The Daily Dad
Episodes
Ryan Holiday And Paul Kix On Balancing Techniques And Being Self-Conscious
16 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the Daily Dad Podcast, Ryan talks to Paul Kix about enjoying the time we do have with our kids, while being self-conscious of what ...
It’s Not Too Late To Make Improvements
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
F. Scott Fitzgerald knew the long term damage of being spoiled rotten. Not only was he a prime and painful example himself—as we’ve written about—...
You Can Give Them This
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Your kids ask for a lot. Money. Patience. They ask for toys and games and attention. They demand chicken nuggets after you hand them the hamburger the...
You Must Study The Greats
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Study any great leader, artist, athlete, or parent, and you’ll find that they had a hero, a mentor, or a model. Some were lucky enough to study dire...
Take This Seriously
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They’re scared there’s something under their bed or in their closet. They tell you they don’t want to go to school today. They tell you they fee...
You Always Have Five More Minutes To Give
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They were traveling with their three-year-old son. They boarded their flight in Boston. They were heading back to Los Angeles after visiting family in...
Ryan And Wife Samantha Holiday On Taking Advice And Understanding Parenting Phases
09 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with his wife Samantha on experiencing parenting versus taking the advice and understanding the...
Give What You Didn’t Get. Forget What You Did.
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As we’ve said before, each of us as parents have to try to give what we didn’t get as kids. The attention. The support. The understanding. Whateve...
You Won’t Let Them Do This To You Anymore
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Before, you were a glutton for punishment. You were tolerant. You were accepting. If the boss wanted it, if the customer needed it, if it could help y...
Give Them A Little More Than Feels Safe
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/dailydad and get on your way to being your best self.”It’s...
Is This A Family Habit?
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/dailydad and get on your way to being your best self.”Even a...
These Experiences Are Both Cheap And Rich
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The pressure to do is one that rests heavy on all parents. We plan that big family vacation to Disneyland. We put everyone in the car and drive like a...
Ryan And Wife Samantha Holiday On Normalizing The Parenting Journey
02 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with his wife Samantha on men having the conversation and creating the proper space for fatherh...
The Difference Between Schooling And Education
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You send them to great schools. You make sure they do their homework. You drill them on their flashcards. You are saving for college. You are not goin...
You Won’t Regret This
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of things that don’t age well. Tattoos done late at night, on impulse. Trendy haircuts. Lots of things we think are important, that ...
It Is A Temple
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The house is noisy. It is messy. It is expensive, and not easy to maintain. It’s filled with toys, and sharp Legos that you step on in the middle of...
This Is Your Advantage Now
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Your career used to be the only thing you had. It was just you. You had your ambitions. You had as many hours as there were in the day. And you were w...
You Can’t Do It For Them?
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you had an early flight, you’d get up no problem. If you had a chance to go see old friends or your favorite band, you’d stay up late without e...
Ryan Holiday And Casey Neistat On Building Better Parenting Routines
26 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/dailydad and get on your way to being your best self.”Visit ...
They Are Clay In Your Hands
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Each of us, no matter how old or successful, has things we wish we knew how to do. We wish we could speak another language, or change the oil in our o...
You Already Blew Up Your Life
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/dailydad and get on your way to being your best self.”Yes, i...
You’re A Hostage To Fortune Now
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After having kids, every parent quickly realizes just how much less freedom they have. Your schedule is different. Your sleep is different. What you c...
Guilt Is Not Productive
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You hear people talk about “mom guilt”–the feeling that moms get for not being perfect, not measuring up to their own impossible standards, or t...
This Is How They Can Be Great
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Visit mylifeforce.com and receive $200 off your membership today.We talked recently about the Spartan who pointed out that it wasn’t right to say th...
Ryan And Wife Samantha Holiday On Building Courage And Exploring Curiosity
19 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with his wife Samantha on the skill set that comes with exploring curiosity, and teaching our...
It’s OK That They Make You Crazy
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes it’s good to acknowledge our biases. And one of the biggest biases in our lives is our kids. Not just a bias in the sense that we prefer t...
This Is A Sign You’re Doing Great
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We all sit up at night and wonder if we’re doing a good job, if we’re failing our kids, if we’re raising them right. We kick ourselves for what ...
You Started Over
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It doesn’t matter how many decades old you were. It doesn’t matter what you’d experienced, what you knew, how smart or powerful you were. A turn...
Give Into This
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You have a very important job. You have so much going on. That’s the terrible part about having kids, for both men and women–for most of us, it co...
How To Think About Your Approach
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It was Seneca who said that a wise philosopher doesn’t just study in their particular school of thought, but surveys widely, taking and absorbing id...
Ryan Holiday On Illustrating Better Values To Our Kids
12 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the Daily Dad Ryan talks on the importance of illustrating different versions of ourselves while away or on vacation, and how you...
They Need Their Space
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Visit mylifeforce.com and receive $200 off your membership today.You have to give them space. Not just space right after school or soccer practice, as...
It’s Not A Pretty Picture
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine that you’re gone and able to look down now and see your kids from above. Or imagine that somehow you had magical powers and could see inside...
Kiss It While It’s Here
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/dailydad and get on your way to being your best self.”The th...
You Don’t Just Get To Leave
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Visit mylifeforce.com and receive $200 off your membership today.Marriage is hard. Perhaps yours is especially hard. You both work very hard…or m...
These Two Traits Are Enough
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/dailydad and get on your way to being your best self.”There’...
Ryan And Wife Samantha Holiday On Setting up Flexible Boundaries For Our Kids
05 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with his wife Samantha on unavoidable reality, flexibility within their household, and creating...
You Come From A Strong Tradition
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is brought to you by LifeForce.Visit mylifeforce.com and receive $200 off your membership today.If you’re in your 30s, then your p...
You Can Make A Break
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been this way for a long time. Parents who ignored their kids. Parents who were too busy working, surviving, to be there emotionally. Parents w...
Take Them Seriously
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes just a title, just a concept can be enough. Wherever You Go There You Are is a great book…and a great mantra. The Obstacle is The Way, and...
You’ve Already Gotten The Gift
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Visit mylifeforce.com and receive $200 off your membership today.Nothing keeps us up, nothing haunts us like the thought that something could happen t...
It’s This Intention, This Choice That Matters
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of kids out there. There are fewer parents. Not just because most families have more than one child, but because unfortunately, tragic...
Ryan Holiday And Matthew McConaughey On Being Present and Measuring Happiness
29 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with actor Matthew McConaughey about his new course: Roadtrip – the Highway to More, the im...
Are You Making It Easy To Be A Kid In Your House?
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Seeing your own parents now, as an adult, is stressful. There’s a great Ram Dass line that the comedian Pete Holmes has used in relation to his own ...
We Corrupt Our Children
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We say we’re trying to raise kids who are kind, who help others, who are generous, who are not selfish, who are not cruel, who treat everyone equall...
You Don’t Have To Squeeze One More Thing In
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, it’s true you only get so much time with them. Yes, it’s true you flew halfway around the world for this trip, you took time off work. Yes, i...
Can You Imagine?
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In some ways, the ancient world seems so remarkably similar to ours. Marcus Aurelius has a passage in Meditations pepping himself up to get out of bed...
What Are You Optimizing For?
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Health matters. Wealth matters. These things matter not just to us, but to our families. You only have to look around to see people who don’t optimi...
Ryan And Wife Samantha Holiday On Self Awareness and Generational Impacts
22 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan talks with his wife Samantha on a second round of doing less and seeing the results, and how self-awa...
You Never Know What You’re Comparing Against
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You’re wondering if you’re doing something wrong because your kid can’t ride a bike. You’re wondering why they’re not more athletic…or mor...
These Are Your 5 Choices
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The hot button political issue of the day is “parental choice.” In Florida and D.C., Chicago and California, parents of differential political per...
All Their Dreams Are A Parent’s Fears
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is an inherent tension, a conflict of visions even, at the heart of every family. They want to live happy, fulfilling, interesting lives, and as...
It’s All Bubbles
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It was a timeless scene, one that might have happened in your house just this past afternoon. The kids are playing with bubbles. They are laughing and...
Have You Shown Them What Greatness Looks Like?
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know the story of Cincinnatus? He was a Roman general who had retired to his farm until he was called to rescue his country from an invasion. M...
You Can't Have It All
15 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Dad, Ryan shares an article from a Father's Day read from The Free Press on the upstream choices we have to mak...
In The End, It Doesn’t Even Matter
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Being two minutes late to school. The fourth discussion about cleaning up before company comes over. The grouchy tone. The broken vase. The mischief w...
You Can Have More Time If You Do It Right
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a good reminder, one that we can zip past too easily because we’re busy, because we have so much on our plate: You only get 18 years with you...
It’s Your Job To Help Open Their Eyes
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Almost every talented and successful person can remember their introduction to whatever it was that became their thing. In Mastery, Robert Greene expl...
The Words To Notice
11 Jul 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...
You Are Never Not Afraid
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It would be wonderful if it ever eased up, but it doesn’t. You worried when they were in the womb, and here you are all these years later, still wor...
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...