It's the Season 1 Finale! Not that big a deal, actually, Matt and Max'll be back at it in a few weeks - but it did feel like a good excuse to riff on some of the absolute BEST parts about being a Dad. From laughing your ass off at the dinner table, to having a tiny hype man tell their friends how strong you are - the whole parenting gig comes with some pretty tasty perks. This isn't about ignoring the hard parts - The Boys have spent much of the first nineteen episodes trying to stumble their wa...
Aug 29, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Don't know about you, but Max and Matt both kind of wish somebody had told them that having kids meant signing up for a lifetime of worry. Some of that anxiety is inevitable. As parents, we all have to reconcile the fact that our favorite tiny humans will go out and encounter a world that can be scary and unpredictable. And as mammals, it's our job to protect the offspring, so the Mama/Papa bear instinct needs to be strong. But how do you keep that natural parental worry from slipping into its u...
Aug 23, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 19
While doing research for another episode, Max came across an article called, "7 Mistakes that Destroy Kids' Mental Strength." After getting past the clickbaity headline, he actually found some pretty solid ideas. The boys go down the list one-by-one (just about all of these are things we mess up sometimes). How often do we rescue our kids from necessary struggle? What does it look like to navigate a ridiculous tantrum without invalidating your child's real feelings? Is it cool to spit on ducks, ...
Aug 16, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Dad… Dad.. Dad! DadDadDadDadDaaaaaaaaaddy Dad! -WHAT?!?! Getting annoyed with your kids is a time-honored tradition as old as parenting itself... but it still sucks! Why is it that the people we love by far the MOST in the world (no offense, spouses) so often drive us up the MFing wall? It's the little things - from fighting over the window seat, to totally disregarding sound parental guidance, to the never-ending barrage of “why?” - that can make even the best of us want to scream. So, are kids...
Aug 08, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 17
If you think about the millions of minutes we all spend with our respective families, it’s pretty much guaranteed that every household will develop its own peccadilloes and idiosyncrasies. But none of us get the same window into OTHER people's lives that we do into our own... which leads to the inevitable question: Is this weird? Do your kids INSIST on flushing the toilet? How do you handle bugs in the house - rescue mission or targeted attack? And what percentage of the words you exchange with ...
Aug 04, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 16
“They won’t remember it. The kids will make the whole thing a pain in the ass! It's too hard breaking out of the routine.” These are all the reasons you hear for not traveling with kids, but studies have shown that getting out there and seeing the world has amazing benefits for young people. We're talking tolerance, confidence, curiosity... the good stuff. In this episode, Matt and Max dive into the gauntlet that is traveling with children. We've got tips and tricks on how to make life on the ro...
Jul 26, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 15
There's no denying it: everybody is worse at everything when they're tired. And that may be more true of parenting than pretty much anything else. We're less patient, less fun, and quicker to snap at our kids when we're gassed. We all know it, and yet a large percentage of us consistently self-sabotage by staying up later than we should. Whether it's doom scrolling in bed, vegging on the couch watching TV, or worst of all: doing both at the same time, the phenomenon of "revenge bedtime procrasti...
Jul 19, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This one's got something for everybody. Whether you’re expecting, know and love somebody who is, or are still wondering what the hell happened during that crazy phase right before your kids showed up - this is a dive into the parts of pregnancy that parents (and Dads especially) don't talk about nearly as much as they ought to. Max and Matt had two very different experiences bringing their combined 5 kids into the world, and there's a hell of a lot they wish they'd known going in... Like how com...
Jul 11, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 13
We're all trying to raise healthy kids, but it can be a real battle getting good food into their bellies. Some kids eat everything. Others only want mac & cheese. And most kids seem to prefer an endless parade of snacks to an actual meal. So, how do picky eaters develop? Is there science behind the frustration? Is it nature, nurture, power struggle, total luck of the draw, or a little bit of all the above? And how can you help broaden your child’s pallet, so they don’t turn into that embarra...
Jul 04, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 12
When you have kids, you take on an unimaginable responsibility. Most of us realize that, for the first time, we care more about another human being than we do about ourselves. So you put the “self“ on the back burner for a few weeks... and then a few months... and then a few years... and then? This episode is about that metamorphosis, and about finding yourself again after becoming a parent. What does that process look like? When and how do we start to prioritize our own lives as the kids get ol...
Jun 28, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Kids are NOT supposed to use profanity… right? But then at some point, it just becomes part of normal adult life. Matt and Max dive into the world of cursing with kids. What do you get mad about? What do you let slide? There’s actually a fair amount of data in support of off-color language (and we’ve got the studies to prove it, motherf*cker). So, how do you give your kids the room to experiment, while making sure they don’t wind up calling their teacher a Butt Nugget. And what the hell are we s...
Jun 20, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 10
The format on this one’s a little different - just a mashup of musings on media. Matt and Max go back-and-forth on their favorite books, movies, shows and songs to read/watch/listen to with tiny humans! We're trying to get our kids hooked on good art. Trying to give them little windows into the adult world. Also, trying not to scare the sh*t out of them. This one's mostly just for fun, but I guess they all are. And who knows? Maybe it'll get you out of watching that same Peppa episode for the 11...
Jun 14, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 9
It's a debate! Finally, some conflict around here. Max and Matt dive into the world of planning, milestones, skills-building, and generally trying to get your kid ready for the world without giving 'em a complex. We've got one self-described "Chill Tiger Dad," and one artsy go-with-the-flow type... who is also a highly competitive entrepreneur. Contradictions abound. Let's do this. Buy Violet Archer on Amazon today! Buy Violet Archer on Amazon Here Milkless on Instagram Milkless on TikTok...
Jun 06, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Honesty is the best policy, but snitches get stitches. Don’t keep secrets from your parents, but don’t tell mom about her surprise birthday party. What does it mean developmentally when our kids start lying to us, and how do we help them navigate the complex world of honesty in a polite society? This is a fun one. Lets go! Buy Violet Archer on Amazon today! Buy Violet Archer on Amazon Here Milkless on Instagram Milkless on TikTok...
May 30, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 7
American parenting culture constantly emphasizes skills-building and academics, which puts a ton of pressure on Dad's to become Tiger Parents. But what about straight-up fun?! What about free play, imagination, and child-driven adventure? Matt and Max take a look at the many different kinds of play - from team sports to digging around in the mud - exploring the invaluable qualities that horsing around, in all its forms, helps instill in children. Most importantly, we're on the lookout for ways t...
May 23, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Do you and your partner keep a secret scorecard on who has done more for the family? Sounds like a TERRIBLE idea - and a great way to start a fight. But the truth is we all keep score more than we realize, and a well-thought-out division of labor is key in a happy marriage. So, who does mornings? Cooks dinner? Does baths? What about the laundry? We look at a few surprising studies, and talk about how to keep things fair without constantly counting favors. Let’s do this. Buy Violet Archer on Amaz...
May 09, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Keeping your kids safe is job one for every parent. But there’s no such thing as avoiding risk entirely, and nobody wants to think of themselves as a helicopter parent. So, how do we balance giving our kids a long leash to explore the world, while holding onto job #1 (safety)? How do we protect our kids without making them think the world is a scary place? And does hovering truly avoid risk, or does it just delay it? Join us as we unpack risk on this episode… also, we talk about wildebeests. Buy...
May 03, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 4
We didn't know we had a temper until we had kids. Have you ever completely blown your top? When your kids push your buttons, what's the worst thing you've said or done? All parents deal with frustration and anger when raising kids. On this episode, we swap embarrassing stories from when we've lost it, look at a few studies, and trade tips and strategies to keep the volcano from erupting. This is a really fun episode so we hope you enjoy it! Buy Violet Archer on Amazon today! Buy Violet Archer on...
Apr 25, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 3
How do you provide discipline and consequences for your child in the modern world? You can’t hit ‘em (the research is pretty clear on that), so what do you do to keep your kids well behaved? Is that even the goal? Matt and Max try to navigate the gauntlet of setting boundaries. We wrote a chapter book for kids aged 5-12! Buy Violet Archer on Amazon today! Buy Violet Archer on Amazon Here Milkless on Instagram Milkless on TikTok...
Apr 18, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 2
If you're new to listening to Milkless, you can do in ANY ORDER. So feel free to scan our catalogue and start with a topic that is especially interesting to you. Dads have had a major shift in the last 75 years. We've gone from pipe smoking, unavailable, and disinterested in our kids to either interested but unengaged or neutered and not respected. Did we overcompensate as a culture when trying to be different from the 1950's dad? We talk about how we fall into these stereotypes, why we think th...
Apr 06, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 1
