Digital Dads

Observing other parents in action is something we all do. As you try to level up, comparing and contrasting with everyone else is key to figuring out what kind of parent you want to be. While this can be an affirming experience at times, we also accumulate a list of things we wish we would’ve done. Today we talk about the importance of looking at every mistake as an opportunity to learn and grow.

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Spanking your children is a very polarizing topic. Some people are completely against it while others think it’s a necessary part of raising respectful children. Needless to say it can be a very emotional topic as it relates to raising our kids. In this episode we got together a group of dads to weigh in with their thoughts on the subject.

Christopher Tupa, Eric Ketzer, Ryan Brown, and Chad Munn join us as we discuss the pros and cons of this taboo topic. We discuss the recent event of the lady who got arrested for spanking her sons…. after they broke into a neighbor’s house and stole property. And the bank in China that spanked employees as discipline for poor performance.

There were strong differences of opinion but I’m happy to report everyone came away friends. We encourage you to do your own research and of course respect your choices on how you raise your children. It is our intent to get you to think about how you parent and introduce you to perspectives of others facing similar challenges.

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[Resources]

* Time Article on Spanking

* Positive Discipline (book)

* The Kazdin Method for Parenting Defiant Children (book)

One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Coding with Minecraft and Star Wars

* Brent – Octopus Icon-Based Kid’s Watch

It’s that time of year again. Time for the family road trip. When we were kids things were much different. There were no iPads, or DVD players, or Game Boys. We had our imagination and we had each other. And somehow, we managed to survive.

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Fantasy Movie League

* Brent – Game Developer Barbie

There is a big problem with girls in STEM fields. But thanks to Kickstarter originated GoldieBlox, that may soon be a thing of the past. Little girls have a wide variety of engineering and other STEM related toys geared directly for them.

This week we have the privilege of speaking with Jenna Chalmers from the GoldieBlox team. She is the Director of Mobile Game design and they are launching a brand new app very soon. This one is focused on getting girls to try out programming and it promises to be a solid addition to their growing lineup of apps.

[GoldieBlox]

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Mathpix

* Brent – Mario Magnets

The other day Cody got a bad grade in math. A really bad grade. My knee jerk was to be upset with him. But, I can proudly say I remained calm as we discussed what he could do to improve his performance. We identified it was a lack of effort (rooted in a little bit of intimidation) so I worked with him to understand better.

At first, he resisted a lot. It seemed like a big deal to give up video game time to practice. But he got his head on straight and the next grade reflected the renewed effort. He had a true “level up” experience and we both learned a valuable lesson.

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We all want to raise good kids. But maybe our focus should be on raising successful adults. There are a specific set of commonalities among parents who accomplish exactly that. Thirteen of them in fact. And much of it is in the hands of us, the parents, which may come as no surprise.

This week we explore an article featured on Tech Insider by Rachel Gillett and Drake Baer. Because we all want our kids to become super awesome adults. Check out these things parents of successful children have in common.

[Tech Insider article]

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Band of Brothers

* Brent – Chewbacca Mask Lady

Sometimes we forget that our kids have not been on this Earth as long as we have. Activities and entertainment that we scoff at could be exactly the experience that opens up their little minds and activates their imaginations. We have to approach fun from their point of view. After our first ever Digital Dads Field Trip to the local renaissance festival, I muse about the opportunity for adventure we have each weekend and how thinking about our kids first can make the experience more fun for everyone.

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Everyone’s happy when the new baby arrives. Months of anticipation until finally, it’s time to bring the little bundle of joy home for good. But what if there’s a dog in the house already. Will the dog be territorial over the domain? What of the existing pecking order? Where does the baby fit into the picture.

These are all great questions and in this episode we have the privilege of picking the brain of Michael Wombacher, author of Good Dog, Happy Baby. Michael has decades of experience training dogs and his latest book is perfect for anyone expecting a new addition. In fact, it’s great for anyone with dogs and children as it includes a 12-Step program to transform your dog into a loving and well-behaved member of the family. Super fun interview!

Get Michael’s free eBook – A Pet Primer for New or Expecting Parents

Prepare for baby with Michael’s video course – Good Dog, Happy Baby

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Robot Fight!

* Brent – Ginger Snaps

Words hurt. Or at least they can. That’s why it’s so important we pay attention to how we treat each other. That is especially true of the Round Table. This time Brent made a mistake and caused someone to leave unintentionally. Check out this RTR about it.

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Less but better. That’s the mantra of the Essentialist. We’ve been huge fans of this book since we first discussed it way back in episode five. This time we have the privilege of speaking with the man himself, Greg McKeown. He talks with us about why doing less is actually the secret to accomplishing more. And in this digital world full of distractions we welcome that idea with open arms. Essentialism is definitely an idea whose time has come and promises to help each of us focus on the things that matter most.

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – The Runaway Dinosaur

* Brent – Mario in Minecraft