MILKLESS

Max and Matt break down one of parenting’s hardest skills, keeping your cool when everything’s falling apart. They talk about why kids always seem to test your patience at the worst times, what those triggers are actually teaching you, and how to recover after you blow up. From dad guilt to morning chaos to practical tools that actually help, this one’s a mix of real talk, science, and the kind of...

Max and Matt dive into the messy middle ground of parenting as a team, when to be a united front, and when it’s okay (even good) to be different. Sparked by a spicy Instagram post, they unpack what happens when one parent loosens the rules while the other holds the line, and why those differences might actually teach kids resilience. From solo weekends with the kids, to pizza dinners and Dave &amp...

Max and Matt dive deeper into the chaos of youth sports this time focusing on the scoreboards, standings, and the paradox of winning. They break down why so many leagues avoid keeping score, how that overcorrection misses the point, and what kids actually learn from wins and losses. From family dinners lost to the club system, to the pressure of turning every child into the next Messi or LeBron, t...

Max and Matt tackle the wild world of youth sports in America, where rec leagues are disappearing, travel teams dominate, and parents feel trapped in an expensive cycle of tournaments, uniforms, and endless weekends on the road. Max shares his experience founding City League , a local nonprofit bringing back competitive, affordable, community-driven sports for kids. They unpack how the “club track...

Max and Matt get into the delicate art of making fun of your kids when it builds connection and when it crosses the line. They unpack why playful teasing, if done right, can actually strengthen relationships and even teach kids emotional intelligence. From family jokes to inside roasts, they share how humour becomes a love language and why tone, timing, and context matter more than the words thems...

Max and Matt unpack the chaos of raising independent kids in a hyper-scheduled world. As their children grow up, they explore what it looks like to let go of bike rides without parents, drop-in sports, and the lost art of knocking on a friend’s door. They dive into why “playdates” might be ruining everything, the myth of the dangerous world we live in, and how over-parenting may be quietly chippin...

Max and Matt dive into the surprising science behind overprotective parenting and how it might literally shorten your child’s lifespan. They explore a British longitudinal study that found links between childhood autonomy and living a longer life, and reflect on what that means for modern parenting. From the fine line between support and smothering, to how bulldozer parents might be raising emotio...

We sat down with Caitlin Murray of @BigTimeAdulting to talk about why we made Violet Archer — a mystery story for kids that actually slows down, leans on story, and treats young brains with some respect. We talk about what’s broken in modern kids’ content, how Violet Archer came to life, and how modern content for kids seems to favor attention grabbing visuals and sounds over story and imagination...

Max and Matt get together with Amanda Brinkman and get real about what happens when you lose your temper as a parent. They unpack the moments where things boil over the yelling, the guilt, the emotional hangover and how to rebuild connection after the storm. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being human. They talk about how to repair trust with your kids, why shame keeps us stuck, and how t...

Max and Matt tackle one of the trickiest parts of parenting: what to do when your partner doesn’t quite nail a moment with the kids—and vice versa. From bedtime blowups to moments when one parent needs a “tap out,” they unpack how to handle these situations without throwing each other under the bus. They talk through the awkwardness of siding with your partner vs. comforting your kid, and how to n...

Max and Matt dive into the hilarious and humbling world of parenting quirks, especially the ones we're not proud of. From sarcastic “what's” to psychological warfare masked as calm questioning, they unpack the subtle ways dads sometimes offload their stress onto kids. The guys explore the fine line between gentle correction and straight-up shaming, reflect on the power of reframing disci...

Max and Matt dig into a conversation sparked by an article Matt’s dad (aka Skip) sent their way: “Stop Trying to Raise Successful Kids.” What unfolds is a vulnerable, hilarious, and deeply practical look at what we’re actually teaching our kids through our words, our reactions, and our silence. They explore how achievement culture subtly hijacks parenting, why kindness needs louder applause, and t...

Max and Matt sit down with their longtime friend Amanda Brinkman for an honest, hilarious, and eye-opening conversation about perimenopause—what it is, why it matters, and why so few people are actually talking about it. Amanda shares her personal experience navigating brain fog, rage surges, sleep disturbances, and the emotional chaos of midlife… all while raising a daughter who's hitting pu...

Max and Matt get deep into what our emotions really are—and what we can do about them. They explore the mind-blowing science of how emotions aren't just reactions but predictions, shaped by past experience and cultural cues. Drawing from the work of Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, they unpack why your anxiety, stress, or anger might not mean what you think it means, and how we actually have way mor...

Max and Matt get honest about parenting on autopilot—when you're technically doing everything right but feel totally disconnected from your kids. They unpack the invisible exhaustion that builds up from work, stress, and just keeping the family machine running—and how easy it is to slip into a mode where you're reacting, not connecting. They talk about how small moments of presence (like...

Max and Matt are back with Bettina Schultz-Jobe to dive deeper into the messy, emotional world of education choices. They unpack the tension between protecting kids and preparing them for the real world, the guilt around nontraditional schooling, and why no one path—public, private, homeschool, or micro-school—is a magic bullet. They get into how important it is for kids to build resilience withou...

Max and Matt sit down with guest Bettina Schultz-Jobe to explore one of the hottest parenting questions out there: What should school actually look like? They dive into homeschooling, hybrid models, micro-schools, and the wild world of education alternatives beyond the standard public school path. Bettina shares her journey from therapist to school founder, what she’s learned about how kids learn...

Max and Matt get raw and real about every parent's worst nightmare — when playtime goes sideways and lands you in urgent care. Matt recounts the heart-wrenching experience of holding down his two-year-old daughter while she got stitches, and the emotional aftermath that rocked the whole family. They unpack the guilt, the helplessness, the fear, and the surprisingly powerful role of storytelli...

Max and Matt dive headfirst into the mental mush that is modern life and ask the big question: are we all getting dumber… or does it just feel that way? They unpack the "reverse Flynn effect" (yes, it’s a thing), why IQ scores might be slipping, and how tech, social media, and even GPS might be slowly draining our brains. But instead of panicking, they explore what we can actually do abo...

Max and Matt open up about the weird limbo of life after college — when you’ve checked all the boxes but still feel totally unmoored. They talk about that creeping feeling of “Is this it?” even when things look fine on paper, the identity crisis that hits when your career path doesn’t match who you really are, and the invisible pressure to keep pushing forward even when you're not sure where...

Max and Matt get into the wild world of kids and competition—when it's fun, when it turns toxic, and when parents accidentally make it worse. They talk about the pressure kids feel to be “the best,” whether competition builds resilience or just stress, and how to help kids navigate winning, losing, and everything in between. From the awkwardness of letting your kid win (or not) to the questio...

Max and Matt take on the surprisingly tricky topic of self-image and how much parents shape the way their kids feel about how they look. They unpack the fine line between building confidence and accidentally creating little narcissists, why telling your kids they're beautiful might actually be a good thing, and how much of this is just about helping them avoid a future existential crisis in f...

Max and Matt wrestle with the awkward tension of self-care, gratitude practices, and what it really means to put yourself first as a dad. They dive into the discomfort of talking about feelings, why terms like "self-care" and "gratitude practice" feel off-putting, and whether the resistance to these ideas is generational, cultural, or just straight-up nonsense. From the pressur...

Do parents really have a favorite child? The research says… maybe. This week, Max and Matt discuss a fascinating new study exploring favoritism among siblings, why it happens, who it happens to, and how it affects kids long-term. They break down what makes one child the "favorite", why firstborns often get special treatment, and how parents can unintentionally send signals that stick wit...

Max and Matt dive into the wild world of sick kids: the endless fluids, missed days at daycare, and the looming question of how much sickness is too much. They talk about everything from preventing illness to navigating the tricky moments when it strikes, including handling fevers, the viral load theory, and whether it's okay to send your kid back to daycare with a little Tylenol. Max shares...