Life hacks are shortcuts to make things easier in your life. In this episode 49, the guys provide 39 Life Hacks for Dads. These are tips and tricks that fathers can use to make their lives just a little easier with their kids. Going to a public place and scared to lose your kid? Put a sticker or tape on your child that has your phone number – If you are going to public place Need organization in the car for kids stuff? Tie a shoe caddy on the back of your car seat to hold dolls, games, etc. Chil...
Feb 10, 2016•31 min
Manners are not something you are born with, they must be taught. The reality is that many people really don’t have good manners. In Episode 48, Jason’s 7 year old son Kasen joins in the discussion. We do know it’s important to start early. Studies show that we can start teaching children manners at about 18 months as they begin to be aware that other people have feelings. The article we discuss in the podcast is from Parents.com. Not being taught manners can be problematic as they go off to sch...
Feb 02, 2016•22 min
A phone or ipad is often what is used to entertain kids at restaurants or other situations where you are waiting. This episode 47 provides suggestions and tips to entertain toddlers without electronics. If you don’t have any books or toys to help entertain your toddler. Here are some ways that were referenced from the Art of Manliness: 1) Which Hand? – put a coin or something small in your hand, clap them together and have the toddler try to figure out which hand it is in. 2) I Spy – You find so...
Jan 26, 2016•18 min
The question of “Can Dad’s Have It All?” is a part of the foundation of why Dudes To Dads was founded. We want to be good fathers, husbands, sons, employees, and good at every other role we play. In this episode we share some tips as well as discuss how other people are doing it. Jason mentions the Time article of 7 CEOs and how they find balance. According to a 2011 paper by the Families and Work Institute (FWI) titled The New Male Mystique: for dual income families, 60% of working fathers vers...
Jan 19, 2016•38 min
Our friend Kevin joins us once again to discuss the importance of family traditions. We identify that there are a few different types of traditions: Family, Personal, Religious, Holiday, and Cultural. We also discuss what traditions are and how they are often practices or beliefs which are passed down from generation to generation ie: parents to children. Jason provides an example of a child in his daughter’s kindergarten class who said “Black Friday” was a tradition. So why are family tradition...
Jan 12, 2016•40 min
For the first episode of 2016, Alan and Jason are joined by returning special guest Kevin. Together the guys discuss 19 New Year’s Resolutions for Dads: 1. Spend at more quality time with kids. Be specific, spend 5 hours per week per child doing activities 2. Spend more quality time with wife – go on dates 3. Go on a family vacation for a week 4. Go on a vacation with your wife for a week 5. Go on an overnight stay once per month with wife 6. I will eat more healthy foods – Maybe weekends are yo...
Jan 06, 2016•43 min
We kick off the episode with Stuff to Do. In Stuff To Do, we suggest playing good, old school card games with your kids. Although Jason tells the story of teaching his kids blackjack, we are suggesting to stick with traditional family friendly games such as Crazy eights, Go Fish, Old Maid, War, Memory, Rummy, etc. We then move into a discussion about long car rides in The Battlefield. Kids will complain and whine the entire trip. Traffic, being hungry, and having to go to the bathroom can ruin a...
Dec 30, 2015•42 min
A Father must lead by example and the character of the person is of utter importance. In this espisode, Jason and Alan discuss how crucial it is to have good character for our kids but also provide some ways to develop good character in our children. Jason begin the episode with a quote from Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD: “Character, not beauty, high test scores, or wealth – account for life satisfaction.” The guys then go on to share 21 tips for building character taken from Dr. Helen LeGette’s b...
Dec 22, 2015•35 min
We all hear and know about consistency, but how many of us practice it in parenting? Jason and Alan explore the importance of consistency in being a dad. Young children prefer consistency. They know what to expect and crave routine. This starts when the baby is just born. You learn early on that being consistent with feedings, bath time, sleep patterns, etc. makes your life a little more predictable and the baby calmer. Now of course when the routine is broken, we can go crazy and think the univ...
Dec 15, 2015•30 min
Definition of Parent: To act as a mother of father, protector or guardian. To rear and nurture. Definition of Coach: to give instruction or advice We certainly may be both of those things but in this episode, Jason and Alan discuss how being a Coach can create a different mindset on how to deal with your kids. When you begin to think of yourself as a coach, teacher, or instructor, you can be much more effective with your kids. We want them to be moral, contributing members of society. Not that e...
Dec 08, 2015•24 min
Parenting Expert and Board Certified Family Physician Dr. Deborah Gilboa (aka Doctor G) joins Jason and Alan for Episode 39 recorded on location at the Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego. Doctor G is also a mother of 4 and an international parenting writer & speaker. The topic for this episode is bullying. Kids are being bullied, on the playground, at school, among friends, with siblings, and the most powerful one of cyber bullying (online). Social media doesn’t allow the child to ...
Dec 01, 2015•58 min
Going through the transition from dude to dad can be very stressful. For those who already may have some addiction issues, that process can make things worse for their addiction. For others, they may turn to substances such as alcohol or drugs, or behaviors that are fueled by addiction in order to deal with the stress. We wanted to get a better understanding of addiction and how dads are dealing with it. For Episode 38, we are joined by Chris McDuffie, CEO of Turning Point Addiction and Recovery...
Nov 24, 2015•41 min
The discussion in episode 37 is on a topic that most parents avoid talking about – death. Death is typically scary and brings up feelings we often do not know how to deal with. But as parents, how do you talk to your kids about death? For this episode, we interviewed Jim Reiser, Marriage & Family Therapist and Bereavement Services Coordinator at the Hospice of the North Coast. When someone close dies, how do you communicate what is going on to your kids? Different ages will require differenc...
Nov 17, 2015•45 min
We begin episode 36 by talking about working at home and how many people experience difficulties with it. In the local meetup, multiple dads. shared that they work out of the house and were starting to feel a little crazy. They feel socially inept as they don’t get out and find themselves getting depressed. This is really similar to how moms feel when they stay home and are with the baby all day. They lose a sense of reality. We need human, adult interaction. Jason explains his experience workin...
Nov 10, 2015•33 min
The topic for today hits close to home. It’s about being critical. We can be critical of ourselves, critical of our spouses, our children, or even complete strangers. Jason’s hypothesis is that the happier we become with ourselves, the less critical we are all around. He shares that he is noticing this within himself. Earl Nightingale’s quote “When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself” really defines the subject matter for this episode. Jason mentioned a great article in...
Nov 03, 2015•25 min
Welcoming new listeners from Japan, Cambodia, Norway, South Africa, and more, Jason and Alan kick off Episode 34. The episode begins with the topic of sugar and desserts for The Battlefield. In Jason’s family, they have established that desserts are for weekends. They also do “good food before bad.” We don’t want to completely deprive our kids or they will go crazy with it. Also consider healthy desserts like fruit. For the mailbag, listener Grant writes: “My wife and I had a first child 4 month...
Oct 27, 2015•32 min
Alan and Jason start episode 33 with Stuff to Do by discussing the creation of a bike track. While many people live in areas where this may not be possible, Jason lives in a culdesac so it allowed to keep the kids entertained but also close by. As a result of having difficulty making the track with the chalk, SuperCharge introduces the Bike Chalk Trail Kit which makes it much easier to make a bike track with chalk. The Mailbag is an email about punishment of kids and also transitions us into the...
Oct 20, 2015•35 min
In this episode we wanted to discuss how serious situations with our children effect us, how we can better handle them, and how to move forward. Jason’s friend Kevin joins the podcast again, but this time to talk about what his daughter and his family have dealt over the last few years. His daughter was diagnosed with Children’s Arthritis. This is something that effects the entire family, the circle of friends, and more. Kevin really opens up about the initial stages of determining what was wron...
Oct 14, 2015•36 min
We once again record this episode while being live on Blab.im. If you want to learn how to communicate, you better first learn how to listen. Communication starts with listening! Talking with your kids is not a lecture, it’s two way discussion. Jason mentioned some great tips from an article by Dr. Laura Markham on How to get your child to listen: 1. Don’t start talking until you have your child’s attention. We spoke about GEMs last week. 2. Don’t repeat yourself. Go back to step 1 if needed. 3....
Oct 07, 2015•44 min
This is a special episode as we recorded live on Blab.im. It allows us to be seen on video while guests are able to interact live with us by chatting. This episode is all about connecting. Everyone, especially children, want to feel connected. When they don’t feel connected at home, school, or within the community, they will find connection through bad behavior including sex, drugs, gangs, etc. This is why kids engage in this kind of behavior is that they want to feel connected. Jason mentions h...
Sep 29, 2015•53 min
Episode 29 starts with the update from Jason and Alan that the website now has an email signup. Listeners can keep up to date on news, episode releases, and more. Our first segment is a Dad’s Debate on whether it is ok to “parent” other kids when you are somewhere. Of course every situation is different but the guys provide their views on how situations should be handled. We then move into the Battlefield where we review getting the kids out the door for school and provide a few tips to make tha...
Sep 22, 2015•42 min
Jason begin the episode talking about his camping weekend with his daughter. They are part of the local YMCA Adventure Princesses which offers dads and daughters the ability to go camping together. They teach the 6 aims: To be clean in body and pure in heart To be pals forever with my dad. To love the sacred circle of my family. To listen while others speak. To love my neighbor as myself. To seek and preserve the beauty of the Great Spirit’s work in forest, field and stream. Topic for this podca...
Sep 15, 2015•28 min
In this episode 27, Jason and Alan have the opportunity to sit down with Susie Walton, author of “Key to Personal Freedom – How Myths Affect Our Family Lives” and creator of the Joy of Parenting courses. Susie’s courses are what got Jason started on his journey to active and effective parenting. Susie has been teaching, speaking, and coaching on parenting for nearly 25 years. Jason calls her”The Fairy Godmother of Parenting” as she is a driving force in helping thousands of people create peace i...
Sep 08, 2015•43 min
In this episode 26 we cover the concept of commitment. While most people attribute commitment to a romantic relationship or marriage, we are discussing the commitment to effective and mindful parenting. It’s about committing to doing what it takes to have a good relationship with your children, commit to learn new concepts and be open. Unless you are being forced to listen to this podcast, you are already making some commitment that the topic of effective parenting and creating a wonderful relat...
Sep 01, 2015•33 min
We begin episode 25 with the Mailbag. In the Mailbag, a man named Colin heard my rant on cell phones and sent us this Huffington Post article “To My 13-Year-Old, An iPhone Contract From Your Mom, With Love” by Janell Burley Hofmann. The author provides 18 awesome and loving rules to her child and his first phone. We introduce the Yonanas dessert maker in SuperCharge. For Stuff To Do, the suggestion is to do an obstacle course with your kids. Allow them to participate in creating it and then time...
Aug 25, 2015•35 min
This segment is dedicated to “Back to School”. We start of with the Battlefield and discuss tips for preparing kids for going to a big school for the first time (kindergarten). Here are some survival tips to make the first day easier: 1) Do a dry run – visit the school, practice dropping off, practice picking up 2) Get everything ready the night before 3) Learn the teacher’s name – say how positive it will be 4) Get plenty of sleep 5) Eat Healthy Foods 6) Create a morning schedule – practice a d...
Aug 18, 2015•37 min
In this episode 23, we welcome Chris, a dad of 2 kids, who after 13 years of marriage, got divorced and found himself back in the dating pool. He learned a few valuable lessons along the way and shares his experience with us to help other dads who may be going through the same thing. In this discussion, we touch on some of the following topics: Understand and know when you are ready Establish your own expectations Be up front and honest with potential partners / can’t relocate / time limitations...
Aug 11, 2015•36 min
Alan and Jason sit down with Dr. Daniel Singley, a counseling psychologist conducting research, practice, and training regarding men’s issues with an emphasis on men’s peripartum mental health and the transition to fatherhood. He founded the Center for Men’s Excellence which provides various assistance to men. In the interview, Danny provides great insight and expert research to help understand some of the issues men go through. Anxiety and depression for men can look much different than it does...
Aug 04, 2015•42 min
To celebrate the podcast achieving 21, we have created two lists that are crucial to keep in the “mind database” for dads. While we set out to include 21 items in both lists, there was simply too much too include that we had to expand the lists. Jason’s friend Kevin joins this podcast to help provide input on the lists. We suggest you study these, keep them as reference, and use them as guidelines on what NOT to say. Good parenting usually indicates to focus on the positives rather than the nega...
Jul 28, 2015•43 min
Jason’s longtime friend Kevin visits the podcast for Episode 20. Kevin is a dad of 2 (boy and girl) and is a friend of Jason’s for over 30 years. We begin the episode in a debate about children in sports and while there can be some great benefits to the children, there can also be a sacrifice of quality/family time to do it as well as free time for the children. Kevin coaches both of his kid’s teams and emphasizes the parent’s role in how the child is going to perceive it. In Stuff To Do, Jason ...
Jul 21, 2015•32 min
