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
What Are You Even Fighting About?
“There is no family immune to conflict. Whether it’s about shoes left out or tattoos or politics, families fight. Siblings argue. Parents punish rule…
- The Daily Dad
You Must Adjust Accordingly
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, you grew up in a society and a culture that was less inclusive and less diverse than the one we’re in now. Certainly one…
- The Daily Dad
This is What You Wanted
“Any parent who has had young kids takes a minute to remind younger parents with babies of this. Yes, you want them to start crawling, but as soon as they do…
- The Daily Dad
It's Ok For Your Kid To Be Affected
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Charlie Mackesy on the Importance and the Power of Kindness
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…
- The Daily Dad
Who Should Make Who Proud?
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Miss The Reminders
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Is It Really As Bad As You Say?
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Where Do They Learn To Judge?
“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…
- The Daily Dad
This Makes It Harder
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Jessica Lahey on Self-Efficacy and Genetic Predisposition to Addiction
Ryan talks to Jessica Lahey about her new book The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence, protecting your kids against…
- The Daily Dad
Always Think About Why
“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…
- The Daily Dad
What We Do Ripples Through
“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…
- The Daily Dad
They Can't Understand
“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…
- The Daily Dad
You Need To Take This Time
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Despair, Just Wait
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad and Nils Parker on Breaking the Cycle of Dysfunction
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…
- The Daily Dad
What if You Treated Everyone This Way?
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Every Kid Needs This From At Least One Person
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Start This For Them
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Let Them Be Who They Are
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Let Them Do More Damage
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad and Nils Parker on Being Present With Your Kids
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…
- The Daily Dad
Your Kids Have Not Been Harmed
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Make Sure They Always Have This
“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…
- The Daily Dad
They Are Your Work
“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…
- The Daily Dad
They Must Be Surrounded By This
“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…
- The Daily Dad
It's Game Time
“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…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad and Nils Parker on the Importance of Independent Decision Making
On today’s podcast Ryan talks to his friend and writing partner Nils Parker about Ryan’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, the difficulty of weighing decisions…
- The Daily Dad
It's Not About You
“We all enter fatherhood with preconceived notions and expectations. We hear about that magically profound connection that forms the moment they are born…
- The Daily Dad
Let Them Drum
“In Margarita Engels’s beautiful poem Drum Dream Girl (a must read for every parent), a little girl wants to be a drummer. But time and time again she is…
- The Daily Dad
If you Want Them To Listen
“You want them to listen. You want them to respect you, as we’ve talked about. What’s the secret?”Ryan explains the key to good parenting, on today’s Daily Dad…
- The Daily Dad
They Shrug It Off. So Can You
“Your kid falls. If you’re not paying attention, they brush themselves off and keep going. But if they see the look on your face? They burst into tears. A lot…
- The Daily Dad
Do Your Actions Match Your Values
“We tell ourselves we’re good people. We support good causes. We vote for the right candidates. We are disgusted when we hear people say bigoted or cruel…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad and Nils Parker on Doing the Right Thing During the Pandemic
On today’s podcast Ryan talks to his friend and writing partner Nils Parker about Ryan’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, why it’s important to always try to…
- The Daily Dad
This Is The Enemy
“You’re distracted because this weird work email just came in. You’re in a bad mood because of something you saw. And what happens? Well, your kids get the…
- The Daily Dad
This Explains Everything
“How old were you when you first heard of the concept of being “hangry?” Maybe it was a friend that joked about it, or someone you were dating. Maybe you’re…
- The Daily Dad
This Is A Tough Balance
“We’ve talked about being a fan of your kids. We’ve talked about believing in them. We’ve talked about encouraging and supporting them. We talk about these…
- The Daily Dad
Your Family Was Given A Gift
“There have been incalculable losses over the last year. The death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic is staggering. The economic devastation is generational. And…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Just Assume It Will Work Out
“In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius takes a moment to remind himself of the “malice, cunning and hypocrisy that power produces,” and the “peculiar ruthlessness…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad and Nils Parker on Resiliency and Fragility
On today’s podcast Ryan talks to his friend and writing partner Nils Parker about the contradicting ideas of resiliency and fragility and the role that they’ve…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Forget How Small They Are
“There’s a wrenching scene in the haunting novel The Sweet Hereafter (not to be read for the faint of heart). A widowed husband is folding up the clothes of…
- The Daily Dad
What Are You Making Them Do?
“There’s a line adapted from Aristotle but given to us by the historian Will Durant: We are what we repeatedly do. Therefore, excellence is not an act but a…
- The Daily Dad
This Could Be The Moment
“You’re busy. It’s just a trip to the store. They have been a pain all day. You’re trying to get ready to give them a special surprise. ”Ryan explains why…
- The Daily Dad
What Game Are You Teaching Them?
“There are two types of games in this life: Finite and Infinite games. Finite games are things you do once and then they’re over. Infinite games are more like…
- The Daily Dad
You Can't Expect Them To Have The Same Taste...Yet
“We’ve talked before about enjoying the classics with your kids. Not necessarily ‘the classics’ in the ancient Greek literature sense, but classic rock…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad on Advice for Expecting Parents
On today’s podcast Ryan talks to his friend and writing partner Nils Parker about advice that they wish they would've been given before they had kids. This…
- The Daily Dad
Give What You Didn't Get
“Marqise Lee didn’t play football in 2020. He could have played for Bill Belichick but he didn’t. Not because he was worn down or afraid of the grind—as an…
- The Daily Dad
This Is The One Thing You Cannot Do
“We can mess up a lot as parents—in fact, we will mess up a lot. We will work too much. We will have issues from our own childhood bubble to the surface. We’ll…
- The Daily Dad
To Whom Much Is Given...
“Your kids want to know why their friends don’t have to do chores. They want to know why you aren’t happy with middling grades. They want to know why you’re…
- The Daily Dad
Don't Think About It This Way
“Every TV show perpetuates the stereotype. Our own memories confirm it. At some point, parents have to have “The Talk.” About drugs. About sex. About race…
- The Daily Dad
This Solves Most Problems
“We’ve said before that taking a walk will solve most of your parenting problems. Getting the kids outside, rocking them with the ambulatory sway of our…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad on How to Raise a Resilient Child
“Every parent wants a resilient child. Nobody feels good sending a fragile or vulnerable kid in the world. We know that resilience isn’t just a tool to weather…
- The Daily Dad
It's Your Job To Check In
“Nobody steals a scene on Seinfeld quite like George’s parents, Frank and Estelle Costanza. And of course, nobody makes George more miserable than them. They…
- The Daily Dad
Have You Seen Their Perspective?
“We think they’re making excuses. We think they’re making stuff up. We just want them to go back and sleep in their bed. Or listen to their coach. Or get their…
- The Daily Dad
You’ll Always Have This
“The last twelve months have been rough. They were defined by lockdowns and job losses and masks and wildfires and protests. But what about someone with a…
- The Daily Dad
If You Want Your Kids To Respect You
“Every parent wants to be respected. They want to be listened to. They want their advice to be taken seriously. They want to be looked up to. And how do far…
- The Daily Dad
They Don’t Know Your Battles
“The story of Major Taylor is an inspiring one...and a tragic one. Major Taylor was the greatest cyclist of his generation, perhaps one of the great athletes…
- The Daily Dad
Daily Dad and Ron Lieber on Preparing Your Kids For Financial Success
Ryan speaks to author Ron Lieber about the key Stoic virtue of temperance, how money can be a great tool for teaching, how parents and kids should approach…
- The Daily Dad
Teach Them To Think and Evaluate
“Plutarch tells us the story of a Spartan leader: "As he reclined after his meal the Eiren would tell one boy to sing, while to another he would pose a…