Dad Space Podcast - for Dads by Dads

Episode 281 - How To Handle Death, Grief and Loss with Your Kids and Build Resilience During Grief ___ https://dadspace.ca Leave Dave a voice message here! Tell me where you are listening from!? https://www.speakpipe.com/HelloDave music provided by Blue Dot Sessions Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 280 - The Power of An Apology - 3 Things An Apology Will Do For Others and For You The Power of an Apology An apology can change the direction of a relationship. For dads, saying “I’m sorry” may feel difficult because it requires honesty, responsibility, and the willingness to face the damage caused by words or actions. Yet someone comes to mind when you think about an apology you still ow...

Episode 279 - Celebrating 33 Years of Marriage - 3 Free Things That You Can Do With Your Partner to Celebrate Your Anniversary Celebrating 33 Years of Marriage Dave marks his 33rd wedding anniversary on October 2 and shares three free, meaningful ways couples can celebrate their anniversary without spending money. He reflects on his own journey from a nervous groom to a husband of three decades, t...

Episode 278 - At Your Next Parent Teacher Meeting - Ask These 7 Questions and Get A Better Understanding of Your Kid Parent teacher night offers a rare chance to see your child’s world through their teacher’s eyes. Most parents ask generic questions about grades or behavior. This episode gives you seven specific questions that reveal how your child learns, connects, and handles challenges. Use the...

Episode 277 - The Need for More Spaces Dedicated to Men and Boys, Teenage Suicide and a Parent's Regrets with Paul Darling In this episode, the guest shares a deeply personal reflection on fatherhood, family, grief, and the lessons he has carried through a military life and a long season of loss. Speaking from the Cumberland Plateau in East Tennessee, he talks about raising three adult children ac...

Episode 276 - Feed Drop - Dr. Liz, Nutrition For the Early Years - 7 Mistakes NOT to Make in Feeding Your Toddler 7 Mistakes NOT to Make in Feeding Your Toddler What if the nutrition choices you worry about most are not the ones that matter most? In this episode of Nutrition for the Early Years, Dr. Liz Daniels shares seven common feeding mistakes parents make during the baby and toddler years. Wi...

Episode 275 - Four Months Left - What Kind of Dad Will You Be by December The Intentional Final Four Four months remain in 2026. This window offers dads a chance to finish the year with purpose instead of letting time slip away. The episode lays out a simple monthly focus for September through December. Each theme builds connection, presence, self awareness, and gratitude without requiring a compl...

Episode 274 - Thoughts and Feelings That Flood My Mind After Spending Time with my Adult Kids Thoughts and Feelings After Spending Time with Adult Kids Spending time with adult kids can stir deep emotions for an empty nest dad. Dave reflects on the strange feeling that follows a visit, when he drives home wishing he could return to the years when his children lived under the same roof. Dad Space e...

Episode 273 - When the Water Rises - 3 Life Lessons for Dads About What Really Matters A crisis like a flood has a way of stripping life down to its essentials. The things that seemed urgent yesterday—possessions, schedules, status, unfinished projects—can suddenly become irrelevant. What remains is often much simpler: people, safety, presence, and the choices we make when control disappears. For...

Episode 272 - The Awkward Dad Conversation, Building in Public, Personal Identity and Regrets with Guest Andy Vargo Fatherhood After Major Life Changes Andy Vargo shares a deeply personal look at fatherhood after divorce, major changes in personal identity, and the challenge of rebuilding relationships with children who have grown into adults. He describes the silence that followed leaving a busy...

Episode 271 - Slow Down Dad, Look Around - You Are Going To Miss This - A Caution for New Dads from an Empty Nester This episode offers a reflective and heartfelt message to dads in the middle of raising young children, delivered from the perspective of an empty nester looking back. It begins with a light, relatable tone but quickly shifts into a meaningful reminder about how fast fatherhood moves...

Episode 270 - Eric Church, 6 Strings, 6 Life Lessons - Being in Tune and Playing Your Instrument This episode of Dad Space takes inspiration from a powerful talk by Eric Church, where he uses the six strings of a guitar to share six life lessons. Dave brings that message into the world of fatherhood, translating each string into a meaningful reflection on how dads can live with intention, connecti...

Episode 269 - Dr. Christopher Choukalas - Even the Darkest Night - journey through paternal depression—an often undiagnosed condition that affects millions of new fathers This episode features Dr. Christopher Choukalas, an anesthesiologist and critical care physician, sharing a deeply personal and professional perspective on fatherhood, mental health, and the often unspoken reality of paternal pos...

Episode 268 - Dad Rules - Rest, Recovery, and Real Life - Teaching Kids to Listen to Their Bodies In this episode of Dad Space, Dave introduces the first installment of a new series called Dad Rules, exploring practical household guidelines that help families thrive rather than simply control behavior. The focus is on rest, recovery, and teaching children how to listen to their bodies in a world t...

Episode 267 - Not All Dads Are Broken - Healthy Dads, Help a Dad That is Struggling and Share Your Strength Opening question: “Are men okay?” → Reality: many aren’t, but some are just better at hiding it. Pushback on narrative: Not every man is secretly broken, despite what social media suggests. Cultural exaggeration: Online messaging often paints all men as emotionally unstable or on the edge. B...

Episode 266 - Navigating the Empty Nest with David Campbell Guesting on the Great Dad Podcast In this special Shared Mic Series episode of Dad Space, host Dave Campbell shares a conversation from his appearance on the GreatDad.com podcast with host Paul. The discussion centers on a topic that many fathers eventually face but few are prepared for: navigating the transition to an empty nest. Dave re...

Episode 265 - Celebrating Father's Day - Dad, Embrace Your Day, You Have Earned This This Father’s Day episode of Dad Space is both a celebration and a reflection, marking four years of conversations dedicated to supporting dads around the world. Dave opens with gratitude, recognizing the growth of the podcast and the global community that has formed around a shared goal: becoming better fathers t...

Episode 264 - The Dad's Library - What Every Library Can Teach Us About Fatherhood In this Father’s Day month episode of Dad Space, Dave explores a simple but powerful idea: what if the rules of a library could guide how we show up as dads? Drawing from the quiet structure and shared expectations of a public library, he builds a thoughtful framework for fatherhood rooted in presence, respect, and...

Episode 263 - When a Dad Runs on Fumes - where life stops feeling manageable and starts feeling like survival When a Dad Runs on Fumes There comes a point for a lot of fathers where life stops feeling manageable and starts feeling like survival. You wake up tired. You go to work tired. You come home mentally checked out. The bills keep coming, the expectations never seem to slow down, and somewher...

Episode 262 - Jon Gustin - The Tired Dad - Learning from Your Kids, Strength for Weary Dads and Content Legacy Helping dads navigate parenthood with perseverance, vulnerability, and self-compassion. He speaks openly about mental health, sobriety, and the need to include fathers in the parenting conversation. His message to all parents is clear, keep showing up. This episode of Dad Space features a...

Episode 261 - Navigating the Teen Years - Connection Over Control. A Guide For Caring Dads In this episode of Dad Space, Dave brings a grounded and personal perspective to one of the most challenging transitions in fatherhood: the teenage years. With humor and honesty, he reminds listeners that no dad is fully prepared for what happens when a child turns thirteen. While every father has experience...

Episode 260 - Beyond, How Was Your Day - Boosting Family Communication for Dads In this episode of Dad Space , Dave opens with his signature humour and reflection on fatherhood before diving into a deeply relatable moment many dads experience: the routine question, “How was your day?” and the all-too-common one-word response, “Fine.” From there, he explores why these surface-level exchanges often...

Episode 259 - Achieving Work-Life Balance - A Dad's Blueprint for Presence, Not Perfection In this episode of Dad Space , the conversation opens in a light, relatable way before shifting into a deeply personal reflection on what it really means to balance work and family life as a dad. The host shares stories from his early years of fatherhood, including long commutes, extended work hours, and the...

Episode 258 - What Makes a Good Dad Today - Redefining Fatherhood in the Modern Age In this episode of Dad Space , the conversation centers on a powerful and timely question: what actually makes a good dad today. Rather than offering a rigid definition, the episode challenges listeners to reflect on their own understanding of fatherhood and how that definition has evolved over time. The discussion...

Episode 257 - Dad's Guide to Tech - Balancing Screen Time and Real Connection Today on Dad Space, Dave is focused on the growing tension between technology and meaningful family connection. Technology is no longer optional in our lives. It shapes how we communicate, relax, and even how we relate to one another. While it brings convenience and opportunity, it also quietly pulls families into separa...