The Modern Dads Podcast

Do you rush your son's lunch to school when he forgets it? Have you called your daughter's teacher to urge her teacher to raise a B to an A? This is a message that many parents have been secretly waiting to hear-- we need to stop protecting our kids from failure so they can can develop the competence and confidence that comes from solving their own problems. We talk to New York Times bestselling author Jessica Lahey about her new book, The Gift of Failure, How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed.   The Parents Phrase Book author Whit Honea joins to plead with teachers and schools to consider the value of homework.

This is My Brave is an innovative non-profit with a mission of igniting and actively promoting a positive and supportive national conversation about mental illness. We talk to This is My Brave Co-Founder Jennifer Marshall  and NYC Dads Group member and Producer Lorne Jaffe about the upcoming This is My Brave NYC show-- poets, musicians, and essayists sharing their truth about life with mental illness. The Parents Phrase Book Whit Honea joins to share why he writes, and a bit about the highs and lows of the writer's life.

Ninth graders at Capital High School in Santa Fe, New Mexico had the opportunity to participate in a groundbreaking poetry program sponsored by Reel Fathers, an organization that engages with the community to build stronger relationships through a dynamic use of film, story and creative expression. Poet mentors worked with students to write and perform poems that explore the lightness, darkness, absence, and presence of fathers and father figures. We talk to Reel Fathers Founder Allan Shedlin and poetry program mentor Hakim Bellamy about the impact of the program on the students and the community. We also hear six of the students perform their poetry and an original poem from Hakim.

Every dad has a creative muscle that is aching to get flexed. For this episode of the Modern Dads Podcast, we hope you will be inspired by these dads that are sharing their love of art, music, cooking, science and more with their children. Author Mike Adamick talks about how he shares the experience of creating his books with his daughter, including his latest, Dads Book of Awesome Recipes. Children's book author Christopher Routly talks about the moment with his kids that sparked a Kickstarter campaign and the publication of his latest book, Sometimes You Need a Jellyfish.     The Parents Phrase Bookauthor Whit Honea joins again to talk about how planning for a family trip became an opportunity for himself, for his wife, and for their two boys to access different parts of their creative brains.

More than ever, fathers are caring for their children, tending to domestic chores, and providing for their family financially. In this episode of The Modern Dads Podcast, we feature a recent webinar City Dads Group organized with our friends at A Better Balance, a work and family advocacy center. Experts talk about how employer policies and legal rules interact to offer support to men as they consider starting a family, taking paternity leave, asking for a flexible schedule, and caring for sick kids.   The Working Dad's Survival Guide author Scott Behson discusses the stigma of  prioritizing family, and what resources are available to assist dads in becoming our own best advocates in the workplace.   Special thanks to our friends at The Handsome Father, Dad 2.0 Summit, and Life of Dad for co-sponsoring the webinar.

Lorne Jaffe and Christopher Persley discuss the portrayal of dads on the hit ABC comedy, Black-ish. They talk about race, the use of satire, and comparisons to other TV shows featuring black families including The Cosby Show, 227, and The Jeffersons. Lorne and Christopher also caught up with the show's star, Anthony Anderson, to ask him about modern fatherhood.     The Parents Phrase Book author Whit Honea also joins to offer his heartfelt advice on talking to your kids about the fine line between stereotype and satire.

Washington Post journalist and author Brigid Schulte joins the Modern Dads Podcast to discuss her new book, Overwhelmed, How To Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time. We dive into her research on changing workplaces and relationships and the importance of play for adults.   The Parents Phrase Bookauthor Whit Honea joins again to encourage us to make time for fun in our lives that is purely for ourselves.

  One of our favorite topics for discussion is the challenge of two parents trying to raise children together. In this episode of The Modern Dads Podcast, we feature another 92Y Parenting Conference panel discussion, this one called Pursuing A Parenting Partnership. New York Family Magazine Editor Eric Messinger moderates the panel that includes three couples with varying work/life arrangements: a breadwinning dad/stay-at-home mom, a working mom/at-home dad, and a two-income family led by two dads.

Until recently, the science of parenthood focused almost exclusively on mothers. As fathers have taken a more active role in childcare, researchers have begun to look at the impact dads have on their children. In this episode of The Modern Dads Podcast, we bring a 92Y Parenting Conference panel discussion: The New Science of Fatherhood, How the Research is Changing the Conversation. Panelists include sociologist Dr. Michael Kimmel, neuroscientist Dr. James Curley, psychologist Dr. Michael Thompson, and author Paul Raeburn moderates.

  The Good Men Project Executive Editor Mark Greene talks to Modern Dads Podcast co-hosts Matt Schneider and Ron Mattocks about his new book Remaking Manhood: The Modern Masculinity Movement, Stories From the Front Lines of Change. We discuss the illusion of the "man box" that is still constraining us,  and how modern fatherhood is helping men overcome traditional stereotypes to live life in full.