The Daily Dad

“There is perhaps no remark responsible for more banal evil than this one: I don’t want my kid to be negatively affected. This is what parents say—and have said for generations—in objection to just about any change, whether it was integrating schools or equal playing time in youth sports.” Ryan explains why you can’t over protect your kids, and launches the new premium leather edition of The Obsta...

On today’s episode, Ryan talks to author Charlie Mackesy about his #1 New York Times bestselling book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse , the process of writing and creating the book, how beautiful and rare it is to find contentment, and more. Charlie Mackesy is the author of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. The book has sold over 1.4 million copies and spent 55 weeks on the Sunday...

“We say it casually. We mean well. “Make me proud out there, kiddo,” we say as they trot out onto the soccer field. “Make your parents proud,” we say as they head off to college. And when they do great stuff, we reward them by letting them know that they have made us proud. We want this to motivate them. We use it, oftentimes unconsciously, to hold them accountable.” Ryan explains why you should m...

“Every time you pick them up to trim their nails. Every time you take them to get their haircut. Every time you have to take a load of clothes to Goodwill or to a friend’s house. Every time you have to buy them a new pair of socks or shoes, be sure to take a moment to take notice.” Ryan discusses how important the little things are and why they remind you of what matters most, on today’s Daily Dad...

“There is a type of parent who is constantly worried about their kids. They’re worried that the teacher isn’t giving their daughter enough attention. They’re worried that their son is falling behind. They fight and claw for every advantage...and resist every possible disadvantage with equal ferocity. More than anything, they want their kids to “succeed”—and they will not let anything get in the wa...

“You didn’t mean anything by it. It was a comment under your breath about your brother’s spending habits. It was a joke about a celebrity’s weight. It was a complaint about the way your neighbor parks in their driveway. It was the conversation between you and your spouse over dinner, about what’s wrong with the other side, about them.” Ryan discusses how much of an impact what you say has on your...

“You got frustrated. Because they were being annoying. Because you already told them. Because they know they’re not supposed to hurt their brother like that.” Ryan explains why the best place to be is in the present moment, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the more people l...

Ryan talks to Jessica Lahey about her new book The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence , protecting your kids against addiction and finding the right information to guide them to success, teaching your kids about self-efficacy, and more. Jessica Lahey is the New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Ch...

“It’s not easy to do when they’re hitting or biting or waking up ten times a night. When they’re failing classes they’re more than capable of passing. When they get caught sneaking out. When they’re acting like a jerk.” Ryan explains that there’s usually a reason behind everything your kids do, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a revie...

“In the beautiful children’s book, Each Kindness, Jacqueline Woodson tells the story of a young girl named Chloe who, in the casual way that kids often do, treats a classmate cruelly. She is moved to change one day when her teacher demonstrates the way that water ripples when a stone is dropped in it.” Ryan explains why your actions impact what your children do, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** I...

“Look, there’s just no way your kids can understand. It’s impossible for a person that young, that free of responsibilities, to comprehend what it feels like to be a parent—to have your heart running around outside your body.” Ryan explains why you have to take on the burden of concern, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on App...

“Certainly, someone would have needed him for something. His wife, one of his thirteen kids, a courtier, the pressing business of state. But for a few minutes to an hour—sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening—Marcus Aurelius was unreachable. This was too important.” Ryan explains why you must take your time seriously, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast...

“Your kids can drive you nuts. They’re crazy. They’re struggling. They can be ungrateful. They can test and frustrate you like nothing else. But before you complain or despair...” Ryan explains why time is one of our most useful assets, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the...

On today’s episode Ryan talks to his friend and writing partner Nils Parker about why setting expectations is crucial for kids fulfilling their potential, how to deal with the problems that your parents let fall on your shoulders, the importance of breaking the cycle of dysfunction, and more.  Gravity Blankets make the only blanket proven to improve sleep quality, with 78% of people reporting a be...

“You know that your kids are monsters when they’re tired. You know they don’t make good decisions when they’re hungry. You know that they have emotions and urges and drives operating inside them that they don’t understand. Hormones, ignorance, fear, energy they can’t control.” Ryan explains why we should treat everyone with the same level of respect, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoye...

“All kids have had a hard time this last year. Of course, for many less privileged children the last twelve months were just an introduction to the daily struggle their parents have experienced since the day they were born. Broken systems. Lurking danger. Shrinking options. Pivotal moments lost that will never come back.” Ryan talks about the one thing that your kids need from you, on today’s Dail...

“Maybe you do it because you’re in a hurry. Maybe you do it because you hate to see them struggle. Maybe it’s just a sweet gesture. Maybe you remember your parents doing it for you. Whatever the reason, you should stop.” Ryan explains why you should teach your kids to be self-sufficient, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on Ap...

“We should always try to learn from parents who have had it harder than us, who have really been through the ringer. If you haven’t watched Brandon Boulware’s deeply moving testimony about his struggles with his transgender daughter, you should really take the time to see it.” Ryan explains how you should nurture your kids spirit, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcas...

“That idiot at work. That jerk of a neighbor. That contractor who has repeatedly lied and misled you. These are realities of life, of course, but as a parent, they are also an extra layer of crap you have to deal with on top of bedtimes and colds and getting the kids off to school and making sure they are fed.” Ryan explains why you should never let external events influence your most important jo...

On today’s episode Ryan talks to his friend and writing partner Nils Parker about Ryan’s recent parenting struggles, the urgency of giving your kids your undivided attention, the delicate balance between emotional and financial costs, and more.   This episode is brought to you by Skillshare . Try learning a new skill with Skillshare and its amazing community of members. Skillshare is also incredib...

“The last year has been rough. It’s not how any of us would have chosen for things to go. Remote schooling. Missed birthday parties. Cancelled trips. No unnecessary trips to the store, no concerts or games from the bleachers. Lost time with older loved ones—maybe even lost loved ones.” Ryan explains why you must grab this situation by the right handle, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjo...

“It’s the most heartbreaking scene in an already heartbreaking book. It’s the scene at the end of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. The father is dying. He knows it. He is trying to say goodbye to his son, the one he has tried to keep alive, to raise to be decent, to survive. “You said you wouldn’t ever leave me,” the boy cries…” Ryan explains why you’ve gotta give your children you’re whole heart, on t...

“Bryan Caplan is a busy economist. He’s also a busy parent of four kids, all of whom he now homeschools. Might having that many kids and that much education to supervise impede on his career? Probably. But as Bryan tells his grad students as well as his children , ‘You are not an interruption of my work. You are my work.’” Ryan explains what your most important job is, on today’s Daily Dad podcast...

“Do you know Lewin’s Equation? You’re experiencing its implications as you read this: B = f (P,E) Behavior is a function of a Person and their Environment. Our habits, our actions, our lives are determined largely by our surroundings.” Ryan explains why you must teach your children to read, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on...

“Everybody wants to get better. Next time, we tell ourselves, we’ll get it right. We’ll try harder. We’ll have less going on at work and therefore more time to focus. Tomorrow will be a fresh start. When they’re a little older we’ll be able to do X,Y,Z.” Ryan explains why now is the time to be the best parent you can be, on today’s Daily Dad podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d lo...