World's Greatest Dad with Ali & Neil

Trick or treat? Neil and Ali celebrate Halloween by tackling some of the holiday's trickiest parenting dilemmas. Is it ever okay to take more than one piece of candy? What happens when your kid refuses to wear the $80 costume they begged you to buy? Should you lie so your child can ditch their friends for the cool kids? And how much emotional trauma is worth a nonrefundable haunted house ticket? T...

The Cornell 7 case has sparked national outrage. Seven fraternity members accused of sexual assault, disturbing allegations involving a group chat, and serious questions about how Cornell University and law enforcement responded. But as two fathers, we have a different question: Where were the parents? In Episode 90 of World's Greatest Dad , Neil Padover and Ali Khan confront one of the hardest qu...

Pitmaster and entrepreneur Brendan Lamb has lived a few different lives. He played college football, chased acting in Los Angeles, worked the pits at some of Texas’ biggest barbecue spots, launched businesses and eventually became a dad to two young kids. But becoming a father forced Brendan to think differently about the way he was raised and the kind of dad he wants to be. In this episode, Brend...

Todd Weiser didn't expect to talk about donor conception when he sat down with us. But that's exactly where the conversation went. After struggling with infertility and undergoing two surgeries, Todd and his wife ultimately used donor sperm to have their two children. Their kids have known their story since they were little, and today Todd doesn't spend much time thinking about the fact that they...

What happens when a Michelin-trained chef becomes the dad of a picky eater? Chef Andy Knudson has spent more than 20 years in professional kitchens, working in Michelin-starred restaurants, cooking alongside some of the biggest names in food, and eventually entering the wild world of private chefs for ultra-wealthy clients. But none of that prepared him for his toughest customer yet: his 3½-year-o...

Are private equity firms coming for your bagels? And when did a bagel with lox become a $20 meal? This week on World’s Greatest Dad, Ali Khan and Neil Padover dive into the great American bagel debate: New York vs. everywhere else, what makes a great bagel, the rising cost of eating out, homemade lox, and why investors are suddenly betting big on premium bagel shops. Then it’s time for the Dad Mai...

What if being a great dad isn't about spending more time with your kids but about noticing the behind the scenes work you've never seen? This week we're joined by parenting coach, writer, and father of three Alex Trippier for one of our most eye-opening conversations yet. We talk about: what "mental load" actually means why dads often feel like they're trying their hardest and moms still feel over...

Allan Shedlin is back! Our first returning guest joins us as his Daddying Film Festival and Forum heads into its sixth year in Washington, DC. Allan tells us how a movie about a fractured father son relationship inspired him to create a festival dedicated to using film to start conversations about fatherhood and why he believes some of the most powerful stories aren't about perfect dads, but ordin...

Derek Mitti never planned to become one of the internet’s most beloved dads but a career pivot from banking to full-time fatherhood changed everything. In this episode, he shares how documenting life with his daughter Tallulah (aka the “internet’s nice girl”) led to viral success. Derek opens up about growing up in Zambia, his complicated relationship with his own father, and how it shaped the dad...

Little Kids, Big Questions: How to Talk to Your Kids About Death Death is one of the most difficult topics parents will ever have to discuss and one of the most inevitable. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a pet, or a question that comes unexpectedly during an ordinary day, children eventually confront the concept of mortality. For many parents, those moments bring anxiety, uncertainty, and a...

Money is one of those topics that gets complicated fast because before you can teach your kids about it, you have to reckon with your own baggage around it. In this episode, Neil and Ali get personal about their own relationships with money, from allowances and video game regret to the anxiety of being surrounded by families who have more, and what all of that quietly teaches our kids without us e...

Little Kids, Big Questions: How to Talk to Your Kids About Body Image Body image is one of the most personal, and loaded topics a parent can face, partly because most of us are still carrying our own baggage. In this episode, Neil and Ali get real about growing up in the 80s and 90s, an era of diet culture, locker room taunts, and clean-your-plate rules rooted in real scarcity, and how those messa...

Little Kids, Big Questions: How to Talk to Your Kids About Homelessness, Inequality & Poverty Children notice inequality earlier than many adults realize. Seeing someone experiencing homelessness, noticing differences between neighborhoods, or asking why some people have more than others can lead to difficult questions that parents aren’t always prepared to answer. In this episode, we explore...

Little Kids, Big Questions: How to Talk to Your Kids About Drugs & Alcohol At some point, kids notice substances...whether it’s alcohol at home, marijuana in public, or references in media and peer conversations. Many parents feel unsure how to address the topic without sounding alarmist, hypocritical, or overly strict. In this episode, we explore how to approach conversations about drugs and...

Little Kids, Big Questions: How to Talk to Your Kids About Mental Health Mental health conversations are becoming more common but they can still feel intimidating for parents. Kids experience anxiety, sadness, stress, and emotional challenges, and many parents aren’t sure how to recognize when something is normal versus when support is needed. In this episode, we explore how to talk about emotions...

Every four years, billions of people stop everything to watch the World Cup...but why? In this episode of World's Greatest Dad, Ali tries to convince Neil that soccer isn't just a sport, it's one of the greatest shared cultural experiences on Earth. Along the way they talk about: • Why the World Cup means so much to countries around the globe • Why Americans often struggle to connect with soccer •...

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding may go down as one of the biggest celebrity events ever and Neil Padover and Ali Khan have a lot to say about it. In this episode of World's Greatest Dad, we break down everything surrounding Taylor Swift's wedding, including: Why Madison Square Garden was the perfect venue• The unbelievable celebrity guest list (more than 140 stars!) Paul McCartney's unforg...

Little Kids, Big Questions: How to Talk to Your Kids About Divorce Divorce can feel overwhelming for families not only because of the relationship changes between adults, but because of the emotional impact on children. Parents often worry they are damaging their kids or fear they’ll say something wrong that creates lasting harm. In this episode, we explore what children actually need when familie...

In this July 4th special edition of World’s Greatest Dad, Neil Padover and Ali Khan tackle the big question hanging over America’s 250th birthday: has the USA already peaked? What starts with fireworks, hot dogs, and patriotic movies quickly spirals into debates about history, parenting, politics, and whether dads deserve their own Declaration of Independence. The guys unpack what America means to...

How to Talk to Your Kids About Friendship & Exclusion Few things hurt more than watching your child struggle socially, being left out, rejected, or unsure where they belong. Friendship challenges begin early and evolve as kids grow, and parents often feel caught between wanting to protect their child and wanting them to develop resilience. In this episode, we unpack the emotional reality of fr...

Family physician Dr. Amir Herman joins World’s Greatest Dad for an honest conversation about parenting, healthcare, and raising independent kids in today’s world. From surviving residency on almost no money (yogurt dinners were clutch) to running a thriving medical practice on Long Island, Dr. Herman shares how becoming a father changed the way he approached both medicine and life. We talk about w...

Little Kids, Big Questions: How to Talk to Your Kids About War & Violence Today’s kids are growing up in a world where news about war, shootings, and violence is unavoidable. Whether it’s headlines on television, conversations at school, or safety drills, children are exposed to frightening realities earlier than ever and parents are often left wondering how much to say and how much to shield....

What do kids actually want from their dads? In this powerful episode of World’s Greatest Dad, fatherhood expert Allan Shedlin shares lessons from interviewing more than 205 fathers across 20 countries and leading fatherhood initiatives for over three decades. Allan shares his story about growing up with an emotionally absent father, advising the Obama White House on father engagement, and creating...

Little Kids, Big Questions: How to Talk to Your Kids About God & Religion Questions about God, faith, and belief often arrive earlier than parents expect and they can feel surprisingly loaded. Whether you’re deeply religious, spiritually curious, culturally connected to faith traditions, or unsure what you believe yourself, kids notice differences between families and want to understand what’s...

Three months ago Neil couldn't tell you much about the Knicks. Today he's breaking down playoff officiating, celebrity row, and Jalen Brunson highlights with the passion of a lifelong fan. And yes, Fat Joe makes multiple appearances. In this episode, Neil shares how his five-year-old son's Knicks fandom pulled him into one of the most exciting playoff runs in decades. From Madison Square Garden ce...