Shows / The Daily Dad
The Daily Dad
The audio companion to DailyDad.com’s daily email meditations on fatherhood, read by Ryan Holiday. Each daily reading will help you find the wisdom, inner strength, and good humor you need in order to be a great dad. Learn from historical figures and contemporary fathers how to do your most important job. Find more at dailydad.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
- The Daily Dad
This Is Criminal
You weren’t the parent you wanted to be in 2022. You weren’t the person you wanted to be in 2022. Almost no one was. And anyone who thinks or says they were is…
- The Daily Dad
This is Why They’re A Mess
Nobody’s listening. Everyone is grouchy. Grades are slipping. Siblings are fighting. What is happening, one spouse says to another. Why are the kids such a…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Merge Like This
We encourage our children. We want to set them up to succeed. But we can’t merge their glory into our own. We can’t let them think they have to impress us…
- The Daily Dad
How Past Grievances Affects Parenting With Susan Cain
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan speaks with Susan Cain about parental relationships, not just with their children but their own parents and how…
- The Daily Dad
This Is The Best Competition
Way too many parents are competitive. They see the car their neighbor is driving and they want to get a better one. They hear that a friend’s kid got into a…
- The Daily Dad
Show Them How To Be Beautiful
Epictetus said that the root of beauty was beautiful choices. “If your choices are beautiful,” he said, “so too will you be.”It’s simple and it’s true. You are…
- The Daily Dad
Where Did They Learn It From?
We’re rightfully disappointed when we hear about a kid getting caught cheating. Whether it’s on a test or a violation of some NCAA policy, it’s good that we…
- The Daily Dad
Everyone Has Something Going On?
We all know how hard our home life is, we know how it affects us–weighing on us, distracting us, making us act out. Well, we can safely assume that the same is…
- The Daily Dad
Soon It Will Be Gone
It’s a haunting thought that, in the busyness and day-to-dayness of parenting, we can so easily forget the little things. The chubby hands of our toddler. The…
- The Daily Dad
Managing Screen Time and Getting Kids Outside With Steven Rinella
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad Podcast, Ryan talks to Steven Rinella about his new book Outdoor Kids in an Inside World: Getting Your Family Out of…
- The Daily Dad
They Deserve To Know Before It's Too Late
It’s a story as old as fatherhood itself. The son or daughter kills themselves to win the approval of their dad, which never seems to come. There is pain…
- The Daily Dad
Be Careful Of Telling Them To Be Careful
You’re just trying to keep them safe. You’re just trying to help them. You’re just trying to look out for them. So you say or scream or text.Be careful!But you…
- The Daily Dad
These Are Wonderful Sounds
One thing that hits you from the very first moments of being a parent is the noise. Your children come out screaming and they don’t stop. It makes you realize…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Be A Ghost
You work hard. It keeps you busy. You are trying to provide for a family after all–to keep them safe and secure, so they never have to want or go without…
- The Daily Dad
This Will Make Your Life (And Kids) Better
It’s not easy, this thing we’re trying to do. You’d think it would be: Billions of people have done it through history and the survival of our genes literally…
- The Daily Dad
5 Parenting Don'ts
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad Ryan compiles advice from his Daily Dad newsletter, podcasts, and interviews to share a highlight reel of 5 Parenting…
- The Daily Dad
Why Don't You Put That Energy Here?
The Stoics remind us not only to focus on what’s in our control, but specifically in regards to aggravating people, they tell us that the best revenge is to…
- The Daily Dad
How To Be The Greatest Ever
We’ve said before: kids do well when they can. When you give them the opportunity, kids generally do the right thing. You don’t have to scream. You don’t have…
- The Daily Dad
Aren't You A Little Old For That?
When our kids mess up we say: Aren’t you a little old for that? And we have all sorts of rules of thumb for what things are age appropriate or not—what age…
- The Daily Dad
What's More Important?
It’s strange. The things we’re upset about–with our spouses, with our children, with our siblings. They feel like they matter so much in the moment. With time…
- The Daily Dad
You Gotta Be Delicate About These Things
It’s the moment we dread. Our son is dating someone we know is bad for them. Our daughter is about to change college majors and throw away years of work. Our…
- The Daily Dad
Knowing When To Take A Break
On this weekend episode of The Daily Dad Ryan talks about being an "activity addict" and how he and his wife balance knowing when it's time to just rest. ✉️…
- The Daily Dad
How To Raise Generous Kids
You want to raise kids who aren’t entitled. Who are self-sufficient. Who are decent and kind, part of the solutions not the problems of the world and of their…
- The Daily Dad
Why We Should Always Be Grateful
Today and always we should be grateful. To choose resentment or envy, bitterness or fear, anxiety or anger–because your flight was delayed? Because your band…
- The Daily Dad
What Values Are You Rewarding?
Pretty much every parent wants to raise kids who turn out to be good people. So it's important to show them that moral excellence is what matters. That being a…
- The Daily Dad
You Don't Have To Be Perfect
We sweat so much. Whether we’re on our phone too much, when we could (and should) be playing with our kids. Whether their lunch yesterday was perfect. Whether…
- The Daily Dad
You're Lying To Yourself If You Think This Works
Your son failed a test. He hit his brother. Your daughter forgot to do her homework. She scratched your car and lied about it. They are acting insane and you…
- The Daily Dad
How to Adjust to Growing Pains
On this weekend episode of The Daily Dad Ryan riffs about how he handled his kids outgrowing their stroller and his clever way to get them excited about…
- The Daily Dad
You Can't Form A Picture
As it happens, this is good advice for fathers as well. It’s easy to go into it thinking that you know. Because you’ve read the books. Because you’re on your…
- The Daily Dad
Your Little Guy and Gals
Across cultures, across generations, across politics and moments in time, this having kids thing–it just cuts through everything. You probably know very little…
- The Daily Dad
Wait and See
You’re pretty sure you know what’s best for your kids. You’re sure something they are considering is a bad idea. You’re sure they shouldn’t drop out of school…
- The Daily Dad
Always Look For This
It can feel like there is never enough time as a parent. And it’s true, there isn’t…yet part of this is our fault. As Seneca would say, it’s not just that life…
- The Daily Dad
You’ll Want To Know You Were Here
We’ve said before that parenting is a grind. It’s exhausting. It can all seem so humdrum, even a burden. Staying up with an overtired toddler. Staying up until…
- The Daily Dad
Surprising Lessons From A Trip To Disneyland
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan recaps his trip to Disneyland with his family and how he was able to teach his kids about the importance of…
- The Daily Dad
Are You Helping Them Build Their Reading Muscles
It’s interesting to think about the steady decline in expectations for our kids when it comes to reading. Sure, we want them to be able to read earlier than…
- The Daily Dad
Teach Them The Ideals Of A Rare Spirit
You wouldn’t think of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius as a parenting book.The former Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said all entrepreneurs, economists and…
- The Daily Dad
You're Lucky They're Born Now
This seems like such a fraught moment in time. There was a pandemic. There’s been civil unrest. It feels like institutions are falling apart. Naturally, this…
- The Daily Dad
Are You Doing This For Them?
Today is Election Day in America (and countries all over the world will have theirs sometime soon). If you don’t vote, if you can’t be bothered to participate…
- The Daily Dad
It’s Easy Until It Happens To You
Each of us goes into this with opinions–so many opinions. Not just about parenting but about other parents. Parents who let their kids have lots of screentime…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad on How Life Can Pull You Away From What Truly Matters
Ryan talks about a recent chaotic travel week when he was reminded about how easily life can take you away from what actually matters.✉️ Sign up for the Daily…
- The Daily Dad
Fatherhood Is Not Babysitting
You’re not a babysitter. You’re not some lesser figure in your kids’ lives. When you are with them—and when you are not with them—you’re their father. That…
- The Daily Dad
How To Shape Yourself and Your Kids
The famous screenwriter’s maxim is “show don’t tell.” Marcus Aurelius said it’s a waste of time to speculate or argue about what makes a good man, a good…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Let Them Steal This
Not every parent is a public figure, but each of us are constrained by the same amount of finite energy. And it could be argued that in a world of social…
- The Daily Dad
It Takes A Team
It’s impossible to do this all, isn’t it? We have all the tasks, responsibilities, and aspirations we’ve always had–eating and sleeping and working and paying…
- The Daily Dad
Teach Them About This Choice
Michael Lewis tells the story of a coach named Jack Kenney who changed his life. One morning at an overnight tennis camp, all the campers stormed the dining…
- The Daily Dad
Managing Opposing Parenting Opinions and Expectations
On this weekend's episode of Daily Dad Ryan chats with his writing partner Nils Parker about different parenting topics and how to respond to outsider opinions…
- The Daily Dad
It’s The Work That Matters
The great physicist Richard Feynman had a father who instilled his brilliant son with an interesting perspective about the world. Sitting down, he would lay…
- The Daily Dad
It’s Ok To Have Conditions
Your job is to be a fan of your kids. We’ve said this before. Your job is to help them become who they are. We’ve said that too. Your job is to help them find…
- The Daily Dad
You Have to See This
We talked recently about this choice we have as parents–about what we choose to see. Just like everyone has the choice to see the cup as half full or half…
- The Daily Dad
That They Scared You Is Not An Excuse
Any parent can tell you, the maddest they ever got at your kids is not because they did something to pissed you off or hurt your feelings. It was because they…
- The Daily Dad
Rare Doesn’t Mean It Doesn’t Happen
We must take two seemingly contradictory facts seriously at the same time. The first is that many parents are way too risk averse, overwhelmed by anxieties and…
- The Daily Dad
Kids Don't Care About Your Accomplishments
On this weekend's episode Ryan shares his youngest son's reaction to his book making the New York Times Best Seller list, diving into what kids truly care…
- The Daily Dad
What is Your Ego Distracting You From?
We live in a world awash with ego. We see it every day. We can see the ego of our boss, and how it has turned the office against them. We can see ego in…
- The Daily Dad
Never Blame Your Kids
In 2021, in the midst of a terrible storm that not only killed hundreds of Texans but left millions without power, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz fled the state for the…
- The Daily Dad
Everybody Has Something
We would love for our kids to be perfect. To not just be born with ten fingers and ten toes, but flawless genetics and impeccable luck so nothing bad ever…
- The Daily Dad
Which Type Will You Be?
The story of George Washington and the cherry tree is not a true one. It is also, as we’ve written here before, not a story whose moral is about lying. It’s…
- The Daily Dad
What Will You See?
There’s so much we don’t control as parents. We don’t control what’s happening in the world. We don’t control what our kids are going through. We don’t even…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad on Staying Present with the Kids When Traveling for Work
Daily Dad on Staying Present with the Kids When Traveling for WorkRyan talks to his friend and writing partner Nils Parker about the impact traveling for work…
- The Daily Dad
It’s Never Too Late to Be a Good Father
Ted Williams was not a good father—at least not for most of his life. He was a great baseball player, but for a long time, he was a really selfish and ruthless…
- The Daily Dad
The Little Things You Have To Do (That They Won’t Even Notice)
📕 Ryan Holiday's new book "Discipline Is Destiny" is out now! We’ve extended the pre-order bonuses for the next week—among them is a signed and numbered page…