Modern Dadhood | Unpacking Fatherhood + Parenting for Dads (and Moms!)

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a stressful, emotional path to becoming a parent. Adding a surrogate to the equation introduces a new set of risks and stressors. For Ryan O'Connell and his wife, when the stars aligned and their healthy, perfect baby was born, it was nothing short of a miracle... and then they hit the lottery a second time. During our conversation, Ryan opens up about the deeply personal and intricate process of having children via surrogacy, shedding light on the highs and lows that come with it. We explore the emotional challenges, legal complexities, and moments of triumph that the O'Connells faced along the way. Listen to the end for an ego-deflating installment of Kisses and Disses.

Episode 111 of Modern Dadhood opens with a quick catch-up with the guys about the back-to-school process and the crazy, overwhelming nature of parent life. The guys waste no time getting into Adam's conversation with fellow girl-dad Ryan O'Connell, an event manager and prolific blogger. Ryan lives in New Jersey with his family, including his two daughters, nine and four.

Ryan opens up about the highs and lows of dad life, navigating the world of surrogacy, and the emotional rollercoaster involved in starting a family. We discuss the challenges and triumphs he and his wife faced on their path to parenthood, including their experiences with surrogates and the intricate medical and emotional processes involved. Topics include:

•  The process of finding a surrogate
•  What attributes make a couple and potential surrogate click?
•  A brief overview of IVF
•  The potential risks and setbacks of working with a surrogate
•  The emotional and physical toll of miscarriages
•  The legal and financial side of surrogacy
•  And more!

Listen to the end for an ego-deflating installment of Kisses and Disses.

LINKS
Giddy Up America (Ryan's blog)
Ryan O'Connell (LinkedIn)
Reproductive Possibilities (surrogacy agency)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Do you feel perpetually behind? Or so stressed each day that it’s debilitating? Well, it turns out you’re not alone. (Far from it, actually.) The US Surgeon General reports that 48% of parents say that most days, their stress is “completely overwhelming.” How do we know this? Because the Nation's Doctor told us himself. US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, joins us to discuss his new advisory report “Parents Under Pressure,” which explores why so many parents are struggling, and what we as a country can do to begin to reverse this trend.

In Episode 110 of Modern Dadhood, the guys catch up briefly on the beginning of the school year, and offer a quick explanation for why the episode release schedule has been a little slow lately. They reflect on interviewing Dr. Vivek Murthy, US Surgeon General and dad of two, about his new Advisory, "Parents Under Pressure," including what inspired him to write it, how his own fatherhood experience informed the topic, and what he sees as solutions to reducing stress and improving the well-being off parents. Topics include:

•  What factors are causing so much stress in parents?
•  Parenting should be seen as a team effort, not an individual pursuit
•  The lack of support available to dads specifically
•  High levels of loneliness, especially among single parents
•  How do technology and social media play a role?
•  Societal capability to make significant changes
•  Dr. Murthy's thoughts on solutions / interventions
•  And more
 

LINKS
Read The Advisory "Parents Under Pressure"
US Surgeon General (official)
Dr. Vivek Murthy (Instagram)
Surgeon General (Twitter/X)
Surgeon General (Facebook)
"House Calls" Podcast
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Still riding the high of seeing Beck perform with a live orchestra (and getting the rare chance to say hello to him post-show), Adam chose to resurface our 2021 interview with Beck's step-dad, the multi-talented Sean Carrillo, for this week's Rewind episode. Sean's story of marrying into a family with two kids who were only 10 and 12 years his junior, is a wonderfully unique tale of a blended family of artists which, at times, felt more like a group of peers hanging around, inspiring each other.
 

At 60 years old, Sean Carrillo's career has taken him from the performing arts to commercial and film production, directing, and editorial, to curating live events... and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Sean has been a stepfather for  40 years, and his family dynamic is far from typical. His wife Bibbe Hansen is a performance artist and actress, a protégé of Andy Warhol when she was young. Bibbe’s late father is Al Hansen, the renowned Fluxus artist. And his stepchildren are artist Channing Hansen, and musician Beck—a longtime favorite of Adam’s.

Sean shares about growing up in Los Angeles in the 60s and 70s, meeting Bibbe while a member of the performance art group ASCO, and marrying her in the early 1980s when Beck and Channing were 12 and 10 years old, respectively. In a particularly unique step-parenting situation, Sean found that hanging with Bibbe and the boys, along with Rain Whittaker, a family friend who they took under their wing, felt more like hanging out with a group of peers than a  traditional parents/kids dynamic. Topics include:

•  The idea of marrying someone with kids close to you in age
•  Beck and Channing’s biological father David Campbell
•  Los Angeles’ Troy Cafe, owned by Sean and Bibbe
•  Did being a stepfather change when Beck and Channing began seeing commercial success?
•  Beck and Channing as fathers
•  And more
 

LINKS:
Sean Carrillo
Bibbe Hansen
Beck
Channing Hansen
Beck and Al Hansen: Playing With Matches
Troy Cafe
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Have you ever wondered about the true value that a doula brings to pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond? We're joined by Timothy Gant Jr., also known as "Teddy The Doula," a trailblazing male doula from Houston, Texas. Timothy shares his journey into the traditionally female-dominated field, the unique challenges and joys of his practice, and the vital role of educating and empowering dads-to-be.

Episode 108 of Modern Dadhood opens with the guys swapping stories about their evenings, with Marc venting about being emotionally beaten down by his kids, and Adam enjoying some beach time and booking a dream guest. The guys transition the conversation to the topic of doulas, and introduce Timothy Gant Jr., known professionally as Teddy The Doula, into the conversation. Teddy shares openly about his full-spectrum doula practice, and how being a man in a female-dominated industry awards him some unique opportunities. Topics discussed include:

•  What unique challenges come with being a male doula?
•  Why did Timothy pursue his passion in the face of adversity?
•  What are the unique benefits of having a male doula?
•  The importance of education around pregnancy and childbirth for both partners.
•  The various ways that a doula can support and advocate for the new parents
•  And more!

LINKS
Teddy The Doula (Instagram)
Teddy (the documentary)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

This "Rewind" episode doubles as our Father's Day 2024 episode! The guys chat about what an ideal Father's Day would look like, play a fun quiz game, and then throw back to the 2022 interview with trans dad Tessa White who shares candidly about her unique journey of trans fatherhood. Tessa opens up about her family's dynamics, the challenges she faces with public scrutiny, and the profound impact of a meaningful pin she received, which reads "She/Her/DAD."

The guys open Episode 107 of Modern Dadhood with a chat about what an ideal fathers day would look like (spoiler alert... pretty much anything as long as the kids aren't fighting!) They discuss beers on the beach at night, a giant ball of snakes, and then play a Father's Day Quiz before throwing to their 2022 interview with trans dad Tessa White. Tessa owns an HVAC company in Oklahoma City, is a transgender woman and proud LGBTQ+ advocate and activist, and is a parent to 5 children (including two sets of twins) who call her DAD. The powerful conversation touches on topics including:

•  The meaning of the phrase "She/Her/DAD" found on a pin by Dads Hug Too
•  Navigating the world as a trans woman and a parent
•  The debate over transgender athletes
•  Trans discrimination, and the effects on Tessa's kids
•  Giving kids some space and distance to accept who their father is
•  Pronouns, including nonbinary pronouns
 

Happy Pride Month, and Happy Father's Day to EVERYONE who identifies as a dad.
 

Links:
Dads Hug Too
PFlag Oklahoma City
OKC Pride
Diversity Center of Oklahoma
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

According to Men's Coach and Somatic Practitioner Sean Hotchkiss, everyone carries traumatic experiences with them from when they were young. These can be major emotional traumas like the divorce of your parents, or they can be micro traumas... but when they are left unresolved, they can shape who we are as adults (and parents), how we navigate life, and how we relate to others. In this episode honoring Mental Health Awareness Month, Sean Hotchkiss joins the conversation to discuss the real value of expressing anger and the benefits of unpacking our traumas of the past, all the way down to a cellular level.

Episode 106 of Modern Dadhood, Adam and Marc open the show by welcoming new listeners, and giving shout-outs to Hark Audio, where Adam recently created his first Harklist, and Pocket Casts for generously highlighting Modern Dadhood in the Kids & Family category. The guys acknowledge Mental Health Awareness Month and introduce the guest into the conversation. Sean Hotchkiss is a Men's Coach, Somatic Practitioner, and Embodiment Guide. He works with men (many of whom are dads) to uncover and process traumas of their past. The conversation gets deep, covering topics like:

•  What it means to be a somatic practitioner and embodiment guide
•  What inspired Sean to transition from fashion writing to coaching
•  What are the most common sources of trauma for men?
•  How are repressed traumatic experiences accessed and processed?
•  Who can benefit from this kind of coaching?
•  And more!

Marc rounds out the episode with a quick installment of Did I Just Say That Out Loud?


LINKS
Sean Hotchkiss (official website)
Sean Hotchkiss (Instagram)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

It's Mother's Day 2024, and we dedicate this episode to ALL the moms—the real superheroes who make our families run like well-oiled machines with their dedication, selflessness, and boundless love. Marc and Adam wager guesses on what would make for an ideal Mother's Day for their wives (and then hear directly from their wives about how accurate they were!) Then we turn the mics over to some of the top podcasters who specialize in all things MOTHERHOOD to share their insights and sound advice for us dads.

THANK YOU to all the amazing motherhood podcasters who shared their recordings with us! You are awesome!

LINKS
Bite Your Tongue (Podcast)
Oh Crap! Parenting  (Podcast)
Momwell  (Podcast)
Real World Peaceful Parenting  (Podcast)
Modern Mom Probs  (Podcast)
Moms On Call  (Podcast)
Peaceful Parenting Podcast
Motherhood Simplified  (Podcast)
 

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

In July 2021, Dateline NBC reporter and Today Show personality Craig Melvin joined us to talk fatherhood. He shared candidly about the process of writing his book Pops: Learning To Be A Son And A Father, including stepping out of his comfort zone to conduct a number of interviews with his own dad. Craig reflected on his childhood, his relationship with his father, and how the men in his life have shaped the dad that Craig is to his own kids. Listen to the end of the episode for a round of dad Confessions.

In this Rewind episode, the guys welcome NBC anchor/personality Craig Melvin’s new book Pops: Learning To Be A Son And A Father, a book he began working on during a 2020 quarantine. For much of Craig’s life, he and his brothers didn’t have much of a relationship with their father Lawrence, largely due to his alcohol and gambling addictions. A 2018 family intervention cleared a path to recovery for Lawrence, and an opportunity to redefine relationships with his sons and grandchildren—Including Craig’s son and daughter. Craig shared candidly about his family, and the process of interviewing his father for Pops. Topics include:

• The inspiration for writing Pops
•  The fear of interviewing a parent
• The importance of other “father figures” in Craig’s life
•  The nature of addiction
•  How the notion of “it takes a village” has shifted
•  Craig’s kids’ relationship with their grandfather
•  What “Modern Dadhood” means to Craig
•  And more!

The guys round out the episode with a new batch of dadhood Confessions.

LINKS:
Craig Melvin (Instagram)
Dads Got This!
"Pops: Learning To Be A Son And A Father"
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal
Modern Dadhood (website)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Dads, raise your hand if becoming a parent resulted in falling out of healthy routines like exercise and mindful eating? Yeah, same here. And it's only natural... when there's a new baby in the picture your priorities immediately shift to your partner, the baby's well-being... and your own survival. But months (or years) later, it can be very intimidating to think about combating that "dad bod," and often, we don't even know where to start. Fitness founder Ryan Cooper joins us to share some actionable tips dads can use to revitalize their fitness journeys. As a bonus, Ryan extends listeners an exclusive Modern Dadhood discount code for his online fitness program CooperFit. Stick around to the end for an emotional roller coaster of a Kisses & Disses segment!

Episode 103 of Modern Dadhood opens with a chat about the infamous "dad bod" and the factors that contribute to it being so common among dads in the earliest stages of parenthood. The guys talk about their own relationships with diet, exercise, and wellness around the time when their kids were born, and where things stand now, years later.

The guys welcome Ryan Cooper into the conversation. Ryan is a model, an actor, a producer, and founder of CooperFit, an online physical fitness program for men and women in which Ryan programs weekly routines that include exercises, pilates, meditation, breathing, and more. Ryan shares about his personal journey as a dad of one daughter, what led him to start CooperFit, and how his program can benefit dads who might not now where to start when it comes to getting their health back on track. Conversation topics include:

•  What CooperFit is, and how it offers structured convenience for busy dads
•  Fitness as a form of therapy form to tackle the root of problems
•  The importance of stepping out of your comfort zone
•  The real value of breathing and breathwork
•  How modeling behavior can positively influence children
•  And more

Ryan generously offers a deeply discounted rate for listeners of Modern Dadhood using the code DAD50 when you sign up for CooperFit using this link.

After the interview, the guys share a very nice podcast review from a happy listener and a... not-so-nice one. Leave your review and you might be featured in a future episode!
 

LINKS
Cooperfit (homepage)
Cooperfit Modern Dadhood Exclusive Offer - Use code DAD50
Ryan Cooper (Instagram)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Episode 59 originally aired in February, 2020.

Becoming a new parent can be a special kind of mayhem. Add a global pandemic into the mix, and the chaos of the first few months are elevated to a new level. But depending on your situation, those challenges may be coupled with opportunity. In Episode 59, podcaster, producer, actor, and all around creative human, Matt Gourley, joins the conversation to discuss the joys, challenges, and insanity of new fatherhood—and how this shift has helped him discover some new perspective on what’s truly important.
 

Episode 59 of Modern Dadhood kicks off with a short discussion about the podcast's brief winter hibernation where the guys describe life chugging forward and the typical madness of having young kids. Adam shares the story leading up to landing a conversation with new dad Matt Gourley. Matt is the host of Superego, producer and co-host of Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, actor, musician, and designer. In our time together, we discuss topics including:

•  Finding peace in the first few months of parenthood
•  The importance of a paternity leave
•  Redefining work/life balance
•  The importance of maintaining a sense of self
•  Anxiety associated with trying to keep your newborn safe during the pandemic
•  What kind of dad Matt envisioned he'd be before having kids

Post-guest, Marc shares a whopper of a Did I Just Say That Out Loud? which can't be described... the story must be heard to be believed.

LINKS:
Matt Gourley (website)
Matt Gourley on Twitter
Matt Gourley on Instagram
Housecat And Home
Keys to the Kingdom
Mallwalkin'
Townland
Superego
Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend
With Gourley and Rust
I Was There Too
James Bonding
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Red Vault Audio
Stuffed Animal

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast