The Daily Dad

"You Can't Parent Without Hope" | Maggie Smith

19 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative estimate, though I keep this from my children," writes Maggie Smith in her ...

Play The Games. They’re The Best.

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The little things bring us together. The little moments of joy and silliness. PESTIE | Protect your home from bugs with Pestie. Go to pestie.com/dad ...

Isn’t This What Parenting Is All About?

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Meditations is a parenting book—one of the greatest ever written. Because at its core, it's about the transmission of wisdom and values from one gen...

What Are They Giving You?

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Stoics remind us that everything has its compensation…if we choose to see it, if we choose to welcome it. Tushbaby is here to make parenting a ...

What If It Was One Of Yours?

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We have to remember that courage and justice—the two most essential Stoic virtues—demand that we open our hearts and direct our actions at a sligh...

This Is One Of The Only Times

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

These are the moments we have to hold onto—the ones we have to carry with us for all the times when it feels like we’re falling short, when life f...

A Special Father-Son Afternoon | Ryan Holiday Takes His Son To Hamilton

12 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tag along as Ryan takes his oldest son to see Hamilton—his latest obsession. In this episode, Ryan reflects on how the father-son outing went, why i...

Are You Wearing This Mask?

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We wear any number of masks—one that covers up our pain, our fears, our doubts, perhaps even one that displays the person that we truly are.  📖...

It’s An Almost Holy Thing

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re not careful, you’ll miss it.  🎥 Watch Josh Brolin's FULL episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ-6PW-CsdE 💪 Go to livemomen...

Play The Games…While You Can

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every family has them. The small but special little exchanges. 🏛 All time can be quality time. Get your own Tempus Fugit Medallion to remind yours...

This Is What To Wish For

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You have, right now, what your future self desires. Focus on what’s right in front of you. 💪 Go to livemomentous.com  and use promo code DAILYD...

This Reminds You How Lucky You Are

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Yeah, these kids are crazy. Yeah, they are a lot…and take a lot out of us. But aren’t they also the best? 📚 Grab a copy of Small Things Like T...

Your Kids See More Than You Think | Ryan Holiday

05 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's the little things we do every day that shape our kids in big ways. In today’s episode, Ryan shares 7 powerful ways to lead by example and becom...

Teach Them To Make It Beautiful

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We only get one go at this thing called existence. We have to show them what happens when you take the time to do things right. 📕 Grab a copy of t...

It’s Amazing For Them

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It can be thankless. It is tough. It pushes you in ways you never could have imagined. Should it really surprise us that people are having fewer kids?...

We Can’t Lie Like This

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s tempting to think that we’re protecting their belief in the world and in humanity by shielding them from the horrors of the past, but real ho...

Take It While You Can

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

However old they are, whatever the activity is. Do it now. MasterClass | Get 15% off any annual membership at MasterClass.com/RYANHOLIDAY ✉️ Si...

We Can Love The Game

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They think they are sneaky but they are absolutely horrible at it. They have absolutely no future as criminals, that’s for sure. MasterClass | Get ...

Austin Kleon: “Our Kids Need Bullsh*t Detectors!"

29 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bestselling author and artist Austin Kleon joins Ryan to discuss the challenges of raising kids in the digital age of social media and AI. He shares a...

Don’t Deny Them This

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let them be bored. Let them cultivate some time with themselves. 📕 Pick up a signed copy of Stillness Is The Key by Ryan Holiday at https://store....

They’ll Wreck This

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How will we ever convince Google that we do not, in fact, like Mr. Beast or prank videos? Will our Netflix suggestions ever recover from the Cocomelon...

Show Them All The Strains

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We owe it to them to show these branches of the family tree, to introduce them to the ancestors who planted the seeds that are now growing inside them...

Let Them Know They Give You This

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Your kids probably know how tough they are on you. But do they also know what joy you bring them? How much better they make your life? Squarespace | ...

Take The Relief From This

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Although parenting certainly adds a lot to our plate, it’s also massively clarifying. ✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com 📱 ...

Hidden Parenting Gems in Hamilton | Ryan Holiday

22 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is a Hamilton phase a rite of passage for families? While kids get swept up in the music and history, the musical also reflects the deep emotions, sac...

It’s Always Tough

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Having kids makes you less available. Having kids makes you less up for certain things. Having kids costs you. Right now, you can get 20% off plus a ...

It Matters Now!

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We tell ourselves that when our kids are old we’ll make more time for them, we’ll have more freedom—and besides, they’ll appreciate it more wh...

Not Someday, But Soon

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This moment you have right now, even if it’s stressful, even if it’s exhausting, even if it's ordinary and humdrum…it won’t feel that way almo...

Are You Showing Them This?

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If we want our children to embrace growth and challenge, we must model it ourselves. 💡 Challenge yourself to spring forward and become the person ...

Can You Do This?

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It all becomes like a blur, the big moments and the small ones, one task from the next, one day to the next. ✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email:...

Josh Brolin: "I Just Had A Parenting Freak Out"

15 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Josh Brolin sits down with Ryan, fresh off a full-blown parenting meltdown. As he puts it, “I just had to read The Daily Dad to calm the f**k down.”...

There Is So Much More Inside You Now

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You liked children. You cared about people besides yourself. But then you had your own kids, and something changed. 💪 Momentous | Go to livemoment...

Stop Winging This

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A family, like any great team, needs structure. It needs shared goals. It needs everyone to know their role. 📕 You can grab copies of What You’r...

Heed This Reminder

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Don’t let yourself ignore spring’s delicate reminder of time’s passing. Don’t settle into old patterns and busy schedules that you’ll end up...

What Will This Experience Give You?

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

None of us have it easy. It’s hard, but that’s what makes it powerful. Tushbaby is here to make parenting a little easier—one day, or carry at ...

Just Give Them A Little More Time

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s try to give our kids some space, some patience, some support. Every person has their own timetable. Tushbaby is here to make parenting a litt...

There Are No Perfect Parents | Reassurance from Richard Reeves and Donald Robertson

08 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Wishing you’d handled a parenting moment differently? Feeling overwhelmed? In today's episode, Richard Reeves and Donald Robertson share reassuring ...

Here’s The Joy

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You have all these responsibilities to manage…and so little time to manage them. Is there a way we can shrug some of the heaviness off and be happy?...

You Can’t Be Afraid

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s understandable to be a little intimidated by the talents and interests and even beliefs of our kids. But we can’t give into this fear. We hav...

It Should Be Good, Not Easy

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We love our children deeply and want to protect them from hardship. But we must let them struggle. Our Luctor Et Emergo Medallion will serve as a rem...

When They Can Take This For Granted, So Much Is Possible…

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People with a chip on their shoulder can be highly motivated. Far less often do we think about what someone who is loved and supported can do. Think o...

It’s An Insane Pleasure

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

 Kids remind us, in their uninhibited laughter and their wide-eyed wonder, of the simple pleasures of being alive. Tinker, create and innovate with...

You'll Never Watch Disney the Same Way Again | Ryan and Sam Holiday

01 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, Ryan and Sam Holiday reveal how becoming parents heightened their sensitivity to books, movies, and other entertainment. They talk...

This Is What Real Winners Do

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some parents believe competition doesn't matter. Others believes competition is the only thing that matters.Like so many two-sided debates, there's a ...

You Have It Right Now

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You have the thing that your future self will be pining for. Why aren’t you acting like it? Squarespace | Go to  Squarespace.com/DOTHEWORK to save...

It’s Not Just The Summers, You Know

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You only get 18 summers with your kids. It’s a popular bit of parenting advice. We’ve said it here before. The problem is that it’s not really t...

There Is No History Without This

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If we want them to think critically, to rise above the mistakes of the past, we have to stop shielding them from it. 📚 Pick up copies of The Barn ...

They’ll Have This AND That

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We can’t expect our kids to be perfect. We have to be patient. Right now, you can get 20% off plus a FREE starter kit when you shop exclusively at ...

5 Timeless Parenting Lessons from Abraham Lincoln

22 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What can Abraham Lincoln, a Stoic at heart, teach modern parents? Ryan Holiday discusses lessons he's learned from the 16th President that he uses on ...

Don’t Fight This War

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why focus on arbitrary games and credential-chasing—which won't lead to the same success as it once did—when you could help your children develop ...

It’s Almost Relaxing

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They’re crazy. Your life is crazy. It’s a lot. Your kids are a lot.🎥 Watch Scott Galloway on The Daily Stoic Podcast: https://youtu.be/678OhMsb...

It’s The One Thing We Have In Common

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We come from different places. We believe different things. And yet…Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF + a FREE G...

Can You Believe It?

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You were free. Life was simple. And now all of that is gone.  🎶 Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane by Gang of Youths  Squarespace | Go to  Squarespac...

Stop Letting This Embarrass You

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do your best to clean up and teach them good behavior, but bring those wonderful "brats" with you. Squarespace | Go to  Squarespace.com/DOTHEWORK to...

Raising Young Athletes Right | Steve Magness and Ryan Holiday

15 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Performance coach and expert Steve Magness joins Ryan for a deep dive into the flaws of the American sports system and what we can learn from Norway’...

Be Careful Telling Them This

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Letting our kids struggle and face challenges isn't always easy—for us or them. Our Luctor Et Emergo Medallion will help you remember to slow down ...

You Feel It All More Now

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Being a parent opens you up. It turns on a special sensitivity, an acuteness that allows you to see and hear and notice things your younger, less expe...

Hold Them To You Like This

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We worry, we care, we struggle to find the right balance—and our well-meaning efforts backfire. PIQUE: Get 20% off + a FREE starter kit at https://...

Sometimes This Is All You Can Do

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We are so vulnerable as parents, hostages to fortune because of these little kids we love. 💪 Go to livemomentous.com and get 20% off with the co...

It’s All So Delicate

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Savor this dream while you're living it. Cherish every moment you have. Life can change in an instant. PIQUE: Get 20% off + a FREE starter kit at htt...

Matthew McConaughey: "I’ve Hit My Sweet Spot as a Father"

08 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One minute, they’re little kids holding your hand, and before you know it they’re teenagers off in their own world. Matthew McConaughey sits down ...

Why Do We Do This?

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We carry shame from things our parents harped on. It’s understandable…but still terrible. 📔 Get a signed leatherbound edition of The Daily Dad...

If You Want Their Respect…

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When things aren’t working, it’s probably because you are checked out, checking your inbox again, scrolling social media again. They can tell you’...

How Else Are They Supposed To Get This?

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You want them to be independent. You don’t want them to just blindly follow instructions or fall for every confident, powerful person they come acro...

Where To Find The Reward

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is the reward supposed to be that they grow up and be successful? Are you supposed to wait for their high school graduation or their wedding to feel l...

This Is What Completeness Comes From

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Parenting, we’ve said, is not about those exciting moments of quality time. Nor, it turns out, is life supposed to be moments of accomplishments or ...

Living With a Stoic | Ryan and Sam Holiday

01 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan and Sam discuss the impact Stoicism has had on Ryan, both in their marriage and as a parent. Plus, they also share how Medi...

Be Ready To Use This

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Who knows how much longer this chaos will last? What we do know is that everything we’ve endured, every lesson we’ve learned, every challenge we’...

They Can Hear You

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We know they’re listening, so we ought to use this opportunity. HUEL | Get 15% off with code DAILY DAD at Huel.com ✉️ Sign up for the Daily D...

Show Them It’s Never Too Late

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’d never tell our kids it was too late for them, that the best is behind them, that they can’t recover, rebuild, or begin again. So why wouldn’...

Three Rules for Life

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“Don’t flinch,” Theodore Roosevelt wrote, “don’t foul, hit the line hard.” 📚Check out the Virtue Series 3-Book Bundle which includes R...

It’s Happening In Your House Too

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They were a baby and now they’re not. Because we’re so busy in our own lives, we forgot about—we lost track of—that thing that’s always happ...

Connect With Them This Way | Ryan Holiday

25 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As parents, something we could all work on is showing genuine interest in their passions, taking them seriously, and opening our minds to their world....

They’re More Important (And You Know It)

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most of whatever we’re doing can wait. Take it. Play. Sit with them. Talk with them. 🏛 All time can be quality time. Get your own Tempus Fugit M...

You Can Handle More Than You Can Handle

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You have so much more in you than it feels like you do. Squarespace | Go to  Squarespace.com/DOTHEWORK to save 10% on your first purchase of a websi...

Have You Given This Gift?

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Give where you can. Lend a hand, show up for others. Because when the time comes, we’ll hope that someone else cared enough to do the same.  📚 ...

Let Them See This Too

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Your kids adore the everyday you. The home-you. The bedtime-stories-you. But they also deserve to see the version of you that’s out there conquering...

You Can’t Let This Happen

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You’re the person your kids look to and look up to. You must keep an even keel. 🎙️ Listen to Mike Duncan’s interview on the Daily Stoic | Ap...

The Shift From Self To Selflessness | Jordan Harbinger and Ryan Holiday

18 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Becoming a parent shifts your perspective on every decision. In today’s episode, Jordan Harbinger and Ryan Holiday discuss how fatherhood has change...

Teach Them To Be Brave

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Courage cannot just be something your children read about in stories. It must be something they witness. Something they see alive in you. 📕 Check ...

You Get What You Get

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You got what you got and that makes you incredibly lucky. Celebrate it. Squarespace | Go to  Squarespace.com/DOTHEWORK to save 10% on your first pur...

It Won’t Come Easy

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They emerge from struggle stronger…but that struggle is tough. It’s tough for them and it’s tough for you to watch. But it has to happen. Our L...

Speak In This Language

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Helping is how we let them know what they mean to us. Get a signed leatherbound edition of The Daily Dad! Check it out at dailydad.com/leather This ...

This Is What You’ll Have To Manage

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isn’t this what parenting demands of us? To trust our instincts. To keep our cool when chaos reigns.  This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp...

Balancing Presence At Home and Life On The Road | Benj Gershman

11 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the bassist for the rock band O.A.R., Benj Gershman understands that life on the road comes with the territory. Still, being away from his family f...

It Can Wait

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One day our kids will leave the house and the choice to spend more time with them will no longer be up to us. 🏛 All time can be quality time. Get ...

You Must Be Immune To This

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the hardest tasks of our time, is not to let bad times turn you into a bad person. This is especially true for parents because in your care is ...

Why Not Get Better Here?

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We spend a lot of time on superficial stuff–we even call it “work”–but rarely do we expend the same amount of effort on the stuff that really ...

What If They Didn’t Have To Prove It?

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if, instead of spending their lives chasing trophies or validation, they spent their lives exploring, creating, connecting—driven not by fear o...

They Need This To Grow Up

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As we say here, luctor et emergo. “Struggle and I emerge.” Our kids need to be challenged. Our Luctor Et Emergo Medallion will help you remember ...

Teaching Kids the Powers and Pitfalls of AI | Ryan Holiday

04 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI is going to change the world in good ways and bad ways. We have to figure out how to use it, not just responsibly, but effectively. Today, Ryan Hol...

The Moments of Leniency Matter

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On December 29, 2024, President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100. If you’ve been around awhile, then you know what an inspiration his example as ...

They Don’t Define You—And You Don’t Define Them

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Don’t conflate their choices or circumstances with your identity. Your kids are their own people. 📕 The Daily Dad eBook is on sale for $2.99! Gr...

You Work Hard, But Are You Working on This?

01 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We should always want our actions and choices to be the direct cause of our improvement in every arena of life, parenting most of all. 📕 The Daily...

Let Them See This

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let your kids see you step up. Show them that challenges aren’t something to fear—they’re opportunities to grow. The Daily Stoic New Year, New ...

Rich Is How Much You Get To Do This

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can someone truly be called wealthy, rich, or successful if the price of that success is their constant absence?The Daily Dad is just $2.99 as an eboo...

Carry These Stoic Parenting Lessons Into 2025

28 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the year comes to a close, today's episode features some of the top Stoic parenting advice and strategies learned on The Daily Stoic and The Daily ...

You’re In A Hurry And Don’t Know Why

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Slow down. Take a breath. Because one day, they’ll stop asking for stories. The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge is 3 weeks of ALL-NEW, acti...

Who Will Get Your Patience?

26 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We only have a finite amount of patience. So why are we giving all of it away to people who are not our children? The Daily Stoic New Year, New You C...

This Is A Gift To Give Yourself (And Your Family)

25 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Think about the gifts you have to give them today—your love, your support, your presence—to receive the gift of a crowded table in the future. We...