Relatively Functional Dads

You want your kids to grow up knowing Jesus. So you’ve tried the Bible stories, the devotionals and getting everyone to church on time. Most of it feels like one more thing to fit into the week, and you’re not sure what faith is supposed to look like at the dinner table on a regular Tuesday. Sound familiar? This episode is for you. In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, Buddy t...

We spend so much time trying to teach our kids. What if God is using them to teach us? In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, Buddy, Reese, and Noah talk about the little teachers living in our homes. Kids remind us of things we’ve forgotten as adults: they trust us with their whole lives, depend on us for everything, and notice wonder in the things we walk right past. In Matth...

It's 2 a.m., the baby won't stop crying, and you're wondering if you'll ever sleep again. Then one day you realize the contact naps are gone too, and nobody told you the last one was the last one. Sound familiar? This episode is for you. In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, Buddy and Reese are joined by Noah on a Friday night with the wives away, the kids (hopefully) asleep,...

Your kid asks a big question about God. You start answering... and halfway through, you realize you're not sure you believe it yourself. Sound familiar? This episode is for you. In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, Buddy sits down with pastor and author Meredith Miller, who's spent over 20 years walking alongside kids, families, and faith communities. Meredith wrote Woven: Nu...

Why do you know exactly which of your desires is loud and which one is quiet and still let the loud one win anyway? In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we pick up right where Part 1 left off. Knowing your strong desires from your deep ones is only half the battle — you can know exactly which one is talking and still let the strong one win. One more quarter of football instea...

Why do you want to be home more AND get ahead at work? Why do you finally get the kids to bed... and immediately miss them? In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we're digging into something every dad feels but rarely names: the constant tug-of-war between competing desires. Advancing your career vs. being home more. Craving quiet vs. craving community. Wanting peace at the en...

Comparison is sneaky. It steals your joy and changes the way you see your kids, your wife, and yourself as a dad. In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we get honest about comparison in fatherhood: comparing our kids to other kids, ourselves to other dads, and our families to ones that don't even exist. We talk about what happens when hopes become expectations, and how trading...

Who's a dangerous man? A dad with no one keeping him accountable, no one speaking into his life, and no brothers in the trenches with him. In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we get real about male friendship, brotherhood, and why building community as a dad only gets harder — and matters more — once you have kids. Between marriage, work, and parenting young kids, it's easy...

Where did my wife go? If you've become a dad and felt like your marriage changed overnight… you're not imagining it. In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we're getting honest about what no one tells you…becoming parents doesn't just change your sleep schedule, it changes your marriage. The connection that once came easily now takes effort. The fun that used to be spontaneous...

It's 2AM. You've tried everything. Baby's still crying. You let out one final prayer  and hear nothing. If you've been there, this episode is for you. Buddy and producer Noah sit down with their good friend Zach to talk about what happens to your faith when sleep training pushes you to the edge. Zach opens up about months of sleepless nights, prayers that seemed to go unanswered, and the moment he...

Are you an all-in or all-out kind of dad? You're not alone and it might be costing you more than you think. In Episode 8 of Relatively Functional Dads, we get honest about the all-or-nothing trap that so many dads fall into the mindset that says if you can't crush it completely, why even show up? We talk about: Why all-or-nothing thinking feels productive but creates burnout, shame spirals, and in...

What do you do when the person you'd call for advice is the one you're grieving? Two dads. Two losses. One raw, honest conversation about what it really means to grieve your father while becoming one. In this episode of Relatively Functional Dads, Buddy sits down with his close friend Derek McClarty. Derek lost his dad to pancreatic cancer just weeks after his daughter was born. Buddy lost his dad...

Why do dads get so angry sometimes? And what’s really underneath it? In Episode 7 of Relatively Functional Dads, we have an honest conversation about anger in fatherhood, emotional health for dads, and how fathers can process frustration without hurting their kids or families. We talk about: Why anger often hides deeper emotions like sadness, grief, fear, stress, or disappointment Common triggers...

Why do dads feel like they’re failing, even when they’re doing their best? In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we sit down with our first guest, Morgan Selecman from the That’s A Win podcast, to talk about the pressure of perfect parenting and the hidden weight so many moms and dads carry every day. From parenting guilt and social media comparison to fear, shame, and perfect...

Our kids interrupt us all the time… but what if those moments matter more than we think? In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we talk about fatherhood, faith, and how the way we respond to interruptions is shaping our kids in real time. It’s easy to feel entitled to our time, especially when we’re tired, working, or finally getting a moment to breathe. But our kids don’t unde...

What happens when you give your best to your family… and no one seems to notice? In this episode, we’re getting real about something every dad feels but rarely talks about—the quiet frustration of serving without appreciation. We love our families, but if we’re honest, it’s easy to expect something in return… respect, acknowledgment, even just a simple “thank you.” And when we don’t get it? That’s...

Tired… but not sure why? In this episode, we talk about the kind of exhaustion most dads are living with—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—and why it’s not all the same. There’s a difference between good fatigue and unhealthy exhaustion . If you don’t know which one you’re dealing with, you’ll keep trying to fix the wrong problem. In this episode, we cover: • The difference between meanin...

What does entitlement look like in fatherhood—and why is it so dangerous when we don’t even realize it’s there? In Episode 3 of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we talk about the subtle ways entitlement creeps into our lives as dads. It rarely shows up as arrogance. Instead, it sounds like, “I worked hard… I showed up… I did the right things… so now I deserve this.” The problem is, when ent...

How much does your relationship with your dad shape the way you father your kids? In Episode 2 of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we explore how our fathers shaped us—for better and for worse—and how God continues to father us through the places we’re still growing, healing, and maturing. We also share real-life dad moments from the week, including a Big Dad Energy win and a classic Should...

What does it mean to be fathered by God—and how does that change the way we father our kids? In Episode 1 of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we talk about Christian fatherhood, parenting, faith, and the reality of being imperfect dads trying to lead our families well. We share real stories from our week as dads (the wins and the “Should’ve Known Better” moments), our personal fatherhood jo...