When the baby can’t wait
PLUS – an awesome shed to office conversion
November 07, 2025 | Read Online
Happy Friday, gents. Yeah, the early sunsets sting, but the weekend’s here. Recharge, get outside, and we’ll see you Monday.
PS: If you’re new here, we mix it up on Fridays with a quick recap from the week and a few extra gems to head into the weekend right.
“Becoming a father increases your capacity for love and your level of patience. It opens up another door in a person—a door which you may not even have known was there.”
-Kyle MacLachlan 
THE DIGEST
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Most Clicked: Why Guinness is the Ultimate Dad Beer (and how to pour it)
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Best Community Reply: Build your child’s confidence by making your home their safest place.
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Wisdom of the Week: You can’t eliminate chaos. But you can get honest about what’s worth the chaos. That’s the real essentialism of fatherhood: deciding what deserves your limited energy. Some things will slip. Some things should.
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Product of the Week: Pendleton x Costco Throw Blanket Collab
📕 Read: The Power of Habit – Jim Duhigg
🎧 Listen: How Extreme Winners Think & Win – Tim Ferriss Show
📺 Watch: Exclusive Look Inside Red Wing’s American Boot Factory
🍔 Eat/Drink: 3 Epic Dinners You Can Make With the Air Fryer
🩳 Style: Relwen Quilted Flannel Jacket
FROM THE TRENCHES
Topic: When the Baby Can’t Wait
One dad shared a story in Slack this week that was just too wild not to share. His wife had been having light contractions all day, but nothing serious. Around midnight, things started picking up. Still inconsistent, though, so the plan was to drop their 3-year-old at his sister’s and head to the hospital after.
Fifteen minutes later, he got the call: his wife had delivered their baby at home, alone. He raced back, called 911, and met paramedics as they arrived. Mom and baby were taken to the hospital, and both are doing great.
He came home later to a scene that can only be described as chaos, but mostly just felt awe and respect for his wife, who somehow stayed calm through it all.
The general consensus? Certified badass move. Everyone’s healthy, everyone’s safe. That’s one tough mama.
Join the conversation on Slack here.
GARAGE
Send us what you’re working on
“Sharing my before/after storage shed to home office reno project! Did this to free up an extra room in the house for my son, but mainly for fewer constant distractions from the kiddos when working from home. Now they just walk to the backyard every 5 minutes to ask me questions 🤦🏼♂️ no regrets!” Nico G. – St Pete, Florida
Thanks for sharing, Nico. This looks awesome. Well done! 👊
We want to see your house projects. Send ‘em our way! Just reply to this email.
WEEKEND BURNER
Weekend Burner: The Hardest Mile
If you’re feeling wild this weekend, here ya go. Not for the faint of heart. You’ll absolutely want to scale this to your fitness level.
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Lap 1: 400m burpee broad jumps
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Lap 2: 400m walking lunges
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Lap 3: 400m bear crawls
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Lap 4: 400m run
One mile. Four movements. Pure grind.
Click for Spotify Playlist
dad shower thoughts: The grill isn’t just for cooking, it’s where dads go to think.
📕 DAD WISDOM
Do Less, Be More
I just started reading Essentialism, and it’s hitting some nerves (in a good way).
The book’s whole idea is about cutting the nonessential. Saying ‘no’ more. Doing less, but better.
But here’s the reality: dads don’t get to “opt out.” The list keeps growing. Work deadlines, home projects, kid stuff, trying to stay in shape, pretending you still have hobbies. The list goes on.
You can’t eliminate chaos. But you can get honest about what’s worth the chaos.
That’s the real essentialism of fatherhood: deciding what deserves your limited energy. Some things will slip. Some things should.
Because being a good dad isn’t about perfect balance. It’s about choosing your tradeoffs on purpose, instead of getting buried by them.
RAD DAD
Sean Nguyen
Always cool featuring folks I get to connect with in real life, like Sean Nguyen.
Sean’s the guy behind After Work Fish Club, a community that started with a few buddies chasing redfish after hours and turned into something bigger – a reminder that you don’t need to quit your day job to live fully.
By day, he runs commercial flooring projects. By night, he’s building a tribe of doers who swap screens for tides and find peace between casts.
Sean’s secret sauce isn’t hustle, it’s intent. He ditched the finish-line mentality for something simpler: being where his feet are.
“Life moves fast,” he says. “Success used to mean chasing more. Now it’s about being in the moment, not just moving through it.”
He’s raising two kids, running a business, and proving that balance isn’t found, it’s built. One tide at a time.
Read more on Sean here. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s gonna lead the first Dad Day fishing trip.
Follow his journey → @afterworkfishclub / @vin_nguyen
DAD TOYS
The North Face x Bialetti Coffee Set
The North Face teamed up with Italian coffee legend Bialetti to drop a limited-edition coffee kit built for the wild or your backyard deck at sunrise.
Yeah, it’s a bit of a flex on price, but this is heirloom gear, the kind of setup your kids will fight over when they’re packing for their own adventures.
🛒 WHAT ELSE WE’RE EYING UP
» Pendelton x Costco Throw Blanket
» 7ft Artificial Christmas Tree (on sale)
» 14 Piece Car Washing Kit
DAD BOD
Walk While You Work
Turns out the under-desk walking pad isn’t just TikTok fluff, it actually works. Studies from the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic show walking while you work burns about 100 extra calories an hour and keeps energy levels up without killing productivity.
Start slow (1–1.5 mph), walk in 20-minute chunks, and skip the flip-flops.
It’s not a workout replacement, but it could be a hack for fighting desk slouch, and yeah, it feels pretty good to close your laptop knowing you’ve already logged a few thousand steps.
STYLE
Campfire Approved
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Relwen Quilted Flannel Jacket
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Marine Layer Pacific Stretch Twill Shirt
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Rhodes Work Wedge Chelsea Boot
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Faherty Stretch Terry 5-Pocket Pant
JUNK DRAWER
» Why Guinness Might Be the Ultimate Dad Beer
» Help Your Kids Find Their Passion
» 40-Minute Full Body Dumbbell Workout
DAD HUMOR
If you’re in the “Oh, Guinness is too dark and heavy” camp then it’s time to rethink your position.
Here’s why. Plus: don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to learn to pour Guinness like a pro for your next party trick.
1. A 12oz Serving of Guinness is 125 Calories. A “Full” 14.9oz Can is ~150 Calories.
For perspective, a 12oz can of Bud Light is 100 calories.
If you’re not at the age where calories matter, then you might be too young to be a dad.
For me, when I’m drinking beer, I like to sling a couple or so. Worrying about how a 500 calorie IPA is going to ruin my body isn’t enjoyable.
This is truly a light beer that doesn’t taste like piss.
2. It’s 4.2% ABV
Bud Light — again for comparison — is 4.2% ABV. You can have a couple without causing another feud at your next family event.
3. It’s Easier on your Stomach
Believe it or not, because Guinness is Nitrogenated (as opposed to carbonated with CO2) it’s easier on your stomach.
Less gas. Less bloating. Less heartburn.
Yeah, I’ll have another.
4. It’s Tasty
Don’t let its appearance fool you. It’s not overly “dark” tasting — like that Imperial Stout that ruined your bachelor party — and it’s not “heavy.” It kills me when people call it “heavy.”
It’s an easy drink.
Expect roasted barley, fresh coffee grounds, and dark chocolate, with faint hints of biscuit, smoke, and toffee. But don’t over think it.
5. It’s Historic and Revolutionary
Guinness is nearly 265 years old — the same age as your dad jokes.
It used to be served from a cask (beer in a wood barrel naturally carbonated). The invention of Nitrogenation replicated the “cask ale” experience, while keeping the beer fresh.
To send that beer worldwide they invented a nitro widget can, which fun fact, was named the best invention in the world in the 90’s. Beating the invention of internet.
6. It’s Reliable
You can get it anywhere.
It works with every occasion. Pocket beers while Trick or Treating, a backyard brawl, or a fancy dinner.
7. The Merch Rocks
Guinness has owned the beer merch game. Their online store never fails to deliver, and they’re regularly partnering with cool brands for one-offs.
I’ve worn out my dad hat and rugby jersey from them.
Pour Like a Pro
45 degrees, at your mom’s house. No. No … everyone’s wrong.
Here’s how you actually pour a Guinness.
Buy the cans, and with the standard, 14.9oz nitro can:
- Crack it and listen for the nitro widget to release
- Wait a second.
- Grab a 16oz glass or larger. I prefer a 20oz Imperial Nonic Pint glass.
- Put the glass on top of the can, all the way.
- Flip and put the glass on the table and slowly move your can of Guinness up until it’s all in the glass
If you’re doing it right, you can do it with one hand while holding your kid or chiming in on a Zoom call.
A Quick Demo
Sorry for the crudity of this video. Everything else on the internet sucks.
This does two things:
- Helps the nitrogen cascade and create that famous velvety texture.
- And looks cool as hell.
And by the way, please drink responsibly.
Happy Monday, fellas. Hope the weekend treated you right. You didn’t need to be a baseball guy to feel that Game 7. Brutal one for Jays fans.
Appreciate all the love on the new site. We’ve got some cool stuff cooking on the community side. Stay tuned.
📕 DAD WISDOM
The Whiplash Weekend
It was one of those weekends.
Halloween elation one minute: my boys laughing, running wild, pure magic. By Saturday morning: meltdowns and non-stop bickering.
By last night, I was cooked. Every nerve shot. Every ounce of patience gone.
After the kids were settled in bed, I pulled up a running list of quotes on fatherhood I keep for moments like this.
One from Paul Auster jumped out at me:
“Becoming a father is not about what you give up, but what you gain — the astonishment of being needed so completely.”
That one stuck. Because parenting isn’t hard because something’s wrong. It’s hard because we care so damn much. The same love that gives us the highs makes the lows hit harder.
Maybe that’s the deal. You don’t get one without the other. You just learn to ride the wave, from the joy to the exhaustion, and remind yourself this is what all in feels like.
I think it’s OK to give ourselves a pass, because truth be told, being a good dad isn’t about holding it all together.
It’s about showing up again Monday morning, coffee in hand, maybe still tired, but ready to do it all over again. That’s the job. And honestly? That’s the gift.
RAD DAD
Clayton Kershaw
Photo via NBC
Clayton Kershaw. Dodgers ace, future Hall of Famer, and proud dad of four (soon to be five) just capped off his career by announcing his retirement after winning a third World Series title. But even after two decades of dominance, he’ll tell you the best part of life isn’t on the mound.
“Being a dad is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me,” he says. “My children have changed my life for the better in so many ways.”
For Kershaw, fatherhood reshaped everything. “At some point I just realized that the time I spend with these little creatures that we made is just the best thing ever—that I don’t want to do anything that could tarnish that time.”
He and his high school sweetheart, Ellen, raise their kids in a home built on faith, humility, and service. When he’s not coaching youth teams or running family charity work, you’ll find him at home soaking in the chaos that makes parenting great.
Kershaw puts it simply:
“Baseball is what I do, not who I am. Being a dad: that’s who I am.”
DAD TOYS
The Anywhere Screen
Nobody needs another screen. But the LG StanbyME kind of earns it.
It’s wireless, rolls anywhere, and the built-in battery lasts about 3 hours. Just enough for a game, a workout, or a movie while you “organize the garage.”
No cords. No wall mount. Just plug, play, and pretend you’re being productive.
🛒 WHAT ELSE WE’RE EYING UP
» Book: A Practical Guide to Resilient Parenting
» 55in Veken Standing Desk (41% off)
» Japanese Rib Knit Beanie (Winter is coming)
DAD BOD
Coffee Hack
Per Arnold’s Pump Club, your caffeine habit might be fighting your biology.
That 2 p.m. crash? It’s not just your coffee wearing off, it’s your circadian rhythm dipping right as your morning caffeine fades. Double whammy.
The fix: don’t front-load it. Split it.
Try 8 oz at 8 a.m., another 8 oz around 11. You’ll get steadier energy, less tolerance, and better sleep as long as you stop 8–10 hours before bed.
Small tweak. Big upgrade. ☕️
THE MOVE
Invite them into your world. The project, the errand, the workout. Whatever it is.
This week’s focus: Involve them in something you’d normally do solo. Let them see how you move.
JUNK DRAWER
» Clayton Kershaw’s Kids Love Letter to Dad
» The Best Protein Bar: He Ate ‘Em So You Don’t Have To
» Getting Your Kids Out of Their Comfort Zone
DAD HUMOR
Click to Play
Hey guys. Happy Halloween. Hope you all had a solid week.
Big day for us yesterday: we finally launched the new website. Still ironing out a few kinks, but damn, we’re proud of how it’s shaping up.
On a personal note, I’ve been able to connect with a bunch of you from the community this week, and honestly, it fired me up. Exciting to see this thing grow beyond the newsletter.
PS: If you’re new here, we mix it up on Fridays with a quick recap from the week and a few extra gems to head into the weekend right.
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.”
-Jim Valvano
THE DIGEST
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Most Clicked: The Most Regretted College Degrees
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Best Community Reply: Show how to turn mistakes into lessons, not regrets.
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Wisdom of the Week: Parenting is like hiking…and quitting isn’t an option, you’re the guide. The trail doesn’t flatten out just because you’re tired. You hike because that’s the job. Some days it’s all uphill, some days it’s a view worth the grind.
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Product of the Week: Sueded Rugby Polo
📕 Read: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less – Greg McKeown
🎧 Listen: Why You Need the Good Stress of Socializing: Art of Manliness
📺 Watch: How One Dad Turned His Garage into a Neighborhood Legend
🍔 Eat/Drink: Award Winning Chef’s Secret to the BEST Burger
🩳 Style: Faherty Donegal Crew Sweater
FROM THE TRENCHES
Topic: When Your Baby’s Neck Favors One Side
One dad noticed his 2-month-old was constantly looking to her right—she could turn left, just rarely did. The Slack crew jumped in fast, with plenty of reassurance and firsthand advice.
Turns out, it’s a common issue (often mild torticollis) that usually works itself out with a little intention. Most dads mentioned that gentle stretching, extra tummy time, and adjusting how the baby sleeps can help loosen tight muscles. A few went the physical therapy route for peace of mind—and said it cleared up quickly.
The general consensus? Catch it early, be proactive, and don’t panic. Oh, and as one dad joked, “Yeah, we had torticollis. Which sounds delicious.”
Join the conversation on Slack here.
GARAGE
Send us what you’re working on
Corey C. with the trim work in the converted guest room. Nice job, Corey. Thanks for sharing.
We want to see your house projects. Send ‘em our way! Just reply to this email.
WEEKEND BURNER
Weekend Burner: Earn Those Beers
3 Rounds for Time:
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400m run (or 90-second sprint)
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20 push-ups
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20 goblet squats (hold a dumbbell, kettlebell, or kid)
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15 burpees
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30-second plank hold
Rest 60 seconds between rounds.
Click for Spotify Playlist
dad shower thoughts: Half of parenting is pretending to know where things are.
Sup fellas. Hope the week’s treating you right. Big one for us: after 4 months of early mornings and late nights, our new site goes live tomorrow. Still looking for some dads to share their thoughts. If you’ve got stories, lessons, or hot takes, drop ’em here.
📕 DAD WISDOM
Sandlot Wisdom for Dads
This morning, I saw Ham AKA Patrick Renna from The Sandlot post a photo with his son on Instagram. It took me from being a 12-year-old watching that movie… to a dad standing in my kitchen, coffee in hand, seeing it with new eyes.
Two lessons that land harder now:
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Build the Sandlot:
The magic wasn’t the perfect field; it was showing up. Unscheduled time, a beat-up ball, and a crew. A dad’s job isn’t to plan every moment. It’s to make space for play. Say yes to messy afternoons, invite the neighbor kid, be the quiet safety net while they figure it out. -
Be Benny:
The whole story changes because Benny hands Smalls a glove. That’s leadership. Model courage, extend the invite to the outsider, and go first over the fence when it’s scary. One “you’re in” can reroute a childhood.
The Sandlot wasn’t about baseball. It was about those small, ordinary days that end up meaning everything.
RAD DAD
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld, comedy legend, car enthusiast, and king of observational humor, has a surprisingly grounded take on fatherhood. True to form, it’s part stand-up routine, part philosophy lesson, and all heart.
For Seinfeld, the magic of being a dad isn’t found in picture-perfect family moments or fancy “quality time.” It’s in what he calls the “garbage time.” The random car rides. The late-night snacks. The talking-about-nothing moments that somehow mean everything.
“I don’t want quality time,” he says. “I want the garbage time. The garbage — that’s what I love.”
He admits the job isn’t always pretty.
“Being a dad is the greatest pain in the ass in the world you could possibly be involved in,” he once said. “That is the ultimate dad-ness.”
But he also calls fatherhood a transformation, something that rewires your brain in ways you can’t explain until you’re in it. Seinfeld doesn’t try to make parenting profound.
He just sees it for what it is: funny, messy, chaotic, and deeply human.
Quotes from Huffpost & NBC
DAD TOYS
20LB Weighted Vest
Rucking’s all the rage these days. Basically walking, but slap some weight on your back.
I’m all for dropping cash on quality gear, but this bad boy has survived miles of weighted runs, garage workouts, and sweaty backyard laps without falling apart.
Right now it’s 20% off – $33 bucks. Perfect way to see if rucking’s your jam before you go full Special Forces.
🛒 WHAT ELSE WE’RE EYING UP
» 100 Hikes of a Lifetime
» Lomo MC-A 35 mm Film Camera Silver
» Portable Projector
DAD BOD
Beyond the Scale
The mirror lies. The scale lies. A DEXA scan doesn’t. It’s basically an X-ray for your body showing exactly how much of you is muscle, fat, and bone. No guessing. Just data.
Why it matters:
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See the truth. The scale says 200, DEXA shows what kind of 200.
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Track real progress. Know if you’re gaining muscle or just water weight.
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Catch hidden fat. Even “fit” dads can have visceral fat hanging around.
Takes 10 minutes, costs about $75 bones, and gives you more insight than six months of mirror selfies. Because you can’t fix what you don’t measure. Just Google ‘Dexa scan’ in your area.
STYLE
Rugby Throwback
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Marine Layer Rugby Polo
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Flint and Tinder Corduroy Pant
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Taylor Stitch Cotton Hemp Tee
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Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze 38mm Watch
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New Balance T500s
JUNK DRAWER
» The Most Regretted College Degrees
» The Case For Letting Kids Be Kids on Halloween
» A Guide to Drinking in Disney
DAD HUMOR
Every dad should have a signature dish. Not a “whatever’s in the fridge” scramble. Not something from a meal kit. A real, go-to recipe that you can cook from memory, plate with pride, and hand down one day.
It’s not about being a chef. It’s about being that dad, the one whose burgers are legendary, whose pancakes hit right, or whose Sunday pasta sauce smells like home before you even walk in the door.
The Power of One
Having a signature dish is about more than food. It’s identity. It’s the move you make when guests come over. It’s the dinner you pull off on a bad day when everything else went sideways. It’s the thing your kids ask for on birthdays because it tastes like comfort and consistency.
In a world full of takeout apps, mastering one thing by hand matters. It teaches patience, skill, and a little pride in craft — three things kids pick up faster than you think.
How to Find Your Dish
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Just pick one thing and own it.
Start with what you already love to eat.
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If you’re a grill guy, make it the perfect steak or smash burger.
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If you love breakfast, go all-in on pancakes, French toast, or omelets.
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If you prefer comfort food, think chili, roast chicken, or homemade pizza.
Once you’ve got a direction, dig in.
Here’s where to look:
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Search YouTube for your dish and add “basics” or “tutorial” (e.g. “cast iron steak basics”). You’ll find solid how-tos from people who actually cook for a living.
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Browse Serious Eats, America’s Test Kitchen, or Bon Appétit for well-tested recipes.
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Or, go old-school: ask a parent or grandparent for their version. Those handwritten cards are gold.
Then start cooking. Make it again and again until you stop checking the recipe. Until you know exactly when to flip, stir, or pull it from the oven by feel. That’s when it becomes yours.
The Confidence It Builds
There’s something deeply satisfying about cooking one thing really well. You learn timing, temperature, and taste. You start trusting your instincts. And that confidence spills over into other parts of life.
Kids notice it too. They see you focused, calm, and capable — all while turning raw ingredients into something everyone enjoys. That’s a quiet lesson in leadership, right at the dinner table.
Pass It On
Every family remembers a dish that defines “dad.” It becomes a ritual, a story, a smell that sticks. Maybe your kid will learn to make it one day. Maybe they’ll tell their friends, “My dad makes the best ribs you’ve ever had.” That’s legacy in a skillet.
So pick your dish. Learn it. Master it. Then make it for the people you love until they know it by heart too.
The Dad Day Takeaway
You don’t need to cook everything. You just need to cook one thing well. Because at the end of the day, being a dad isn’t about doing it all. It’s about doing the important stuff with care. And that starts with dinner.
In Maplewood, New Jersey, John Garbarino took a 400-square-foot garage and turned it into something more than storage — he built a garage bar that became his family’s happy place.
What started as a wine fridge and a kegerator slowly evolved into a full-blown pub — complete with a Victorian mirror, wool rug, and bar he built himself in 2011. Think old-school American tavern meets Irish charm, all tucked behind a garage door.
Now, it’s the center of gravity for friends and family. Parties, traditions, late-night conversations — everything happens in the GarBar. The main house? Basically obsolete.
Garbarino uses MyQ technology to manage access and deliveries — unlocking and closing the garage remotely when people drop by or borrow gear. It’s a 1920s-style pub powered by 2020s tech.
Since the pandemic, garage bars like his have blown up, giving people a way to gather safely, creatively, and locally. Garbarino’s version struck a nerve — turning him into “the guy with the garage bar” and inspiring thousands of other dads to reclaim their own spaces.
Why It’s Dad Day Approved
Old wood, cold beer, and a spot built for connection. That’s modern fatherhood done right. Craft, community, and a touch of clever tech.
How often have we heard:
– “It’s okay to fail as long as you try.”
– “It’s not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you pick yourself back up.”
– “Trying and failing is better than never trying at all.”
(Or some version of these.)
We all know how important failing is for kids—it’s like their full-time job. It’s an inevitable part of life that is critical for their development.
As dads, we stress the importance of failing for character building, skill acquisition, and just overall life lessons. Whether it’s our little ones striking out in little league baseball, or spilling the milk when trying to pour themselves a glass, or, when our kids are teenagers and failing stings more, when they forget their lines in a school play, or get shot down by their romantic interest. Or when they’re adults and the failures can be more life altering after a failed marriage or losing their job.
Failure is bound to come at some point if we keep pushing our kids—and ourselves—to try new things and “be in the arena” (which we should).
But we also know that no matter the failure, we’re always there for our kids to pick them up. We’re in their corner with words of encouragement, letting them know that failure happens and everything is going to be okay, and then pushing them to get back out there.
But if we’re being honest, how often do we dads give ourselves this kind of grace?
Failure seems easier to forgive in others—especially our mini-mes—than it does in ourselves. As dads, we want to be the fixers, the problem-solvers, the steady hands that hold down the family, and a role model for our kids on how to navigate life. We can handle failure in everyone else (some moments we handle this better than others), but we need to give ourselves grace in the face of failure as well.
As a first-time dad myself, fatherhood seems to have failure as a built-in feature. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve shamed myself for losing my patience with my toddler that’s pushing every button (figuratively and literally) or beaten myself up for the times when I’ve plopped him down in front of the TV so I could get a little work done or plopped myself down in front of the TV instead of playing with trucks or building blocks with him.
The list goes on.
But it’s not that we want to fail but pretending that we aren’t going to at some point and then shaming ourselves for not being perfect doesn’t do anyone any good. Especially when we showcase this disappointment externally, our kids can and will pick up on that. The expectation to be perfect will make us not want to try and certainly not want to fail.
Which is exactly what we don’t want—for ourselves and for our kids.
Conversely, it’s more important when we fail that we can admit, “Hey, I messed that up,” and we correct the action or apologize for the inaction and vow to do better in the future (and, most important, take action to do it). In this way, we model something powerful for our kids: humility, accountability, and growth.
That trying and failing doesn’t have to be so bad.
It’s one thing to tell your kid to apologize when they’re wrong or out-of-line, and it’s another to show them how it’s done. Saying, “I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier. I was frustrated and that’s not your fault. I was wrong and I apologize.” (I’ve had to say this exact phrase to my kid and to my wife.)
Having your kids witness this teaches them more about integrity than any lecture could.
And when we try something new—like coaching their team, or attempting to learn guitar, or finally getting around to learning that foreign language that you promised yourself you’d do this year—and it inevitably goes sideways (and it will—I know this from personal experience), it’s a chance for them to see you struggle, fail, regroup, and show them that perfection was never the goal anyway.
When that failure comes, it simply means we’re trying something new. Or it means we’re navigating new territory. Or it means we’re pushing past what’s easy. Or, sometimes, it means we erred because we’re human. Or, more likely, it’s a little bit of all of these combined.
And just as we teach our kids to try something new, to navigate new territory, and to push past what’s easy, or that as humans we err, we’re there to pick them back up when they fail because we know the importance of trying and failing for their growth.
As dads, we just need to make sure that we have the same amount of grace and understanding with ourselves when we fail as dads because it’s equally as important for our growth. We should hold ourselves to high standards—which is also important for our kids to witness—and not lower the bar in order to appear perfect.
It’s better to aim high, miss, and course correct than it is to aim low and always hit. The former is destined for growth while the latter is destined to stay the same.
And where’s the growth (or fun) in aiming low?
Our kids don’t need to see us being perfect (don’t try, it’s not possible anyways). They need to see us be human. To see us try, fail, and how we go about bouncing back and righting the situation.
So, don’t be so hard on yourself, dads. Our kids will be always watching and waiting to see how we react when we succeed and when we fail.
It’s important to show them that succeeding is the goal and achievement is great but failure is inevitable and that there’s learning and growth to be had in that.
It’s not just for kids. It’s for us dads, too. So go out there boldly, dads, and when you fail, fail boldly. Let them see what it’s like to fall down. Because every time we do, we teach our kids how to rise.
Happy Monday, fellas. Hope your football team fared better than my Aluminum Curtain Steelers.
Note: We’re building something cool here at Dad Day and could use a few good dads to help grow it. If “community” is your thing, let’s talk. Just reply to this email. A real human will respond.
📕 DAD WISDOM
Keep Hiking
Comedian Mike Birbiglia nailed it: “Parenting is like hiking. No one’s ever like, ‘Hey, great job hiking!’ Sometimes you’re up there and you wanna hop off the edge, but you’re the guide.”
That’s it right there. Parenting isn’t glamorous. There’s no medal ceremony at the top, no crowd cheering when you pack the lunches, fix the meltdown, or survive bedtime. Most days, it’s just you, a messy trail, and a bunch of tiny hikers asking for snacks.
And yet, you keep going. Because quitting isn’t an option, you’re the guide. The trail doesn’t flatten out just because you’re tired. You hike because that’s the job. Some days it’s all uphill, some days it’s a view worth the grind.
No applause. No shortcuts. Just the climb. Keep hiking, Dad.
RAD DAD
Mookie Betts
Photo via Reuters
For Mookie Betts, fatherhood didn’t change his priorities; it changed his purpose.
“Before kids, I was playing to get rich. After kids, I realized I’m playing for something bigger. To show them what dedication looks like.”
He’s the kind of dad who knows presence beats perfection. “Be present as much as you can. Show them love every chance you get. But give yourself grace for those times when you have to be away.”
And he’s raising his daughter with purpose, not pressure. “It’s my job to set an example of the relationship I want her to have. She shouldn’t have to question what love looks like. She should just know because she’s seen it.”
From lessons learned from his own dad to leading by example for his kids, Betts plays the long game built on love, effort, and legacy.
Big takeaway: Championships fade. Character doesn’t.
Quotes from: People and YouTube.com
DAD TOYS
The Lowe Wallet by The James Brand
Your Costanza wallet days are over.
Machined aluminum, silicone band, zero bulk. Holds your cards and cash; nothing more. Tough, sleek, front-pocket ready.
Minimalism done right. Get it here.
🛒 WHAT ELSE WE’RE EYING UP
» CAP Bumper Plates 260lb for $260 bucks
» Cabin Fever: Enchanting Cabins, Shacks, and Hideaways
» Walking Pad Under Desk Treadmill
DAD BOD
Peptides, Explained
You’ve probably seen peptides popping up in gym chats and anti-aging ads. So… what the heck are they?
Quick take:
Peptides are short chains of amino acids. Basically, baby proteins that tell your body to do stuff like build muscle, heal faster, or firm up skin. Some are legit (used medically for recovery and hormone support). Others are overhyped TikTok snake oil.
For dads:
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Curious about recovery or joint support? Talk to a doc before jumping in.
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Skip the sketchy “research only” sites. Regulation’s still loose.
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No peptide beats solid sleep, good protein, and consistent lifting.
Want more? Listen to this Huberman Lab discussing the benefits and risks of peptides here.
THE MOVE
Don’t fix it. Watch them figure it out.
This week’s focus: Step back when your kid’s stuck. Let them wrestle with the problem instead of rescuing them.
In case you missed it…
The folks at PaleoValley make some damn good meat sticks. Real beef from small American farms, raised right and naturally fermented.
My kids have been crushing them, so I had to restock. They’re hooking the Dad Day crew up with 15% off your first order. Get ‘em here.
JUNK DRAWER
» Michelada Steak Recipe
» 6 Ways To Revive a Dying Friendship
» The Key to Your Child’s Happiness?
DAD HUMOR
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