digital Dads Round Table Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. One Cool Thing * Andrew – Giant Bomb * Brent – Infento – constructible ride system

This week we are joined by Chris Regan, Nathan Reitsma, and Kevin Stanley for our first ever Round Table Book Club. We all read The 5 Love Languages of Children and discussed it on the show. It was a very powerful conversation and the book should be high on your list. This will have a HUGE impact on your child’s confidence, will make discipline more effective, and will connect you deeper than you thought possible. It’s that good. And getting to chat about it with fellow Digital Dads only made it that much better. Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Digital Dads Facebook Group Join us in the Digital Dads Facebook Group as we help each other become the best dads possible in this fast moving digital age. One Cool Thing * Andrew – Amazon Mothership Drone Fulfillment * Brent – Saberforge (courtesy Nathan Reitsma)

Video games are awesome. Everyone knows that. Even people who don’t consider themselves “gamers” are playing on their phones without a second thought. Games have become a permanent part of our society. And for the most part, we’ve embraced their arrival with open arms. But… what about kids? Should they be allowed to play video games? There are concerns about addiction, violence, lack of socialization, and misogyny to name a few. And parents don’t always know if those fears are valid or not. That’s where Dr. Rachel Kowert can help. In this episode we discuss her new book A Parent’s Guide to Video Games as she helps us figure out the truth around video games. Don’t worry, the results aren’t so bad. Mario will be most pleased indeed. Patreon Support Check us out on Patreon and get exclusive content and swag unavailable anywhere else. Digital Dads Facebook Group Join us in the Digital Dads Facebook Group as we help each other become the best dads possible in this fast moving digital age. One Cool Thing * Andrew – Speeder Bikes IRL (in real life) * Brent – Cell Phone Jail