Modern Dadhood | Unpacking Fatherhood + Parenting for Dads (and Moms!)

Episode 44 of Modern Dadhood is a bit different than what you’ve grown accustomed to. Adam had a significant and deeply personal event in his life recently, spurring an impromptu recording session. The guys take a little time to catch up about family, life, and playing the role of dad—even if, at times, it’s hard to think about playing any other role besides son. Stay tuned for the Mother's Day "t...

At the end of the COVID tunnel, the thought of light is very appealing — 2020 was a whopper. The pandemic has affected us all differently. We’ve developed our own ways of navigating hurdles and managing emotional stress. Middle and high school kids faced unique challenges as they missed iconic milestones and were robbed of social lives. While drugs and alcohol have always been a concern for parent...

Does being a parent to twins simply mean two of everything? There are certainly twice as many diapers to change, two bladders to potty train, and double the tears during teething. But to twin parents, the emotional impact and physical toll often feels more than double… it feels exponential . In this episode, Adam and Marc welcome Shaw Flick, a fellow dad of twins, to examine the unique challenges...

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness. If anything, that statistic tells us that those who are struggling are not alone in their struggle. Still, reaching out for help can sometimes feel insurmountable. In this episode, guest Brian Manor, a dad to two, shares his personal story and talks openly about his challenges w...

Sometimes, two people fall in love and choose to get married, one or both of those people have young children from a previous relationship, and a wonderful new blended family is formed. But it’s not always so clear cut. Enter Sean Carrillo, a media maker, technical director, writer, former-famous-coffee-shop-owner, and family man. Sean also happens to be the stepfather of accomplished musician Bec...

Parenthood is a challenging adventure. And in a blended family, step parenting comes with its own set of unique obstacles. From custody arrangements to personal conflicts to social stigma, step-fatherhood, in particular, has developed a curious reputation over the decades. Rafael Torres, a father to two young daughters, (one biological and one step), shares perspective and advice that all dads cou...

How do we maintain a positive dialogue with our kids when examples of adversity seem ever-present in daily life? Journalist and Parenting Editor at Fatherly, Patrick Coleman, joins Adam and Marc to discuss how a set of family values can provide a foundation for engaging in challenging conversations. And how complex, real-world examples, if framed the right way, can be valuable in helping our kids...

Our world is full of big, heavy topics: War, politics, racial injustice, poverty... The list goes on. What’s the best way for dads and moms to approach these topics with our kids? Do we let them come to us? Avoid them at all costs? Hope that through some combination of teachers, YouTubers, and headlines, our kids will draw their own conclusion? Adam and Marc sit down with Patrick Coleman, father o...

At a rare moment of peak polarization in American history, John Dorlean, a hospitalized father of three, receives an anonymous, crucial donation of convalescent plasma to combat his intensifying case of COVID-19. An article shared thousands of times over 24 hours, along with a bit of good timing, just may have saved John’s life.   Episode 36 opens with an examination of "viral" content and some of...

Back in Episode 25, we spoke with Social Emotion Learning specialist Scotty Iseri. In addition to Scotty's important work with Committee For Children, he invented (and stars in) a wonderful and impactful podcast for kids called The Imagine Neighborhood. In a previously unreleased portion of our conversation, Scotty shares about the show's philosophy, goals, and storytelling mechanisms which help c...

A Day-Glo orange splatter of paint. A geyser of green slime. A seductive forearm tattoo named Petunia. If this doesn't conjure up some serious nostalgia, you either weren't a kid in the 90s, or your mom banned you from watching Nickelodeon. We invited Nick veteran and new dad Danny Tamberelli to the podcast to chat about growing up in the spotlight and how fatherhood is treating him 19 months into...

Let me guess: You thought it was SOOO unlikely that 2020 would serve up not one, but TWO hilarious fatherhood-themed podcasts... didn’t you, you Doubting Thomas, you? If 2020 has demonstrated nothing else, it’s that anything is possible. In Modern Dadhood's first anniversary episode, we welcome comedian and fellow podcaster Rory Scovel of Dads: The Podcast. We laugh, we laugh, and we wax philosoph...

Do you ponder your own death? Is it something you worry about? Wonder when it will happen? Did your perspective on death change when you became a father? Death is inevitable, and it can be uncomfortable, even stressful to talk about, especially when children are in the picture. For Robert Bailey, this is a familiar conversation. Robert has stage 4 cancer which started in his bladder and has taken...

Real talk: What’s more remarkable than being an astronaut? Being an astronaut dad, that’s what. Adam and Marc are joined by former astronaut Winston E. Scott, who shares stories of his NASA space missions, his tenure as a US Navy Captain, the crucial importance of STEM education, and his own unique perspective on raising children to be bold, confident adults. Also, learn the answer to the burning...

Single parenthood is a common phenomenon and it occurs for a number of reasons, the most common of which is divorce. In the United States alone, an estimated 2.4 million divorces take place each year, many of them involving children. Seth Romano, a Los Angeles-based musician and single father of one joins the Modern Dadhood conversation to share his personal story of realization that he wasn't hap...

Remember life before kids? We did things a certain way, we went places, we stayed up late, had hobbies, and some of us were even thrill seekers. Did that change when kids came into the picture? Or were you able to strike a balance between caring for kids and doing things for you? Peter Shankman, a best-selling author, entrepreneur, Ironman triathlete, and single dad, joins the show to talk about h...

We all have them: Those kids’ books we were gifted or we picked up on a whim because the title was intriguing or the characters were familiar. But then we crack them open, and BAM— total schlock. With the sheer amount of content for children out there, it's increasingly difficult to find the good stuff; the content that inspires wonder. The types of shows, movies, and books we remember loving as k...

The Dad Bod: Is it a myth? A legend? A joke? Does it happen to all dads? How can we avoid it? Or better yet, how can we effectively combat if we choose to? Modern Dadhood welcomes its first female guest, Courtney Wyckoff, to the conversation. Courtney’s success as a Certified Personal Trainer and the creator of MommaStrong / PappaStrong gives her unique insight into some of the real underlying iss...

Every parent hopes to cruise through potty training so they can be rewarded with the sweet liberty of a diaper-free lifestyle. But sometimes the toilet training journey is less of a cruise and more of a crawl… or worse yet, a series of fits and starts. Marc and his wife Jamie know this journey all too well as they’re currently navigating the harsh (and sometimes messy) terrain with their twin boys...

Social-emotional learning, mindfulness, soft skills, emotional intelligence— call it what you want. Learning how to understand and deal with emotions plays a significant role in our ability to handle all varieties of problems we face throughout our lives. In this episode, we get into the nitty-gritty with Scotty Iseri, father of a 7-year-old son and fellow podcaster, on the true value of social-em...

Entering into a new school year is anxiety-inducing as it is. This year, for many parents it feels like teetering on a precipice— each way down lined with more questions than answers. We sit down with Jon L’Ecuyer, a high school Government teacher and dad to a second grade daughter, to discuss the choices that his family is contemplating. We talk navigating hybrid learning models, juggling homesch...

Expecting your first child can be both exciting and unsettling. There’s so much to learn, do, prepare, and buy before you take on the single most important job you’ve ever had. Becoming a first time dad in 2020, when it feels like the whole planet could just fold in on itself at any given moment, is a different kind of unnerving. Thankfully, Chad Richardson is feeling optimistic and focused on the...

Imagine, if you will, you’re a young Latino man in your late twenties living in Los Angeles. You’ve just had your first child and you’re pounding the pavement, working your ass off to land any acting gig you can get. And then one day the telephone rings, and the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself… three thousand miles away. That’s the beginning of Emilio Delgado’s journey as both a father a...

How often does your kid do something so funny, cute, smart, or outrageous that you wish you could capture it and share it with the world? (And how often do you follow through on that?) Multi-talented content creator and father of one, Andre Jalil, is a master of documenting life with his-two year-old daughter Lyric Sanaa on video. The result is a treasure trove of hilarious and heart melting conte...

Take a moment to think back across your life. Do you have certain experiences that have always resonated with you, whether significant or unremarkable? Commercial director, editor, show runner, and author Michael Addis has spent years documenting his favorite life stories, and he joins the Modern Dadhood conversation to share about his new book Who’s Your Daddy?: Bedtime Stories I Tell My Kids, Bu...