Good Dads Podcast

We talk with Devon Magruder, a driver for Prime, about how he communicates with his family and maintains a strong relationship while he is on the road.

We welcome back Brian Mattson and Drew Dilisio to the studio, who both have two younger children. These dads share their journeys in family dynamics, routines, and encouraging siblings to get along.

These fathers first joined us on the podcast as brand-new dads, and now they're juggling being dads of two: From poor sleepers to personality conflicts, you have to laugh with two children—for otherwise you may cry!

Our Guests: Brian Mattson & Drew Dilisio

Brian Mattson is an associate pastor at the Downtown Church in Springfield, MO, and a former member of the Good Dads Board of Directors. His background is in journalism and he studied at Mizzou. Brian is father to Jack and Dorothy.

Drew Dilisio, LPC is a behavioral health therapist and Navy veteran. He was formerly the Director of Counseling at Good Dads, and he earned his master's degree at Evangel University. Drew is father to June and Harper.

Show Notes:

• (7:17) You can tell, even from pre-walking, personality-wise that we're going in different directions, and just different characteristics that have really shone through early.
• (8:32) I think that's a second child thing because Harper will—she's independent! ... June is hyper-focused, and Harper will just be walking around ... Let her do her thing. She doesn't want to sit down and just focus on one thing.
• (15:42) The toughest part about having two kids is that there's two kids. You don't understand that until you have two kids! ... When you have a second kid, the math doesn't work the same. It's not twice as hard: It's four or five or six times as hard.
• (18:47) the hardest part is ... dealing with the, "am I doing this right?" ... Kathryne and I will joke to each other: "We wanted them, right?" "Yes, we love them!"

Resources:

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We talk to Mike Nissley, a driver for Prime Trucking, about health and fitness while on the road. Mike talks about Prime's program with "nutrition and truckers" and his website www.moderndaytrucker.com.

This week we reach back into the Good Dads archives to bring you this conversation with Josh Fanning, who was a new dad at the time. Originally recorded in September 2022, Josh came to the studio to join us in a wide-ranging conversation about being a dad to an observant and curious 11-month old. From baby-proofing the house and bath time to teething pain and bottle difficulties, Josh shares the joys and challenges that come with a baby born with a cleft palate.

Our Guest: Josh Fanning

Josh Fanning is an Ozarks native and a father to Benjamin, who was born in 2021. Josh works in installation and service work with Dyke Lumber, a Springfield business and lumber and hardware supplier. He and his wife, Natalie, had a second baby on the way at the time of recording.

Show Notes

• (2:26) Benjamin is on the move. He's at that stage (when) you can't take your eyes off him. He can crawl fast!
• (4:06) My life is a lot more regimented now. We try to adhere to a schedule ... For the most part, I come home from work, and instantly Benjamin's face light's up, he's so happy to see me. That makes my heart smile. I pick him up and play with him. Then it's dinnertime, and then bath time is like our special bonding time. I always give him his baths; that's our special father-son time.
• (8:26) His teething kind of comes in waves  ...  Recently in the past 2-3 weeks, his top teeth have been coming in ... And for some reason it only seems to bother him during bedtime ... we'll go all day long, and he'll be fine. And then at bedtime, he's like, "I'm in pain now—it hurts." It's hard to deal with.
• (11:58) Benjamin was born with a cleft palate, so he is missing the soft tissue in the roof of his mouth ... it's very hard. We have to have him off the bottle, and he can't put anything in his mouth, so we have to skip the sippy cup. We have to go straight to drinking from a glass. 
• (14:26) Other than the initial ultrasounds, my wife and I really wanted it to be a surprise. We didn't even know the gender until he came out.
• (16:51) My advice would be: Listen to your wife!

Resources

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We talk with Aaron Swanson, Youngblood's Used Car Director and father of 3 children (including twins), about his experiences with twins and being a "boy" dad.

We talk with Paul Baker and Brian Mattson, both team captains for "Good Dads, Strong Schools," about the importance of spending time with children at their schools.

We talk with Pastor Stacie and Larry Hinds, from Hannibal Missouri, about starting Good Dads in their community.

We talk with Ryan Dasso, from the Family Restoration Center in Stockton, about adding Good Dads in their community.

We talk with Lee Bramlett and Don Lewis, from Elevate Kansas City, about the benefits of some of their programs and bringing Good Dads to Kansas City.

We talk with Whitney Mosley, the Museum Educator, about the interactive displays, times and events, and what we can expect when we bring our kids to visit the museum in downtown Springfield.