Dear Old Dads

Oh, hey! Want to have all of the responsibility and weight of parenthood without any of the legal benefits ensuring you are connected to your kids? Try stepparenting! Tom leads today's chat with the dads as he breaks down the frustrating structure of America's step-parent. Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For comments, email thedads@dearolddads.com

Today's episode centers on the importance of friendship despite what dude self-help spaces might tell you. Also more hot takes that the dads dig into include: being vulnerable enough to apologize when you've wrongly let a friendship go, and whether or not you can truly build friendships in online communities. No way you get this kind of content from the anti-friendship dude-bros trying to sell you...

Today's show kicks off with a near-immediate three bears situation related to the interpretation of a TikTok video that makes Thomas want to throw his computer out the window; the dads go on a bit of a journey discussing hot takes and whether or not people honestly believe their perspective, or if they just desire to be "viralized." There's a whole lot more in this episode that I honestly can't ev...

Thomas shares something Arlo loves doing and has declared he'd like to do for a career and the dads dig into helping our kids navigate the choice between pursuing a passion or seeking stability. Stick around for the story at the end if you want to hear Eli's newest sadness earworm! Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For comments, email thedads@dearolddads.com

First, the dudes compare music taste. Then, a listener email asks the dads for advice about handling a recent situation they experienced where their kid's school carried out its full crisis procedure after the child said something minor in class, and the consequences on their own life (their workday, the weekend, etc.) as a result. How should a parent react in that circumstance, what is appropriat...

Our dudes gather today to talk about what obligation parents have to decline their children opportunities in sports that have a high risk of brain injury and possible development of CTE. Is there a middle ground, where they can play things like football and soccer up to a certain level, before it gets dangerous - or is it always too risky? Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads F...

The New York Times' recently ran a piece where they just get it completely wrong (surprise) on tackling security issues with Roblox and other online offerings after some particularly troubling incidents connected to the game. Eli comes prepped with an analogy that makes way more sense as we chat about the inevitability of our kids being in online spaces. How three bears is this one going to be? Jo...

The dads gather to answer a listener question for an especially tough situation that the listener's friend is navigating. If a not-cash-money thing happens to our kid, how should we react? If a not-cash-money thing happens to your friend's kid, what can you do to be supportive during that moment? It's a real 2 bears and a psychopath! Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For com...

The dudes are here to discuss toxic male sexual inadequacy, the cultural underpinnings of it, and how most often it is something men just inflict upon themselves. A note from Lydia: Listeners, you'll hear Tom refer to this as Episode 269 during the intro and, obviously, classic humor ensues. You are not losing your mind: it is, in fact, Episode 230, but Tom shouted out the recording session number...

Thomas shares what he thinks might be a parenting win with one of his kiddos by walking a fine line between what his parents had done when he was a kid and what Eli would probably do. How realistic should we be when our kids share their expectations and dreams with us? Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For comments, email thedads@dearolddads.com For extended episodes, bonus...

Part 2 of 2! The dads continue their conversation from Episode 227 regarding how to evaluate whether or not your kid is "too online" and what actions you should take to intervene. More specifically, what might be some signs that your child is falling into one of those cesspools? Also, place your bets now: what percentage of this episode will be Eli's Italian Brainrot? Join the Facebook Group! face...

Part 1 of 2! In light of yet another terrible *motions to everything*, we thought it was time to talk about how to evaluate if your kid seems "too online," if certain spaces are worse than others, and what the consequences of that might be. The dads line up in a bit of a three bears situation on what this means to them exactly, but there's just so much more to dig into on this topic that we'll be...

The dads gather to discuss the unexpected toxic masculinity behind much of the self-improvement sold toward men these days. Why are these activities so... solo? Do they have to be? Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For comments, email thedads@dearolddads.com

(apologies for the late post, the Smiths had a travel nightmare!) We've got a three bears situation over here today! Are parents responsible for addressing their kids' "weird" attitudes and behavior? And if so, how do we distinguish between what might be "weird" but flexible and what traits may be an innate facet of the person? Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For comments,...

A listener writes in looking for advice on approaching their relationship with a parent when the parent won't accept them for who they are. After exploring if the listener could have offered more in helping their parent understand, the dads reflect on a tough question - how do we know when it's time to let go of relationships that are hurting us? Then, in the patron-only story, Eli shares a heartw...

The dads receive a question from a listener who has gone through a divorce and is ready to jump back into the dating scene, but they don't know what to do, where to turn, or maybe even...how to flirt. Are you Team Coffee or Team Dinner Date? Then, ONLY patrons get to hear a funny Lydia story about dating and the apps (Lydia approves its inclusion). Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dear...

Tom needs some more "old man yells at clouds" time to go off about the first few days of school for his kids. The dads get into it and talk school apps, communication, miscommunication, and various other logistics that seem to be purposely set up to be more complicated than they have to be. Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For comments, email thedads@dearolddads.com

Tom kicks the show off with a pretty major sleep update that no one saw coming! Then, the dads chat about a parenting style that has been dubbed "F*** Around and Find Out" (FAFO) parenting. What makes this style unique, or is this just a rebranding of another approach? What kind of crazy hot take is Eli going to come in with this time? Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For c...

The dads reflect on insecurity in relationships through their formative years and the impact it has had on future romantic relationships, friendships, and others. How do you navigate relationships in a healthy way, and break those internal expectations, if you grew up always wondering if your parents were mad at you, or if they'll be there to support you when you've made a mistake? Join the Facebo...

Tom's got a kid kunundrum to talk about. What if our kids want to hang out with their older sibling's friend group? Is that totally cool or just an opportunity for trouble?  

This episode has two of the wildest takes two of the Dads have ever heard from the third. About what, you ask? You may have seen a viral "libido equation" make its rounds on the internet, explaining how new moms might evaluate if they're up for engaging in sexual activities with their partner. The dudes break it all down, and I really don't want to say much else and potentially spoil any piece of...

After a discussion about simulation theory for some reason, Tom talks about having listened to a podcast about people falling in love with AI bots. What's the deal there? Is that a real relationship? Is the AI coming for our kids? Then for patrons only, instead of a parenting story, the dads discuss whether or not having an AI girlfriend would be cheating.

Buckle up and secure those tray tables in the upright and locked position. We get the Plane-ageddon scoop from Eli to kick off today's episode, and then the dads dig into an email from a listener struggling with balancing their mental health treatment and showing up as a parent in the way they expect. And then, how can we embrace the understanding that parenting will always inherently be imperfect...

After an extended introduction exploring at what age kids should be allowed unsupervised time in crowded locations and some of the tools that might help ease parent anxiety in those scenarios, the dads shift focus to discuss the act of location sharing with significant others. Is there ever a reason to not do that? I mean, that isn't cheating? Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearoldda...

On this episode, the dads tackle a complicated listener quandary...so complicated in fact that Thomas can't keep the people or their relationships straight. What do we owe our parents and other adults in our lives to help them navigate challenging situations with our brothers and sisters? Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For comments, email thedads@dearolddads.com