Digital Dads

We all complain. Some more than others, but we’re all guilty of venting some frustration from time to time. And when done periodically it’s not so bad. But did you know this habit can have serious long term effects on your life?

We found an article that science has now proven chronic complaining has a profound impact on your psychology and your physical health. We dive into the topic to determine how and what steps can be taken to avoid falling into this cycle of negativity.

One Cool Thing

* Brent – Biem Butter Sprayer

* Andrew – Flux

Zombies are an undeniable part of pop culture. They’re in movies (with rules) and TV shows. They have their own video games. And I’m pretty sure at least one of the current running presidential candidates is brain dead enough to qualify. But for most people these flesh eating monsters are only a figment of our imagination. Or are they?

The idea of dead people rising from the grave may be a little far fetched. However, the possibility of a virus spreading through the population with similar effect makes things much more interesting. It begs the question… could a zombie outbreak actually happen?

For the answer we turn to science. Not the pseudo that we use on the show to validate our opinions. We’re talking real, bona-fide Albert Einstein type science. The following video intrigued us as it makes a strong case it’s at least possible. And since the CDC agrees we thought it best to take a deeper look.

We had a blast with this episode and remain convinced that by the end of it, you’ll realize the truth too. Zombies may soon live among us. The only question is… will we be ready.

One Cool Thing

* Brent – kiddle.co child friendly search engine

* Andrew – Lifeline

Here we go again. This time we talk to three more dads to get their take on the work life balance challenge. The discussion uncovered some of the difficulties as well as rewards of juggling life’s many hats.

We are joined by Rob Lindley, Christopher Peterson, and Jason Otero in this episode as we dive in yet again to a topic we all struggle with on a daily basis. Listen now to hear their perspective and approaches to giving time to what matters most.

Christopher Peterson – decipherSciFi

Jason Otero – Hawaii Living 365

One Cool Thing

* Brent – Coleco Chameleon

* Andrew – Moonwalking with Einstein

Two dads are good. Five dads are better. A result of our kicking off the Digital Dads Round Table, we have brought on three other dads to discuss a very hot topic. Work / Life balance. Is such at thing even possible?

We dive in as usual but this time we are joined by three accomplices, er… fellow round table members, Joe Pardo, Timothy Moore, and Jeremy Muse to bring perspective from a wider range of fathers. Keep in mind the round table is open to all. Join us and you may well have a seat at the next discussion.

One Cool Thing

* Timothy Moore – Acorns

* Joe Pardo – Engraved wedding ring from Bulgaria (via Amazon)

“You have our sword!”

We’ve been doing this show for about a year now and we’ve finally realized something important. It’s the community of listeners that lies at the heart of this thing. And we plan to embrace that fully from here on out.

Because the bottom line is this. We are all Digital Dads. And we are all trying to successfully raise kids in a digital world. And now, we are committed to doing it together by taking our seat at the Round Table.

Listen in on this episode as we discuss the 10 Rules of the Roundtable – our philosophy around raising kids in a digital world. Just like the knights of old we will forge ahead as one united front, arm in arm, shield by shield. And we shall be victorious!

Join the Round Table Facebook Group

Join Us at the Round Table

One Cool Thing

* Andrew – The Witness

* Brent – Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens

[Trumpet sound by CGEffex Copyright CC by 3.0]

Anyone with kids understands the value of a good pediatrician. So naturally we were elated when Dr. Mike of the PediaCast podcast agreed to make a return visit to the show.

Reviewing his show we realized he has a TON of great episodes and it would simply be too hard to limit him to a single topic. So, we put together a list of questions including some of our own and a few from listeners.

The end result? Another great interview naturally. He even came the closest anyone’s ever come to saying an actual cuss word on the show. I know. Crazy right? After the dust settled he said he would be honored to be the resident Digital Dads pediatrician. Well, maybe “honored” is our word. Regardless he’s a great guy and we’re thrilled to share his expertise with you once again.

One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Apple Music Memo App

* Brent – Secret Netflix Codes

Kids grow up fast. Like really fast. One minute they’re crying their way through another new tooth and the next their picking out curtains with their spouse. Well… maybe it goes a little slower than that. But not much.

Our wonderful little angels move through the phases of life at a rapid pace. Of course we don’t notice it in the moment. Then one day we take a good look at one of them and exclaim, “I can’t believe you are already (insert new age) years old! Where does the time go?”

That’s why it’s super important to capture as many of these little moments when they happen. Sure we all take tons of photos on the smart phone in our pocket. And maybe even a video or two depending on how well we manage our storage. But there are some other neat ways we can freeze those memories in time.

A recent Internet search turned up a great blog post by Code Name Mama. In it she discusses 10 ways to preserve memories with her children. We though this would be a great topic to discuss so after putting the requisite Digital Dads flair to it here you go.

[Code Name Mama]

One Cool Thing

* Brent – Minecraft in the Classroom

* Andrew – Google Cardboard Saves Baby’s Life

What can make a grown man cry? Star Wars that’s what. We got excited about the brand new Star Wars movie a year ago when we first saw the trailer. In that short video clip one thing was obvious. Star Wars was back.

That trailer connected us with our inner child in a meaningful way. For a moment, we were little boys again. And it was glorious. In fact we were so excited that we did an entire podcast episode about the new film. And again, this was a full year before the release date. But Star Wars is important so the decision was a good one.

That episode was also important in another way as well. It marked the first time we included clips of the kids in the show. If you’ve heard any of our episodes you know that has become a mainstay since then. And to think it was all inspired by Star Wars.

Now that the movie has come out, we knew it was time to do a follow up episode. This time we get a special treat as we bring some fellow dads on with us to have a roundtable discussion about it. We do a review including what we liked and what we didn’t, plus we discuss a few of the theories floating around out there about Rey. And at least one grown man admits to tearing up at the theater. And I bet he wasn’t alone.

One Cool Thing

* Cody – Star Wars Battlefront

Being a parent is hard. And raising kids in the digital age is even harder. Technology is advancing quickly in the world today bringing with it not only new benefits but new challenges as well. Especially for parents.

We are digital immigrants tasked with raising digital natives to succeed in a world that changes more every day. And there is no one to show us the way. From cyber bullying to sexting there are new challenges arising all the time.

But is it as bad as it seems? In this episode we talk with Dr. Yalda T. Uhls about the reality of our fast changing world and how it is impacting our children. We ask her about questions like these:

Is social media ruining our kids?

How much internet activity is too much?

What do FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), sexting, and selfies mean for teens? 

What does research say about how media and technology are impacting childhood?

Listen in as Dr. Uhls helps us approach parenting from a new perspective. Armed with the facts and some solid strategies we are much better equipped to raise our children to thrive in the new digital reality.

Dr. Yalda T. Uhls website

Deseret News article

One Cool Thing

* Andrew & Brent – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

It’s far too easy to take your health for granted. And we’ve been guilty. Too many days seated behind a computer monitor can wreak havoc on your body if you’re not careful. And once the habits are established it can be very difficult to turn things around. But it matters. A lot.

Playing with your children, quality of life, lower risk of disease, and self confidence are only some of the many benefits you will get from increasing your overall health. Even the smallest of steps, done regularly, can have an impact.

In this episode we tackle the topic discussing the importance of good health and some insights about how to attain it. We’ve been in and out of the gym more times than we can count. And we’ve learned a few tricks along the way. Plus, we also connect the dots to the psychological benefits and how that can have a ripple effect on other areas of your life.

One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Filmumentaries

* Brent – The BFG movie