Digital Dads

“You have our sword!” We’ve been doing this show for about a year now and we’ve finally realized something important. It’s the community of listeners that lies at the heart of this thing. And we plan to embrace that fully from here on out. Because the bottom line is this. We are all Digital Dads. And we are all trying to successfully raise kids in a digital world. And now, we are committed to doing it together by taking our seat at the Round Table. Listen in on this episode as we discuss the 10 Rules of the Roundtable – our philosophy around raising kids in a digital world. Just like the knights of old we will forge ahead as one united front, arm in arm, shield by shield. And we shall be victorious! Join the Round Table Facebook Group Join Us at the Round Table One Cool Thing * Andrew – The Witness * Brent – Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens [Trumpet sound by CGEffex Copyright CC by 3.0]

Anyone with kids understands the value of a good pediatrician. So naturally we were elated when Dr. Mike of the PediaCast podcast agreed to make a return visit to the show. Reviewing his show we realized he has a TON of great episodes and it would simply be too hard to limit him to a single topic. So, we put together a list of questions including some of our own and a few from listeners. The end result? Another great interview naturally. He even came the closest anyone’s ever come to saying an actual cuss word on the show. I know. Crazy right? After the dust settled he said he would be honored to be the resident Digital Dads pediatrician. Well, maybe “honored” is our word. Regardless he’s a great guy and we’re thrilled to share his expertise with you once again. One Cool Thing * Andrew – Apple Music Memo App * Brent – Secret Netflix Codes

Kids grow up fast. Like really fast. One minute they’re crying their way through another new tooth and the next their picking out curtains with their spouse. Well… maybe it goes a little slower than that. But not much. Our wonderful little angels move through the phases of life at a rapid pace. Of course we don’t notice it in the moment. Then one day we take a good look at one of them and exclaim, “I can’t believe you are already (insert new age) years old! Where does the time go?” That’s why it’s super important to capture as many of these little moments when they happen. Sure we all take tons of photos on the smart phone in our pocket. And maybe even a video or two depending on how well we manage our storage. But there are some other neat ways we can freeze those memories in time. A recent Internet search turned up a great blog post by Code Name Mama. In it she discusses 10 ways to preserve memories with her children. We though this would be a great topic to discuss so after putting the requisite Digital Dads flair to it here you go. [Code Name Mama] One Cool Thing * Brent – Minecraft in the Classroom * Andrew – Google Cardboard Saves Baby’s Life

What can make a grown man cry? Star Wars that’s what. We got excited about the brand new Star Wars movie a year ago when we first saw the trailer. In that short video clip one thing was obvious. Star Wars was back. That trailer connected us with our inner child in a meaningful way. For a moment, we were little boys again. And it was glorious. In fact we were so excited that we did an entire podcast episode about the new film. And again, this was a full year before the release date. But Star Wars is important so the decision was a good one. That episode was also important in another way as well. It marked the first time we included clips of the kids in the show. If you’ve heard any of our episodes you know that has become a mainstay since then. And to think it was all inspired by Star Wars. Now that the movie has come out, we knew it was time to do a follow up episode. This time we get a special treat as we bring some fellow dads on with us to have a roundtable discussion about it. We do a review including what we liked and what we didn’t, plus we discuss a few of the theories floating around out there about Rey. And at least one grown man admits to tearing up at the theater. And I bet he wasn’t alone. One Cool Thing * Cody – Star Wars Battlefront

Being a parent is hard. And raising kids in the digital age is even harder. Technology is advancing quickly in the world today bringing with it not only new benefits but new challenges as well. Especially for parents. We are digital immigrants tasked with raising digital natives to succeed in a world that changes more every day. And there is no one to show us the way. From cyber bullying to sexting there are new challenges arising all the time. But is it as bad as it seems? In this episode we talk with Dr. Yalda T. Uhls about the reality of our fast changing world and how it is impacting our children. We ask her about questions like these: Is social media ruining our kids? How much internet activity is too much? What do FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), sexting, and selfies mean for teens?  What does research say about how media and technology are impacting childhood? Listen in as Dr. Uhls helps us approach parenting from a new perspective. Armed with the facts and some solid strategies we are much better equipped to raise our children to thrive in the new digital reality. Dr. Yalda T. Uhls website Deseret News article One Cool Thing * Andrew & Brent – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

It’s far too easy to take your health for granted. And we’ve been guilty. Too many days seated behind a computer monitor can wreak havoc on your body if you’re not careful. And once the habits are established it can be very difficult to turn things around. But it matters. A lot. Playing with your children, quality of life, lower risk of disease, and self confidence are only some of the many benefits you will get from increasing your overall health. Even the smallest of steps, done regularly, can have an impact. In this episode we tackle the topic discussing the importance of good health and some insights about how to attain it. We’ve been in and out of the gym more times than we can count. And we’ve learned a few tricks along the way. Plus, we also connect the dots to the psychological benefits and how that can have a ripple effect on other areas of your life. One Cool Thing * Andrew – Filmumentaries * Brent – The BFG movie

It’s that time of year again. The kids have their wish lists for Santa filled out and ready to go. Which got us thinking. Toys sure have changed over the years. Our childhood was filled with everything from He-Man action figures to LiteBrite. Nowadays technology is hardwired into nearly everything. Who had it better? We present the case and let you decide. We hope you enjoy this episode and the trip down memory lane. One Cool Thing * Andrew – Console Wars * Brent – Toys for Tots

Thanksgiving is a special time of year. In a world full of chaos we take this single day to come together with family and shift our focus to those things we are most thankful for. Plus we even bring up piecaken. What could be sweeter than that? In this special episode we share with you the things we express our gratitude for those things in our own lives. And we share why we believe this is an important holiday and one we hope you also get to share with those closest to you. One Cool Thing * Brent – Li-Fi * Andrew – Jessica Jones

It’s no secret reading has many advantages for children. From increased academic performance to higher quality communication skills, there’s no denying encouraging them to read is valuable. But with so many distractions like video games competing for their attention this is often easier said than done. In this episode we discuss some ways to inspire your little one to read more. We run down the list and of course still believe the “screen time” has it’s value. But as with anything balance is an important thing to strive for. Sponsor: Mack Weldon – Men’s Basics (Use code “GREATSCOTT” for 20% off) One Cool Thing * Brent – Jetpack first responders * Andrew – Fallout 4

There will come a time in the not-too-distant future when cars will drive themselves. You read that right. Cars will be zipping around with no one behind the wheel. There may not even be a wheel for that matter. With companies like Google, Tesla, and probably Apple (unconfirmed) in the mix its no doubt the self driving car will soon be a reality. But is it one we are prepared to accept? There are many pros and cons to the idea not the least of which is figuring out “algorithmic morality.” It’s an odd term but basically it means programming the car to choose between killing others or sacrificing the passenger. A choice not so easily decided. Especially if you’re going to be riding in one. But the future is rushing in regardless. Listen in as we weigh the idea and chip in our two cents on where this technology is headed. Plus we discuss the benefits and drawbacks likely to arise. Sponsor: Little Elliot – Big Family Our new podcast: Outatime Retro Movie Club One Cool Thing (coming soon) * Andrew – Apple TV * Brent – Color Escapes (coloring books for adults)

Habits. We all have them. Some good, some not so good. But one thing is certain, they have a decided impact on how effective we are in our life. In this episode we discuss the huge bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. Yes, this is a “self help” book. And yes you should still listen. The insights contained in this book will have a profound and immediate impact on your life. We summarize the key points of the book giving you a taste of the wisdom contained inside. Sponsor: Little Elliot – Big Family One Cool Thing (coming soon) * Andrew – Workflowy * Brent – Remedies for Spicy Sphincter Syndrome

Discipline is always a challenge for anyone with kids. Any parent knows how trying it can be to get them down at night. Sometimes, even a simple trip to the store can be difficult. Then there’s whining, negotiating, pouting… you name it, kids will try it. But short of giving up we have to find techniques that work. And not just in the short term. We want to make sure the discipline we are exhibiting is in the best interest of our children. Sure we’re tired, stressed, and sometime emotional ourselves. But someone has to be the adult. And you can bet it won’t be them. In this episode Brent and Andrew explore some of the many mistakes we all make when attempting to raise our kids. As crash-test parents in the digital world they’ve found some stuff that works and lots that doesn’t. but they are committed to becoming better parents and enjoying the journey along the way. Sponsor: Little Elliot – Big Family One Cool Thing (coming soon) * Andrew – Halo 5 * Brent – Cure for baldness… in mice… sort of

The future. It’s fun to speculate what the world might be like 30 years from now. And that’s exactly what the writers of Back to the Future II did. We had a blast with Marty as he experienced everything from hoverboards to the Cubs winning the World Series in future of 2015. Well, they didn’t get everything right but there were surprisingly close. Listen as Andrew and Brent discuss the movie predictions and come up with their own for the next 30 years. Sponsor: Little Elliot – Big Family One Cool Thing (coming soon) Star Wars trailer and pre-sale tickets  

Halloween candy. Now them’s fighting words. Or at least they used to be. But now thanks to a great idea by Christina Anderson of the Huffington Post, we can rest assured we’ll get our fair share. And this time it’ll be legal. To some, the idea of making their children sign a written contract for the sake of holiday candy seems like overkill. Thankfully Christina doesn’t think that way. She has provided us with a usable (if not legally binding) contract template to make sure we score our share of the spoils. We encourage each of you to make the necessary modifications and print, sign, and notarize this with your children immediately. Years of future Kit Kat depend upon it. Christina Anderson Twitter: @Xtina_Anderson Sponsor: Little Elliot – Big Family One Cool Thing (coming soon) * Andrew – Carvana * Brent – Disney World trip  

Everybody loves a good movie. Even better if it’s a retro film from the days of our youth. Well, that’s Brent’s opinion anyway. His kids have other ideas. They claim movies from their era are far superior than their pop’s day and age. You would think Andrew would have Brent’s back in this little debate. After all, he is a co-host and they have another new project they are working on TOGETHER (this week’s one cool thing). But alas, he is empathetic with Brent’s kids on this one and falls squarely in the camp of “all movies are awesome.” Brent sees this as a clear sign of weakness and is actively recruiting a new partner. All applications welcome. Sponsor: Little Elliot – Big Family One Cool Thing (coming soon) Outatime: Retro Movie Club