The Daily Dad

It's tough to be a person in this busy, noisy world. You have work. You have obligations as a citizen, as a spouse, as a friend, as a son or daughter. You've got goals you're trying to hit. And of course, having kids puts extra pressure and tension on all this.

One of the hardest parts of being a parent is, if you want to be a good one, you have no choice but to become the kind of person you hope your kids will one day be. Make 2026 the year where you finally bring yourself closer to living your best life. No more waiting. Demand the best for yourself. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge begins January 1, 2026. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge.

We want our kids close. We want to see them. We want to spend time with them. And yet, what do we do?

We are critical. We punish. We assert rules. We raise our voice. Why?

Every parent thinks they have more time than they actually do. In today's episode, Ryan and Sam talk about how fast childhood slips by, how messy seasons you think you want to rush through end way sooner than you expect, and what it feels like to suddenly realize you're already halfway through your kids living under your roof.

Why do you work so hard, why do you fight for the causes you fight for, why do you put up with all the crap you have to put up with in this life?

Well, of course those parents can be at every field trip and attend every performance. Of course they can do pickup and dropoff. One of them is a full-time parent. Or they both work from home. Or make their own schedule. That's what you tell yourself.

As much as our kids are the center of our universe, they aren't the center of everyone else's.

Let go of trying to have everything clean and perfect. Let all the things do their job and be functional for your family.

What if instead of just talking about this stuff to our kids, we showed them what doing good looked like?Feeding America | We donated the first $30,000 and would love your help in getting to our goal of $300,000—which would provide over 3 million meals for families across the country! Just head over to dailystoic.com/feeding—every dollar provides 10 meals, even a small donation makes a big difference.Resources Mentioned:- Action Against Hunger: https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/

There's nothing quite like seeing your kids light up over something you've always loved. In today's episode, Ryan sits down with Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and author of The Running Ground, to talk about how running has created a special bridge between him, his father, and his sons. Nick Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic, an American magazine founded in 1857, which earned the top honor for magazines, General Excellence, at the National Magazine Awards in both 2022 and 2023. In his time as CEO, the company has seen record subscriber growth. Before joining The Atlantic, he was the editor-in-chief of Wired magazine. He is also a former contributor for CBS News and has previously served as editor. He has long been a competitive runner; in 2021, he set the American record for men 45+ in the 50K race.Check out Nick's new book The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of SportsFollow Nick on Instagram and X @NXThompson

It's a world with too many problems. It's a world with too much suffering. We can't fix all of this as people, nor as parents. But we can try to help a little.Feeding America | We donated the first $30,000 and would love your help in getting to our goal of $300,000—which would provide over 3 million meals for families across the country! Just head over to dailystoic.com/feeding—every dollar provides 10 meals, even a small donation makes a big difference.Resources Mentioned:- Action Against Hunger: https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/

You don't get a table full of smiling faces for every holiday, every milestone event, just because you're related. A crowded table is a lagging indicator of the job you've done as a parent.If today's episode resonates with you and you're interested in a structured path to becoming the parent you aspire to be, check out our brand-new Daily Dad Five Year Reflection Journal, now available for preorder | https://dailydad.com/leather

There are a lot of reasons why someone's output might change. When people ask why, you have the best excuse in the world.

It can be very easy to get tunnel vision. It can be easy, in the overwhelm of day-to-day parenting, to forget that this is an endeavor in which success—and responsibility—is measured in the course of years.

Think about your own life. Are there not things that your parents said that still weigh on you?

Is it the most wonderful time of year or just the busiest? In today's episode, Ryan and Sam talk about bracing themselves for the holidays, the challenges of managing a small business during the busy season, and their unique perspectives on gift-giving.

As parents, we have to understand that we have an advantage now that we didn't have before.

Sure, they're being a little rude. They're being annoying. They are acting entitled. And yet? As we've said, maybe you are the problem.

You have this dream of what your house should look like. And then reality inevitably intrudes. And what is that reality? It's that you have kids.

Don't forget it. Don't rush through it. Don't let it wear you down…but remember what it is.

They'll be sad. They'll get dumped. They'll be heartbroken. They'll get fired and they will fail. As a parent, you have to understand this critical lesson: tears are not indictments. They are facts.

Success might change your lifestyle, but it doesn't change what your kids actually need from you. In this episode, Ryan sits down with self-made billionaire Robert Rosenkranz to talk about parenting, presence, and why money can't buy you any more control over who your children become.

Why are we so easily surprised and frustrated and disappointed? Why do we get so angry?

Why are we so hard on ourselves? Why do we beat up on ourselves?

Before you complain about how selfish and crazy your kids are, we ought to look in the mirror.

It seems like such a dangerous world. It's what keeps you up at night as a parent—what if, what if, what if?

At some point, your kids stop falling for your tricks and start calling you out on them. In this episode, Ryan and Sam share recent stories from raising kids who question everything, think fast, and keep them humble.

Before, you could wing it. But now? Now that you have kids? Now that you are maturing...or at least older? Now it's a whole different ballgame.

You're not quite as productive. You're not as career-driven. Your boss or your friends or your peers or even your fans, maybe they wonder what happened to you.

No child thinks they need a philosopher. Most adults don't either. Yet no matter our age, we all have problems.

You tried to do two things at once, and now you're getting frustrated with them, instead of yourself. That was your mistake.

When you read parenting books, it's hard not to get the distinct sense that there is a right way to parent.

In today's episode, Ryan and Doris Kearns Goodwin discuss how parents can teach history to their children, encouraging curiosity in kids, and the importance of maintaining the love for history in education. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian and bestselling author. Her latest #1 New York Times bestseller, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, is being adapted into a feature film, while her earlier works, Team of Rivals, The Bully Pulpit, and No Ordinary Time, have won some of the nation's highest literary honors and inspired leaders worldwide. She has served as a White House Fellow to President Lyndon Johnson, produced acclaimed docuseries for the HISTORY Channel, and earned countless awards for her contributions to history and leadership.She has a new book out called The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became Presidents in which she shares the different childhood experiences of Abraham Lincoln. Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lyndon B. Johnson, and how they each found their way to the presidency. Grab copies of Doris' books Team of Rivals and Leadership at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.comFollow Doris on Instagram @DorisKGoodwin and check out more of her work on her website doriskearnsgoodwin.com

You wanted this for so long. To have this happy family. And what are you doing with it?

As parents, we need philosophy just as much as our kids do. Parenting demands the four Stoic virtues: courage (to do what's hard), discipline (to follow through), justice (to do what's right), and wisdom (to know what matters).

They make us sit down for meals. They pull us away from our desks. They made it harder, if not impossible, to multi-task. They get us to put the phone down.

For generations, some parents have tried withholding praise, withholding pride, withholding approval so that their kids don't feel entitled to it. The idea is that this will make them hungry, make them really work for it.

Your focus may shift in parenthood, but that's what's meant to happen.

In today's episode, Ryan is in the hot seat as Samantha asks him questions about his latest book, Wisdom Takes Work, which released this week. They talk about why Wisdom Takes Work is a parenting book in disguise, raising curious kids, and why “how was your day?” might be the worst question ever.

As parents, it's our job to help them navigate the hard parts of life, not actively avoid them.

Right now, they're interested in something. Right now, they're being curious. Why are you interrupting this?

Our generation, just as all past generations have, make decisions in the present that have consequences borne primarily by future generations. But these future generations are not faceless, nameless hordes, they are our children and grandchildren.

We all want our kids to do well in school. You want them to enjoy learning. We just need to understand that every education is different. Because every kid is different!

How do we help them become lifelong learners? Well, it starts with being one yourself.

If you've ever felt like everyone else has parenting figured out, this episode is for you. Ryan shares eight pieces of advice that are honest, imperfect, and actually useful reminders for real life.

We are in the debt of teachers and grandparents and mentors who didn't treat us as the average but as the extraordinary individual we were and thus gave us individual treatment. Don't your kids deserve that, too?

Kids need routine. Kids need consistency. If you miss a window, there could be hell to pay. So we put them on the schedule and we try to stay on it.Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society

We can do more and we should try to do more, but let's make sure we are at least doing this.Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society

Maybe you don't like it. Maybe you think it's a bad idea. Maybe you're scared for them. But you know what? It doesn't matter.