What is "feminism"? What does it mean to be a feminist? Is it for women only? Do feminists hate men? As it turns out, there are many misconceptions about what it means to be a feminist. We invited professor, author,  thought leader, and dad, Jordan Shapiro, to discuss what feminism REALLY means... and how as dads, we can actively work to be better parents and better people.

Episode 50 finds Marc and Adam returning from a short Summer hiatus, and after a brief catch-up, they dive head first into a topic which they both are painfully unqualified to opine on:  feminism! The guys discuss several definitions of the term, as well as some of the misconceptions about feminism. They introduce Jordan Shapiro into the conversation. Jordan is a professor, thought leader, and author of the new book "Father Figure: How To Be a Feminist Dad". Jordan's book has received impressive reviews and accolades, and in our conversation, we cover topics such as:

•  The REAL definition of feminism
•  The importance of modeling compassion and inclusivity to our kids
•  #metoo movement
•  Cancel culture
•  Toxic masculinity
•  Gender essentialism
•  And more!

Adam shares a stabbing-themed "Did I Just Say That Out Loud?" before the guys close out the episode.
 

Links:
Farther Figure: How To Be a Feminist Dad
Jordan Shapiro (official website)
Jordan Shapiro (Twitter)
Jordan Shapiro (Instagram)
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal Music
Adam Flaherty

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

Have you ever sat down to interview one of your parents? It’s not always an easy task—even for someone who interviews influential people for a living! Adam and Marc welcome guest Craig Melvin, father of two and acclaimed news anchor/personality on Dateline NBC and The Today Show, to discuss his new book “Pops: Learning To Be A Son And A Father.” Listen to the end of the episode for a round of “Confessions.”

Episode 49 opens with a brief reflection on the show; specifically, how our collective experiences as dads can share so many similarities and be so different at the same time. The guys share a bit about 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
 

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

[Episode Transcript]

Links:
Buy “Pops” at Powell’s
Craig’s digital series “Dads Got This”
Craig Melvin on Instagram
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal

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

What does the word "family" mean to you? Is it your immediate blood relatives with whom you share DNA? Or can "family" be chosen based on interpersonal relationships, regardless of ancestry? And who gets to decide the official definition, if not each one of us individually? Today, Adam and Marc welcome guest Paul Ramsay, a certified hypnotist, to share a compelling story about the dad he never knew, and how his experience as a son redefined the word "family" for him. Also, Marc's boys go a bit wild with some new rubber drinking straws!

Episode 48 finds the guys back together recording in person for the first time in almost 16 months. They  open the conversation by reminiscing about the past year or more, and discuss their skepticism about fully accepting a return to normalcy. The guys welcome guest Paul Ramsay into the conversation. Paul is a Certified Hypnotist and a longtime friend and collaborator of Adam's. The guys quickly turn the show over to Paul, who recounts a compelling story about his experience with an absentee father, a stepdad who swept in and selflessly filled that paternal role, and what happened when a half sibling reached out to make contact after decades of silence.

In an installment of "Did I Just SayThat Out Loud?", Marc shares an exclamation which might sound confusing (or even perverse) without explanation.

[Episode Transcript]

LINKS:
Paul Ramsay, Hypnotist
Best Hypnosis Training
Best Hypnosis Training on Instagram
The Partnerhood
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal

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

In part two of the conversation, Adam and Marc jump back into things with Ben Lee after pausing while he fields a phone call from a child in distress. The. Dadding. Never. Stops. From there, the guys explore a willingness to discuss heavy topics, leading by example, the importance of balancing skill with intuition, and speaking to the kid inside the grown-up... really, a little bit of everything. Finally, stick around to the end to hear about Marc’s new musical side project: Stuffed Animal.

Episode 47 is the second half of a  two part conversation with songwriter, activist, and rockstar dad Ben Lee. The guys open the show with a gush-session about Ben’s wisdom, grace, and talent before diving right back into the interview. Conversation topics include:

•  How to create space for forward motion in your life
•  "Three dimensional experiences"
•  What it means to be an "activist"
•  Leading by example with our children
•  Why we should not assume that we know better than our kids
•  Writing music for kids and families

In lieu of a recurring segment, Marc announces his new solo musical venture “Stuffed Animal,” which he simply describes as “rock music for kids.” Samples of “PB+J” and “Nervous Dog” are debuted before the guys close out the episode.

Links:
Ben Lee on Instagram
Ben Lee on Twitter
Weirder Together
B is for Beer
Ben Lee in Quarantine
Stuffed Animal
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Adam Flaherty

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

Parents are teachers. Even those of us without degree in education. Our children are constantly observing us and learning from our behaviors, personalities, and how we navigate adventures, crises, relationships, and life in general. Musician, activist, and rockstar dad Ben Lee joins the conversation for a deep dive on fatherhood, leading by example, and promoting a love for lifelong learning to our children. Plus, Marc recalls a time he got the flop sweats, and Adam's children drive him to literally question his very sanity!

Episode is Part 1 of a 2 Part conversation with the multi-talented artist Ben Lee.

The episode opens with a quick recap and reflection on Episode 45: Mom Takeover. The guys tee up the conversation with Australian musician, activist, and dad, Ben Lee, by discussing the unique challenge of trying to teach our children without OVER-teaching. How to impart wisdom without forcing a teachable moment into every experience. And how to allow yourself to step back and let them experience things for themselves when it’s appropriate.

The guys welcome Ben Lee into the conversation. Ben is an artist in every sense of the word, and along with his wife Ione Skye, they are parents to 19 year old Kate (a stepdaughter to Ben), and 11 year old Goldie. Ben discusses post-pandemic life in Sydney, returning to live performance, and offers a deep dive on fatherhood, sharing candidly about topics including:

• How live music has changed post-pandemic
•  Meeting his future wife at 18 years old
•  The beauty of "blended" family structures
•  Kids and technology
•  The value of expressing interest in their interests
•  Giving people space to have their own experiences
•  And more

The conversation with Ben will carry on in Episode 47. Adam shares about what’s “a thing now” in the Flaherty home to round out the show... a "thing" which has led him to questioning his own sanity. And the guys close with well-wishes to all the dads on this Father’s Day Weekend 2021!

[Episode Transcript]
 

Links:
Ben Lee on Instagram
Ben Lee on Twitter
Weirder Together
B is for Beer
Ben Lee in Quarantine
Author Jordan Shapiro
Colleen Ballinger
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal
Adam Flaherty

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

Episode 45 of the podcast takes a slight detour from the usual format. The guys turn their mics over to their wives and hand over a bowl full of questions for the podcast’s first-ever Mom Takeover. Sarah Flaherty and Jamie Checket chat about everything from dad tropes and mom myths to “aha!” moments and moody kids. Finally, some real talk from the moms behind the dads behind Modern Dadhood. Perhaps this is the beginning of an annual event.

A concept originally teased in Episode 43, hosts Adam and Marc turn the show over to their wives, Sarah and Jamie. With little instruction and a batch of questions and prompts to address at their will, the goal of the exercise was to celebrate and honor mothers by giving them the floor and full control of the show. How did they spend their time? Well, they discussed topics including:

•  How they learned about (and didn't learn about) the "Mom Takeover" concept
•  Motherhood myths
•  The benefits and pitfalls of social media to a new mother
•  Being your child's "entertainer"
•  Letting go/stepping back
•  Listening vs. problem solving
•  Pregnancy mindsets
•  Sleep deprivation
•  Mom confessions
•  Dumb dad moves
•  And more!

We celebrate you, Sarah, Jamie, and ALL moms, step moms, bonus moms, and moms-to-be! THANK YOU for being you! (And for accepting us and loving us for the idiots we are, too.)
 

[Episode Transcript]
 

Links:
Hunt, Gather, Parent
How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen 

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

Episode 44 of Modern Dadhood is a bit different than what you’ve grown accustomed to. Adam had a significant and deeply personal event in his life recently, spurring an impromptu recording session. The guys take a little time to catch up about family, life, and playing the role of dad—even if, at times, it’s hard to think about playing any other role besides son.

Stay tuned for the Mother's Day "takeover" episode which will be our next release.

Links:
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal

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

At the end of the COVID tunnel, the thought of light is very appealing — 2020 was a whopper. The pandemic has affected us all differently. We’ve developed our own ways of navigating hurdles and managing emotional stress. Middle and high school kids faced unique challenges as they missed iconic milestones and were robbed of social lives. While drugs and alcohol have always been a concern for parents, 2020 saw a rise in addiction among adolescents looking for a coping mechanism. Author Richard Capriola brings decades of experience to the conversation and shares ideas on how parents can best support their kids. His book, “The Addicted Child,” lays out the warning signs and offers seasoned advice to help turn this trend around.
 

Episode 43 of Modern Dadhood opens with a brief catch-up on Marc’s solo-dadding weekend and a realization that the release of this episode falls on the Friday of Mother’s Day weekend. The guys quickly formulate a plan to let their wives take over the next episode and mom it up for half an hour!

The guys discuss their (quite different) experiences with their second doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which leads into a conversation about the pandemic, the light at the end, and the impacts that the past year has had on people of all ages. The guys discuss the differences between younger children and high school aged adolescents and coping mechanisms for stress, depression, and trauma—including drugs and alcohol. Marc brings up a recent episode of NHPR’s The Exchange, covering a similar topic with guest Jessica Lahey, before playing back a recent conversation with author Richard Capriola.

Richard is a father one grown son who has spent much of his career counseling young people with alcohol and substance abuse issues, and recently published the book The Addicted Child, A Parent’s Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse. Rick joins to promote his book, and we discuss topics including:

•  Raising his son as a widower
•  The importance of writing a simple and clear guide for parents
•  The harm in labeling someone an "addict"
•  When is the right time to discuss substance misuse with your kids?
•  The neuroscience of adolescent substance use
•  What has changed from the "Just Say No" era to now?
•  Warning signs to watch out for in our kids
•  The importance of listening to words and the feelings behind them
•  What assessments are, and why they're important
•  The impact of the pandemic on young people
 

The episode culminates with a no-explanation-needed installment of Did I Just Say That Out Loud? in which Adam finds himself doing... some dirty work.

Stay tuned for Episode 44, when our wives will take over the podcast—and do whatever the heck they want with the time!

[Episode Transcript]

Links:
Richard Capriola [website]
The Addicted Child [Amazon]
DrugFree.org
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal [Marc's musical project]

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

Does being a parent to twins simply mean two of everything? There are certainly twice as many diapers to change, two bladders to potty train, and double the tears during teething. But to twin parents, the emotional impact and physical toll often feels more than double… it feels exponential. In this episode, Adam and Marc welcome Shaw Flick, a fellow dad of twins, to examine the unique challenges that twin parents endure. Also, Marc and his wife try not to bust a gut when their three-year-old son puts them in their place, in an installment of So That’s a Thing Now.
 

Adam and Marc open the show by catching up on Marc’s new Disney+ subscription, and Marc shares an update to one of his recent Confessions regarding a bouncy ball from hell which made a brief comeback recently, before being permanently banned from the Checket household.

The guys welcome creative copywriter and father of twin daughters, Shaw Flick, into the conversation. Shaw is a co-worker of Marc’s, though living in Portland, Oregon, they have only meet and collaborated virtually. As fathers of three-year-old twins, Marc and Shaw have plenty of twin-dad experiences to compare and contrast. Topics of the conversation include:

•  The annoying things that people call out when they see twins
•  Shaw’s history as the front man of the band Ra Ra Riot
•  The unique set of challenges that twin parents are faced with
•  The chaos of newborn multiples
•   Encouraging individuality
•  How to address when one twin takes on an alpha role
•   Twin parent camaraderie
•   And more

Post-interview, Marc shares a So That’s a Thing Now which finds him getting scolded by one of his boys (and trying not to laugh when it happens).
 

[Episode transcript]
 

Links:
Shaw Flick (LinkedIn)
Shaw Flick (Instagram)
Ra Ra Riot
Red Vault Audio
Stuffed Animal (Marc's musical project)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee

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

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness. If anything, that statistic tells us that those who are struggling are not alone in their struggle. Still, reaching out for help can sometimes feel insurmountable. In this episode, guest Brian Manor, a dad to two, shares his personal story and talks openly about his challenges with clinical depression, social anxiety disorder, and seasonal affective disorder. Stick around to the end for another round of the infamous recurring segment, Confessions. 
 

Episode 41 opens with hosts Adam and Marc briefly recounting their experiences getting their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, coincidentally scheduled on the same day. The guys transition to a discussion of mental illness; specifically the ways in which society addresses mental health, and how the conversation has shifted over the past 30 years. The guys welcome Brian Manor to the conversation. Brian is a husband and a father of two. He lives in Wisconsin, works for a blood donation organization, and writes for his fatherhood-themed Fatterhood: A Humorous New Dad's Blog. Brian shares openly, (both in his blog and during our conversation), about his history with mental illness and how it has affected his life, his job, and his role as a father. The conversation covers many topics including:

•  Why Brian is not ashamed of his mental health
•  The difficulty in diagnosing mental health conditions in children
•  Overlapping symptoms of clinical depression and anxiety disorders
•  The importance of SEEKING HELP!
•  The importance of checking on your friends if you’re concerned about them
•  The rise of discussing mental illness publicly and without shame
•  How educating his support system is helpful
•  How finding the right provider led to significant improvement
•  Being aware of potential signs in your children
•  Shop around for the right provider if you are able to
•  "It's not your fault, but it's your responsibility."

The episode culminates with  arguably one of the strongest Confessions sessions to date.

On a personal note from Adam and Marc, in each episode, we invite our listeners to reach out to us by e-mail. If you can relate to Brian's experience or you connect with this episode for any reason, you are more than welcome to reach out to us. While we are not experts on mental illness, fatherhood, or much of anything, really—we are good listeners. And we are here for you.

We've included links below that pertain to our conversation with Brian, as well as some additional resources that we'd encourage you to explore. But as a reminder, there is no shame in seeking help. And, despite how it may feel, you are NOT alone. We love you and appreciate you!

[Episode Transcript]


Links:
Fatterhood: A Humorous New Dad's Blog
Chris Gethard "Career Suicide"
Hannah Gatsby "Nanette" (Netflix)
Marcus Parks / The Last Podcast on the Left
Jordan Raskopoulos "Living With High Functioning Anxiety" TEDxSydney
5 Minute Guide to Men's Mental Health
BeThe1To
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Anxiety & Depression Association of America
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee

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