The Daily Dad
Episodes
Ryan Holiday On Relaxing The Exceptions While On Vacation at Jackson Hole
08 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks about the straw that breaks the camel's back and relaxing the impulse to force things.✉️ Si...
As A Father, This Is Your One Job Today
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Your job today as a father is to do one thing. It’s to read this poem, which dates back to 1895, and then to think about how to incorporate its less...
Give Them This Ambition
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We try to inspire our kids. We try to motivate them. We try to incentivize them. We want them to care about winning–that’s why we push them into s...
Of All The Things To Be Extra About, This Is It
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s clear some parents take things too far. They push their kids too hard in sports. They push them too hard in school. They solve every problem fo...
Don’t Tie Down Your Eagle
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When a young Florence Nightingale began making moves toward volunteering in hospitals, her aristocratic parents were horrified. It had been difficult ...
Great Is Not The Same As Good
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We watch sports with our kids. That’s greatness, we say of some 4th quarter comeback win. They’re the G.O.A.T, we explain–the greatest to ever d...
Ryan And Wife Samantha Holiday On Being Present And Doing Less
01 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with his wife Samantha on doing less by saying no, physically being present and the cost of eve...
Nobody Wins A Battle Of Wills
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Because you’re in charge, because you’re so much bigger and stronger and smarter, it’s easy to get trapped into a battle of wills with your kids...
Nothing is Better Than This. Prioritize Accordingly.
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is there anything better than the feeling of your kid’s head on your chest? Them running towards you at pick up time? Seeing their name pop up as an...
Where Are You Trying To Get Better?
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Brady has always been relentless about trying to get better. Trying to get his passes out quicker. Trying to get his spirals a little tighter. Try...
This Is All We Have To Do
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We know the world throws a lot at our kids. We know it’s noisy out there and there are competing influences. We know they’re pretty forgetful too....
How To Get Them Through Tough Times
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One thing we know for certain is that our kids will go through things. They’ll have a crisis of identity, of faith, of social status. They’ll be o...
Daily Dad And Austin Kleon On Parenting And Creativity
24 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with one of his favorite writers Austin Kleon on Parenting strategies before and after writing ...
Where Will Your Kids Get This From?
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We know that our kids want to feel good, feel safe, feel loved. We know they want to feel that someone is proud of them, that they’re talented, that...
They Must Be Diligent In Their Business
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It matters far less what a person does in life than how they do it. An exploitative corporate executive might have an expense account and a fancy titl...
Teach Them To Be Kings
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Unless you are currently in line for a hereditary throne, it’s unlikely your children will ever be a king or a queen. This is a good thing, as it se...
You Can Give Them What You Wish You’d Gotten
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Few of us felt completely understood as kids. At a young age, our parents didn’t quite understand what we were saying, what we wanted, how much we m...
Everything Is A Test Of Your Priorities
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We put our family first. That’s what we believe. That’s what we say. That’s the first commandment in the Daily Stoic Parenting Challenge. That’...
Everything Marcus Learned From Antoninus
18 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Father’s Day to everyone!It’s pretty incredible how concise Marcus Aurelius is throughout Meditations. There are nearly 500 passages through...
Ryan And Wife Samantha Holiday On Setting Our kids And Ourselves Up For Success
17 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with his wife Samantha on setting our kids and ourselves up for success, creating space by doin...
This Is Why They Study
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The point is not to get good grades. The point is not a good score on their SATs. It’s not about what college they get into. College is not about wh...
They Don’t Learn Anything Important This Way
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Think of all the stuff you know. The skills you have. The movie quotes you can throw out there mid-conversation.It’s interesting, isn’t it? You re...
How To Be Someone They Can Be Proud Of
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Of course, her father would have preferred to be powerful, to be wealthy, to hold some prestigious position. He didn’t want to dig sewage canals or ...
Their Feelings Are Their Feelings
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some of the things your kids think are ridiculous–products of their imagination or their fears. Some of the things they like are hilarious and weird...
Tell Them They Have This
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody would have wanted Joseph Kennedy to be their dad. He was an avaricious businessman. He cheated on his wife. He had his daughter lobotomized and...
Ryan And Wife Samantha Holiday On Grumpy Mornings And Parenting Strategies
10 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with his wife Samantha on screen time & the differences in parenting moods in the morning.✉...
Why Don’t They Come To You With Problems?
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When your kids mess up, what’s your reaction? Do you freak out? Or are you calm? Do you make the situation better...or worse?Can you actually lis...
All They Want Is This
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It was a long time ago. It was in a pretty conservative place, in a less understanding era. And even if it wasn’t, even in different circumstances, ...
At Least They’re Getting Paid For It
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s something that strikes us as a little gross, the way politicians trot out their families to win elections, to humanize themselves or get sym...
You Don’t Want A Doll
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes it feels like it would be easier if they just did what we wanted. If they could sit there for a second, as we try to handle something. If th...
The Sign Of A Smart Kid
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Education these days seems to be about signals. What did you get on your SATs? How many AP classes did you take? What schools did you apply to? What e...
Daily Dad and Sam Gwynne On Mental Health and Parenting Advice
04 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the Daily Dad Podcast, Ryan talks to Sam Gwynne about new parenting advice, the youth building a community around mental health, an...
Are You A Rich Parent?
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are different kinds of rich families. There are families that have lots of money. There are families that have lots of time together. Sometimes ...
How To Keep Them With You
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re always losing our kids. In fact, we’re raising them to lose them–every minute, every interaction is building towards that moment when they...
The Most Stoic Person In Marcus’ Life
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius’ adopted father and predecessor, was not a Stoic. He didn’t identify as, nor did anyone call him, a philosopher. H...
Do This For Them And They Will Never Forget
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From his dad, Bruce Springsteen learned about shame, about broken pride, and struggling with demons that you can’t quite conquer. It’s an all too ...
That’s The Job
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Once, on an imperial tour in some distant province, a woman darted out from the crowd and blocked the path of the Emperor Hadrian, asking for help wit...
Ryan Holiday And Tamron Hall Talk Daily Dad Book Release And The New Rules Of Sharing
27 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks to Tamron Hall about his new book release, more wholesome moments while in NYC, and how "Sharin...
Do You Really Think They Did That On Purpose?
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It happened again. Your kid screwed up. They did something stupid—from drawing on the walls to getting caught drinking. They hurt someone or they li...
The Things You Leave Behind
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Plutarch recorded the story that Socrates went to the fanciest neighborhood in Athens and called out, “What are you doing, men? You are giving all p...
Where Is All That Now?
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Those white shoes your parents told you to keep off the grass, the khakis they wanted you to keep clean on Easter. The car they didn’t let you eat i...
These Things Don’t Matter
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
However much they seem to be prioritized by other parents, by certain cultures, perhaps by your own parents, or your instincts, in the end, it doesn’...
This Will Haunt You
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We parents are collectors. We have the photos from the day they were born. We have the first drawing they did. Their first pair of shoes, the tickets ...
Ryan Holiday And CBS Morning Talk Daily Dad Book Release and Garbage Time
20 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks to CBS Morning in depth on applying stoicism, Garbage Time versus Quality Time & unforgetta...
You Don’t Have To Be Perfect. You Do Have To Do This.
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
None of us will be perfect parents. Our children will not agree with and understand with every choice we make–now or later. We are going to make ...
Only Later Will You See This
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Only later,” Joan Didion wrote of her daughter, “did I see that I had been raising her as a doll.” Grieving, heart broken over the sudden and...
It’s You You Know
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They are so like you. So like their mother. They have the same affect. They have the same bad habits. The same hopes, the same fears you did when you ...
Now’s The Time To Get It Together
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Look, when you were young, you could get away with it. You could spend more than you had–knowing you’d figure things out later. You could be selfi...
The Kind of Marriage You Need To Build
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is a famous line we have posted many times here at Daily Dad, one that’s always popular on Instagram whenever it goes up. The most important t...
Daily Dad And Wife Samantha Holiday Talk parenting and Better Safe Than Sorry
13 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks to his wife Samantha about what their learning as parents and when to enforce the better safe t...
Teach Them This Grand Tradition
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For thousands of years, humans have been expressing wisdom to each other through fables. Whether it’s Aesop or the Bible or Leonardo da Vinci or Han...
It’s Yourself You Should Be Worried About
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There seems to be this concern, particularly on the right and from older generations, that kids are just way too soft these days. Everyone is sensitiv...
Quality Time Is The Easy Way Out
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No vacation, no special experience, not even a family outing, just happens on its own. There is planning. There is time off work. There is the expense...
Don’t Be So Nice That…
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody likes confrontation. Nobody likes having to enforce our boundaries. Nobody likes having to have an awkward conversation with their parents. Or ...
A Real Way To Be Happy
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We talked recently about the fleetingness of happiness. The way that happiness changes and evolves, the way that it tends to ensue rather than exist a...
Daily Dad On Connecting With Our Kids Through The Obstacles Of Life
07 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of The Daily Dad Podcast, Ryan talks in depth about empire, philosophy, and natural feelings when it comes to our kids, as well as the...
This Makes The Disruptions Worth It
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
These kids have changed your life. There are so many things you used to do that you no longer can. Traveling with no notice. Staying out all night. Sl...
Show Them How To Use That Energy
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joan Didion was bored. She was four or five. She was bothering her mother. She was asking for something to do.Her mother could have sent her away. Tol...
If It Works, Do It Again
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We parents are like field goal kickers. Just like if a certain shirt or a pair of socks brings a kicker luck, Were always looking for something, Any...
Like All Things, It’s A Process
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, you become a parent when you have a kid. It’s a biological thing. It’s a legal status. It’s codified on a piece of paper. But we all know ...
You Can’t Do This For Them?
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Think of all the things you’ve pretended to be interested in on a date. Think of all the hours you’ve spent at the office, what you’ve committed...
Daily Dad And Scott Hershovitz On How Certain Parenting Behaviors Affect Our Children
29 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks to Scott Hershovitz about the Adventures in Philosophy with Kids, the common misconceptions about philosophy, how to apply philosophy to ...
Do You Really Care?
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do You Really Care?“A key point to bear in mind…You’re better off not giving the small things more time than they deserve.-Marcus AureliusIt see...
Let This Keep You Going
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Holiday’s latest book, The Daily Dad comes out May 2. Preorder your signed and numbered first edition before they sell out! There are going to ...
Do Not Concede The Narrative
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Holiday’s latest book, The Daily Dad comes out May 2. Preorder your signed and numbered first edition before they sell out![COUNTDOWN CLOCK]Non...
There Is No Time For This Anymore
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Parenting doesn’t have to change a person. As we said recently, plenty of people remain the same selfish, immature, irresponsible people they were b...
This Is What Happiness Is
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Too many of us have the wrong idea about what happiness is. We confuse it with pleasure or fun. We confuse it with some sort of permanent state or an ...
Daily Dad And Wife Samantha Holiday On Parenting Is A Trip
22 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks to his wife Samantha about what their learning as parents, and the importance of making time fo...
You Will Want A Crowded Table
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You Will Want A Crowded Table“What a great spectacle it is when a husband or wife with many children are seen with these children crowded around the...
You Can’t Lose Track
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nothing takes up space in a parent’s head (or heart) quite like a kid who is struggling. “You’re only as happy as your unhappiest child,” the ...
Melt Those Negative Feelings Away With This
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You’re upset because you just blew it in that meeting. You’re kicking yourself because you meant to get up early and ended up sleeping through you...
The Garage Is The Graveyard
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You notice it one day–the garage is full. Of strollers no longer used–first the single, then the double and the jogger. The chair you and your spo...
Give Them This Grace
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s important to remember that everyone was a kid once…and that no child is perfect. For instance, as a child Gandhi once stole some money from h...
Daily Dad And Daniel Lubetzky On The Steps To Being Successful
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks to KIND Snacks Founder Daniel Lubetzky about the importance of being kind, culture and values i...
You Must Seed This Habit
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In one of F. Scott Fitzerald’s funniest short stories, “Head and Shoulders,” a certifiable genius falls in love with a showgirl. The plot and mo...
Their Needs Are So Modest
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Your kids are not keeping score on your career. They just want a parent who’s emotionally present and supportive of them.”-Ben StillerDavid Let...
This Is A Tricky Balance
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is a joke about a kid who, not liking the ‘No’ he got from one parent, asked the other, in order to get a ‘Yes.’ “Never come between y...
This is Who to Study
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We spend a lot of time looking at the absolute worst parents. Not just because so many leaders and celebrities and artists seem to put their families ...
Do You Know? Do They?
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Of course, this parenting thing is hard. It’s expensive. It’s an enormous amount of work and responsibility. And yet, we are the luckiest people i...
Daily Dad And Amy Morin On Overcoming Mentally Challenging Situations
08 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan sits down with author Amy Morin in talks on how to find agency in your everyday life, overcoming ment...
Here Is Love
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Relationships are tricky. Especially the ones we have built the modern world around. Monogamous. Long term. An equal partner in parenting and in profe...
Work with Them to Find Their Lane
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“As we bring up our children, we have to remember that we are caretakers of the future. By improving their education, we improve the future of manki...
Why Would You Do Anything To Undermine This?
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We all know that confidence is important. Most of us wish we had more of it. We spend a lot of time trying to build it up in our kids. By encouraging ...
What You’d Actually Do Anything For
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We say we’d do anything for our family. We’d like to think if we were tested, if we had to make some terrible choice, if it really was a matter of...
The Words To Notice
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As a society, we have very attuned ears for what words are offensive. There are words that religious people find offensive. There are the words that c...
Daily Dad on Offering Dignity & Empathy While Finishing His Book
01 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks about being role models to our kids by showing respect, dignity and empathy for others aside from our personal opinions.✉️ Sign up for ...
Give Yourself Some Credit
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It can be easy to question your parenting. To feel like you’re not doing good enough, that you’re not nearly enough. You see what other parents ar...
You Are So Lucky
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The odds of any of this happening is literally incomprehensible. Some scientists have estimated that the chances of any one person being born are some...
It Should Change You
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone says that becoming a parent changes you. The responsibility. The stress. The unconditional love. The cuteness. This is big stuff.But as the c...
The Skill That Matters Above The Others
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s so much we have to teach our kids. How to tie their shoes. How to drive. How to do math. How to throw a football and hit a baseball. How to ...
This Is More Important Than Winning
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s good that your kids participate in sports. It gives them confidence. It keeps them active. It shows them the value of teamwork. It gives them t...
Daily Dad on Being Grateful For The Time We Have
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks about the highs and lows of parenting and how to remain grateful for the time that you have with your kids.✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad...
They Heard It From You
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever heard your kids say something that just stops you cold? One of those remarks that instinctually makes you do a double take? It can be an...
You Have To Recognize This
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eva Amurri had a privileged childhood. Her mother is movie star Susan Sarandon, and her father is Italian director Franco Amurri. She spent her early ...
Infuse This Into Your DNA
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Early in his career, the neuroscientist Andrew Huberman worked mostly in isolation. In his lab, he kept a list of the scientists he loved and admired....
Always Keep Your Eye Out
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the great things about kids is that they keep you on your toes. Not just because you have to worry about them all the time, but because they gi...
There Is A Last Time To All Of It
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a meme that features the characters from the movie The Sandlot that says “At some point in your childhood, you and your friends went outsi...
Daily Dad on Pointless Power Struggles
18 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks to his friend and writing partner Nils Parker about the fine line between setting boundaries and getting upset about trivial things.✉️ ...
If You Don’t Believe In Them, Who Will?
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1982-83, Jim Valvano coached the North Carolina State basketball team to a National Championship title. The Wolfpack was a mid-ranked team that ent...
Are You Sharing This?
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve talked before about Jimmy Carter’s father. James Sr. was a flawed man, to be sure. He was strict and stern, often unaware of the way he loom...