Weighted vests have been creeping into more of my workouts lately. Morning runs. Garage circuits. Even quick backyard laps with the kids. It is an easy way to crank up the intensity without adding more time, which is a win for any dad trying to fit fitness into real life.

But here’s the thing. I didn’t want to spend $140 on a top-tier weighted vest before I even knew if I would stick with it. I just needed something simple to get the rhythm down. Something that would let me test the waters before committing to a legit Ruck (we see you GoRuck).

That is what led me to the Cross101 20lb Weighted Vest. Current price: about $36. And honestly, it surprised me.

First Impressions

The vest showed up fast, and the setup took seconds. No weird adjustments. No over-engineered buckles. Just a straightforward vest that fits well, feels stable, and does exactly what it is supposed to do.

The weight is fixed, which makes it ideal for anyone who just wants a grab-and-go vest for runs or quick conditioning sessions.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dad Day (@itsdadday)

How It Performs

For a budget piece of gear, it checks every box:

  • Comfortable enough for shorter runs and metcons.

  • Doesn’t bounce more than expected.

  • Sturdy stitching that feels like it will last.

  • No hot spots or rubbing that makes you want to toss it mid-workout.

If you are starting out with weighted training, twenty pounds is a sweet spot. Enough resistance to make basic movements harder, but not something that wrecks your body on day one.

The Best Part

There is really nothing bad to say about it. At thirty-six bucks, the Cross101 vest delivers ridiculous value. It is the perfect starter vest for dads who want to build some extra grit into their workouts without committing to the higher-end stuff right away.

When you are ready to level up and spend more, go for it. But if you want something that lets you start today, this is the move.

Who This Vest Is For

  • Dads getting into weighted vest training.

  • Runners who want a simple way to increase load.

  • Anyone building a garage gym on a budget.

  • Beginners who do not want to overthink it.

Final Takeaway

If you are looking for the most cost-effective way to add a weighted vest to your routine, the Cross101 20lb vest is a no-brainer. It is simple, comfortable, and crazy affordable. For dads building momentum in their fitness, this vest is the perfect first step.

Get it here.

If you want more dad-tested gear reviews, sign up for Dad Day and follow along as we build stronger dads in real life.

We came across this video on IG the other day. Two guys talking about what actually turns boys into men and men into stronger men. Not motivational fluff, not chest-thumping. Real stuff. The stuff you feel in your gut.

Scott Galloway, who talks like your brutally honest uncle who happens to teach at NYU. Chris Williamson, the ex-club promoter turned philosopher-podcaster who has made self-development cool without making it cringe.

Different lanes. Same take. Men grow through risk. The right kinds. The kinds we avoid as adults because life gets comfortable.

And as dads, this hit a nerve. Our kids are watching how we deal with risk. Not the big dramatic stuff. The daily stuff.

Watch the Video

Why This Conversation Matters for Dads

Somewhere between your first paycheck and your first kid, life gets padded. You stop doing things that scare you a little. You play for safe decisions, safe routines, safe circles. Before you know it, you are living the same year on repeat.

Galloway and Williamson basically say: that is how men shrink.

The fix is simple. Put yourself in places that stretch you. Not crazy risk. Just uncomfortable growth.

And your kids notice. More than you think.

The Big Idea

Galloway kicks things off with a strong hit. Young men should intentionally walk into rooms where they feel outmatched. Better schools. Better jobs. Better people. Go where you are slightly unqualified and grow into the version of you who belongs there.

Williamson adds that you really are the average of the five people closest to you. Not just your friends but also the voices you let into your earbuds.

For dads, this is a quiet reminder. Kids copy what they see. If you only choose safe rooms, they will too.

The Process: The Risks That Build Men

These are the hits from the convo. Think of them as reps you can actually do.

1. Get into rooms where you feel behind

Not because you like feeling behind. Because it forces you to level up.

2. Choose high-character friends

Not rich guys. Not impressive guys. Men you genuinely admire. The kind who make you want to be better.

3. Be the person who lifts others

There is a study in the video. Turns out high school popularity was about who made others feel good, not who had the best jawline or fastest 40. Appreciation is a superpower.

4. Train confidence like a skill

Compliments. Conversations. Taking small chances. Williamson calls it evidence. Confidence comes from doing the thing a little before you feel ready.

The Sauce

A few things the video hints at, even if it does not say them outright:

  • Initiate instead of waiting for permission

  • Surround yourself with men who sharpen you

  • Use podcasts, books, mentors as your “five friends”

  • Treat relationships like training partners

These are small, repeatable acts. They build character the same way steady workouts build strength.

The Takeaway

Risk is not a one-time act. It is a muscle. It grows from small, daily decisions. Every time you choose the harder conversation, the scarier opportunity, the uncomfortable room, you build a little more confidence.

Your kids do not need you to climb Everest. They need to see you stretch. They need to see you try. They need to see you get uncomfortable on purpose.

That is how men grow. And that is how dads raise kids who are not afraid of life. Be the kind of man who keeps walking toward the hard things. Not to show off. To grow. Your kids will feel that energy. They will copy it. And that might be the most important thing you pass down.

Every December, dads across America transform into a strange hybrid creature: part logistics coordinator, part gift-wrapping intern, part sugar-intake referee, part human fire hazard plugging in way too many lights.

It’s festive.
It’s chaotic.
It’s… a lot.

And here’s the kicker: despite the carols and cookies, the holidays are one of the most stressful stretches of the year for parents. Your sleep takes a hit. Your patience thins. Your gut feels like it’s been replaced by a Yule log.

But holiday stress doesn’t have to steamroll you. Most of the chaos is predictable — which means you can get ahead of it like the seasoned dad you are.

This is your Dad Bod Holiday Survival Playbook: simple, dad-friendly interventions to keep you steady, sane, and maybe even festive.

THE REAL REASONS DADS GET STRESSED THIS TIME OF YEAR

Let’s call out the culprits:

  • Sleep debt disguised as “late-night gift prep.”

  • Work deadlines that refuse to chill for the holidays.

  • Kids hopped up on peppermint bark.

  • A social calendar that requires four clones and one teleportation device.

  • Silent mental load items (“Did I move the elf?” “Where’s the wrapping paper?” “Do we have batteries??”).

It’s not that dads can’t handle stress — it’s that we try to brute-force our way through it.

This year? We’re doing it smarter.

via GIPHY

1. Go to bed when the kids go to bed — once a week.
Not forever. Just one night. It’s a hard reset for the system.

2. Take a 10-minute “movement break” in the living room.
Push-ups, a few air squats, a stretch that looks like you’re summoning ancient spirits. Whatever loosens the holiday tension.

3. Swap one doom-scroll session for an actual book chapter.
Doesn’t need to be deep. A thriller, a dad memoir, even a cookbook counts. Your brain will thank you.

4. Give the kids a “yes window.”
Ten minutes where you say yes to whatever reasonable thing they want to play. It weirdly lowers everyone’s stress — including yours.

5. Build a mini ritual: hot drink + 5 minutes of silence.
Tea, cocoa, coffee, whatever. You don’t need a full meditation practice — just one quiet moment that’s yours.

6. Step outside once a day — no phone.
Cold air + zero notifications = calm dad reboot.

7. Do one thing that makes Future You’s life easier.
Lay out tomorrow’s clothes. Clean the sink. Set the coffee pot. Tiny prep, huge payoff.

8. Plan a small family outing with a low bar for success.
A neighborhood lights walk. A drive with holiday music. A 20-minute park stop. Fun doesn’t need production value.

9. Give yourself permission to enjoy a holiday treat — guilt-free.
Cookies aren’t the enemy. Stress is.

10. Delegate one task you normally hoard.
“Hey, can you wrap two gifts?” “Can you grab batteries?” Hero dads don’t shoulder everything.

11. Text a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.
A simple “thinking of you” breaks the holiday isolation loop.

12. Rewatch something nostalgic with your partner.
Comfort TV is a mood-regulator disguised as entertainment.

13. Put your phone in another room for 30 minutes.
The fastest way to de-stress is to stop being a notification butler.

14. Volunteer somewhere.
Do some good this holiday season with your family. Give to a family in need. Make a meal. Show your kids the importance of giving back.

THE BIG IDEA: DON’T TRY TO “HAVE THE PERFECT HOLIDAY.”

The perfect holiday doesn’t exist. But the present dad does.

Your kids won’t remember how organized you were, how flawless the tree looked, or whether you baked the cookies from scratch or from a tube you panic-bought at 9 p.m.

  • They’ll remember the vibe.
  • The playtime.
  • The cozy moments.
  • The dad who wasn’t sprinting around like an overcaffeinated elf.

So this season, your mission is simple:

Stay steady. Stay human. Stay dad.

Everything else is decoration.

The Busy Dad Running Plan

Here is the truth every dad eventually learns the hard way:

Life gets louder. Your free time shrinks. Your energy gets divided between kids, career, and keeping the house from turning into a feral wasteland.

So workouts? They become aspirational. Like owning a boat or having a garage without Amazon boxes.

But here is the hack most dads miss:

Running is the only fitness plan that bends around your chaos instead of fighting it.

You do not need a gym.
You do not need a babysitter.
You do not need perfect weather, perfect motivation, or a perfect schedule.

You just need shoes, a sidewalk, and 20 minutes.

And the return on investment is huge.

Why Running Works for Busy Dads

Let’s keep it simple.

1. Running is portable dad therapy.

Every dad feels the grind: bills, tantrums, deadlines, dishes, repeat. Running is a pressure valve. It lowers anxiety, boosts mood, and gives your brain the same clarity you get on a long drive with music on and zero kids yelling in the back.

2. Running stacks wins fast.

You can feel noticeably fitter in three to four weeks. Your heart adapts quickly. Your legs remember. And the confidence boost from being consistent for two weeks is unreal.

3. Running fits between kid chaos.

Got 18 minutes before daycare pickup? Run.
Kid fell asleep early? Run.
Spouse takes the kids for a quick errand? Run.

You cannot do that with CrossFit or a fitness class you keep telling yourself you will start on Monday.

4. Running makes you a better dad.

Calmer dads are better dads. Fitter dads are more patient. And kids copy what we model. Running shows them what it looks like to chase goals instead of coasting.

The Busy Dad Running Plan (The No Excuses Version)

This is not a marathon plan. Although if you want to know why marathon training becomes jet fuel for dads, we break it down here.

This is the simple routine any dad can follow.

Three runs a week. That is it.

Run 1: The Reset Run (15 to 20 minutes)

Slow. Conversational. No pressure. Just move.

Run 2: The Dad Strength Run (20 to 30 minutes)

Warm up for five minutes.
Alternate one minute fast and one minute easy for eight to ten cycles.
Then cool down for five minutes.

This one gives you the feeling that you actually trained without wrecking your legs.

Run 3: The Weekend Longish Run (30 to 45 minutes)

Not long long. Just longer than your weekday runs.
This is the one that builds real endurance and the quiet pride that carries into the rest of the weekend.

Rules for Busy Dad Sanity

  • If you miss a run, move on. No guilt.

  • If you are tired, slow down.

  • If life explodes, do ten minutes and call it a win.

  • If you want to quit, picture your kid watching you finish the last block.

Where Runna Fits In (Zero Pressure)

You do not need an app. But most dads need one thing: fewer decisions. Between family, work, school drop-offs, and remembering which kid has which practice, your brain is overloaded. Decision fatigue kills fitness.

That is why when I trained for a sub-3 marathon, I used Runna. It creates a plan based on your goals, syncs to your watch, adjusts your training, and tells you exactly what pace to hit. It removes the mental load. You open the app, press start, and go.

Dad Day readers can try it free for two weeks with code DADDAY, and you can read more about why structure helps dads stay motivated here. 

The Big Mindset Shift

Running is not about getting shredded or hitting personal records.

It is about showing your kids what it looks like when a man:

  • keeps promises to himself

  • protects his mental health

  • chases goals even when life is insane

  • stays in the arena

That is what they remember. That is what they copy.

Your Next Run Starts Today

Do not complicate this.

  • Put your shoes by the door.
  • Pick a 20 minute window.
  • Run slow enough to smile.

Tomorrow you will feel like a better version of the dad your kids already think you are.

Join the Dad Day Strava Group
Running hits different when you know other dads are grinding too. Come track your miles, share your wins, and stay accountable with the Dad Day crew.
👉 Join here.

Meet Zack Telander — Austin-based musician, new dad, and the kind of guy who’ll rip a guitar solo at night and crush a diaper change at sunrise. You can find him on Instagram (@zack_telander) and hear his music on Spotify (search “Telander” and turn it up).

His take on fatherhood is honest, grounded, and absolutely on-brand for the Rad Dad universe.

The Dad Who Had to Slow Down to Keep Up

Zack has lived most of his adult life in go-mode. Music careers don’t care about “balance.” They’re fast, unpredictable, and built on momentum.

Then Charlie arrived.

The hardest part for him wasn’t the sleepless nights, although those are real. It was learning to slow down, to let the world shrink to the size of a baby’s hand gripping his finger.

Funny thing. The hardest part became the best part.

Every morning he goes on a walk with his wife, daughter, and their dog. No rushing. No forcing. Just a young family moving through the world together. He told us it’s the one thing he’d happily do forever.

That’s the type of dad moment you remember when you’re old.

Duty Over Balance

A lot of dads talk about “balance.” Zack laughs at that idea.

He told us, “I don’t. It’s my duty to be a good dad and husband first.” No life hacks. No elaborate systems. Just simple duty and excitement to show up for his family. And when things get overwhelming, he returns to the things that reset him: playing guitar, singing, and lifting. The essentials.

He also protects two non-negotiables:
• Alone time
• Real dates with your partner

Quick Hits From Zack

Hardest part of parenting:
Slowing down. And yes, the sleep.

Most rewarding part:
Those morning family walks.

Wish he knew earlier:
Kids bring emotional balance.

Best advice he’s gotten:
“Your kids are watching everything you do. So do right.”
(A perfect Dad Wisdom fit. )

Typical day:
Up around 6:30, diaper, bottle, walk, play, nap. Repeat until bedtime.

Reset button:
Guitar, singing, the gym.

Flying solo hobbies:
Guinness, wings, YouTube. A legendary trio.

Why This Q&A Stuck With Us

Zack is the blueprint for the modern dad. Creative but grounded. Driven but present. Intentional without being precious about it. He is not chasing balance. He is not chasing perfection (we’ve talked about that one. Progress beats perfect every time. ) He is chasing presence.

Dad Day Takeaway

Slow down. Walk with your people. Keep one ritual that reminds you who you are outside of diapers and bottles. Remember your kids are watching. Let them see a life that’s worth following.

Want more of Zack? Follow him on IG (@zack_telander) and stream his music on Spotify. Perfect soundtrack for that early morning stroller walk. 🎧👶🏼

Dig this? You’ll probably like our newsletters, too.

Get our laid-back M/W/F emails → dadday.co/subscribe

Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday dinner. It’s the biggest, richest, most chaotic plate of the year.

And dads know the truth: the Thanksgiving meal is a full-contact sport. You don’t just show up. You prepare. You strategize. You pace yourself like a man who wants to enjoy the feast and still be able to stand afterward.

This guide is your playbook for eating smarter, feasting harder, and walking away feeling like a king instead of collapsing on the couch and waking up hours later wondering what century it is.

The Warm-Up

Every dad has his own Thanksgiving traditions. Some wear elastic-waistband pants as a joke. Some hover near the kitchen like a scout evaluating the lineup. Some mentally assign point values to each dish based on past performance.

But behind all that is one truth. You’re gearing up for the biggest meal of the year. And if you want to enjoy every bite without self-destructing, the warm-up matters.

The Game Plan

This is how you build the foundation for an elite performance at the table.

1. Eat Breakfast (Yes, You Must)

Skipping breakfast before a massive meal sounds logical, but it only guarantees a crash-and-burn moment later. A small, protein-forward breakfast keeps your metabolism awake and prevents the shovel-everything-in disaster.

2. Hydrate Like You’re Carb Loading

Your stomach can’t perform miracles when it’s dry as drywall. Water equals staying power. Electrolytes equal dad superpowers.

3. Plate Strategy: Respect the Order of Operations

Thanksgiving dinner is a buffet of temptation. But pros don’t panic. Pros prioritize.

Start with:

  • Turkey or ham

  • A solid stuffing scoop

  • A reliable potato

Then add the chaos:

  • Experimental sides

  • The dish that appears once a year with no confirmed creator

  • Anything involving marshmallows

Lead with the hits. Follow with the wildcards.

4. Portion Pacing: Save Room for the Chapter Two Dishes

Every family has that one sleeper-hit side dish. You don’t know which one it is until someone says, “Oh wow, who made this?”

Leave runway for surprises. Champions adapt.

The Mid-Game Check-In

This is the moment between plates, between football plays, and between rounds of friendly trash talk when you must listen to your body.

Around 3 p.m. the stuffing wall arrives.
You’ll feel it.
You’ll fear it.
You’ll consider surrender.

Instead:

  • Switch to water

  • Stand up

  • Take a short walk around the house

  • Avoid couches at all costs

You can go back for seconds. But once the wall hits, a third wind is basically a myth.

via GIPHY

The Post-Meal Recovery Protocol

Here’s where you win the day.

Forget the recliner. Forget immediate dessert. Forget resting your eyes. That path leads straight to the classic Dad Nap, a black hole of time that ends with you waking up sweaty and confused.

Take the walk. The famous 20-minute post-meal stroll is the dad version of cold water therapy.

It:

  • Stabilizes blood sugar

  • Helps digestion

  • Clears your head

  • Keeps you awake long enough to enjoy the evening

If you want to feel human by 8 p.m., this is your secret weapon.

The Leftover Strategy: The Real Championship

Thanksgiving leftovers are not leftovers. They are assets waiting to be deployed.

Build the Elite Sandwich

Mandatory components:

  • Dark-meat turkey

  • Stuffing as the structural support

  • Cranberry sauce for acidity

  • Light gravy drizzle

  • A roll or bread with backbone

This is sandwich architecture. Take pride.

Reheat Like a Pro

  • Turkey: Add a splash of broth or water and cover

  • Stuffing: Pan-fry for crispy revival

  • Potatoes: Add butter until your ancestors nod in approval

Know What Doesn’t Deserve Fridge Space

If the festive quinoa salad was ignored today, it will be ignored tomorrow. Protect your shelf space.

The Takeaway

Thanksgiving isn’t about stuffing yourself to the point of regret. It’s about enjoying the meal with intention, joy, and enough stamina to tuck the kids into bed without groaning.

You don’t need monk-level discipline. Just smart pacing, a little strategy, and a walk that will save your evening.

“Eat like a king. Move like a man who wants to feel human by 8 p.m.”

Trying to raise good kids without losing your mind? Same.

Get our laid-back M/W/F newsletters → dadday.co/subscribe

There is a special kind of courage required to do the holidays with your in-laws. Whether you’re packing up the kids and staying in their guest room or you’re hosting them in your house where the thermostat mysteriously moves on its own.

Not the “charge into battle” kind. More like the “stay steady while everyone has deeply held opinions about your turkey carving technique” kind.

But here’s the thing: every dad who has spent more than 72 hours in shared holiday space with in-laws knows a secret.

The in-laws aren’t necessarily the challenge. It’s the holiday machinery surrounding them.

It’s the perfect storm of expectations, personalities, traditions, and casseroles that should have been retired long ago.

So here’s your survival kit.

Step 1: Know the Mission Before You Deploy

Holiday gatherings are not just family time. They’re also diplomatic operations.

Your job is not to win the day. Your job is to get home intact without starting a generational feud.

Pick one mission:

  • Keep your partner happy.

  • Keep the kids from swinging ornaments like medieval weapons.

  • Stay away from political conversations.

  • Avoid being tricked into “a quick project.”

That is your priority. Everything else is noise.

Step 2: Become a Ghost When Necessary

Every dad deserves a strategic disappearance.

Bathroom break. Checking on the kids. Taking out the trash. Retrieving something from the car (which may or may not exist).

You are not hiding. You are resetting. A dad who resets is a dad who keeps the peace.

Step 3: Find Your Role and Lean Into It

Every family has roles. You do not choose them; they choose you.

You might be:

  • The Grill Guy

  • The Tech Fixer

  • The Kid Wrangler

  • The Heavy-Lifting Specialist

  • The Person Who Understands Wi-Fi

  • The Tupperware Organizer

Own the role. A man with a clear job gets left alone. A man without one gets recruited for every chore imaginable.

Step 4: Master Emotional Judo

Your in-laws will make comments. Not malicious. Just… comments.

  • “He looks tired.”

  • “She’s very energetic.”

  • “We never did that with our kids.”

  • “Are you sure that’s how you do it?”

Old you tightens up. New you redirects the energy.

Smile. Nod. Say “Interesting.” Move on.

Peace preserved. No emotional bruising.

via GIPHY

Step 5: Use the Kids as Shields, Assets, or Distractions

Kids are your all-purpose social tools.

Need to exit a conversation?
“She wants to show you something!”

Need a moment alone?
“We’re going to check on the toys.”

Need to leave early?
“We’re approaching meltdown o’clock.”

Use the chaos wisely.

Step 6: Build Allies in the House

There is always someone running the same internal monologue as you.

The brother-in-law who’s also trying to survive. The cousin with a dry sense of humor. The aunt who hands out snacks and honesty. The dog.

Find them early. Form a silent alliance. You’re stronger together.

Step 7: Remember Why You’re There

This is the grounding moment.

Holidays are messy. Families are complicated. Someone will absolutely comment on your parenting.

But your kids are watching how you handle it.

They’re learning how to be part of a family. How to show up with grace. How to be steady when things get weird. You’re not just surviving the holidays. You’re modeling adulthood.

That’s the whole point. Godspeed.


Trying to raise good kids without losing your mind? Same.

Get our laid-back M/W/F newsletters → dadday.co/subscribe

If you’re a dad, you know the universal truth. At some point, everything in your garage will need to be cleaned. Leaves. Sawdust. Goldfish crackers that somehow made it into the toolbox. All of it ends up on the floor. So a good shop vac becomes less of a want and more of a survival tool.

We recently tested the Vacmaster Professional Beast, a budget friendly shop vac that promises serious power without taking up half your garage. This was a quick, real world test. No lab environment. Just a dad, a messy workspace, and a vac that claims to be a beast.

Spoiler. It actually is.

What We Liked

Strong suction without the noise tax
This thing moves debris with zero hesitation. For the price point, the suction power hits above its weight.

Built like it plans to stick around
Thick plastic. Solid wheels. Sturdy hose. It feels durable in the way dad gear should feel. You don’t want to baby a shop vac. You want to drag it across the garage and keep going.

Simple setup
Five minutes out of the box and you’re rolling. No head scratching or extra pieces hiding in the packaging.

Budget friendly performance
If you want commercial power without spending commercial cash, the Beast gets it done. It handles wet messes, dry messes, and the “I’ll get to that later” messes we all pretend aren’t there.

What Could Be Better

The smallest attachment could use a slightly wider opening. It gets the job done, but the narrow design makes it a little slower on tight cleanup jobs. Other than that, for ninety-nine bucks, it’s hard to complain. We dig it.

Final Dad Day Takeaway

The Vacmaster Beast is a legit pick for any dad who wants a tough, reliable shop vac that doesn’t drain the budget. Strong enough for DIY projects. Simple enough for everyday cleanup. Tough enough for whatever your kids spill next. Get it here. 

If you want a quick look at how it performs, check out our short review below.

Because nothing says “holiday bonding” like a pile of blankets, hot cocoa, and a film that keeps the kids smiling and lets Dad stay awake past the first act.

Not all Christmas movies are created equal. Some are pure magic. Others feel like punishment for sins you didn’t know you committed.

This is the Dad Day shortlist — films that deliver nostalgia, laughs, heart, and just enough chaos to feel like your actual living room in December.

1. Home Alone (1990)

The gold standard of Christmas chaos. Kids love the traps. Dads love imagining what they’d do with that kind of real estate and free time.

2. Elf (2003)

Will Ferrell in an elf suit = a perfect movie. One of the rare “everyone actually enjoys this” holiday picks.

3. The Polar Express (2004)

A Christmas serotonin boost engineered by Tom Hanks. Kids don’t notice the uncanny faces. They’re too locked into the magic.

4. The Santa Clause (1994)

Ah yes — the Tim Allen classic. The moment Tim Allen puts on the suit, you know you’re in for peak ’90s holiday comfort. A certified Christmas must-watch — and one that actually gets better as you get older.

5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Jim Carrey at full throttle. Loud, weird, colorful, and somehow still deeply wholesome.

6. Klaus (2019)

A modern masterpiece. Beautiful animation + big heart + genuinely smart writing.

7. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The best version of Dickens. Yes, better than the “serious” ones. Michael Caine acting like he’s in a Shakespeare play while surrounded by puppets = cinema.

8. Arthur Christmas (2011)

The most underrated Christmas movie of the last 20 years. If Santa had a logistics department, this is it.

9. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Slow, simple, classic. A perfect wind-down film after the sugar-high chaos of December.

10. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

Kurt Russell as Santa. A Santa who looks like he lifts and owns a motorcycle jacket. Kids love it. Dads respect it.

Bonus Picks for “One More Before Bed?”

  • Frosty the Snowman

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

  • Jingle Jangle

  • The Star (for younger kids)

The Dad Day Takeaway

Christmas movies aren’t just movies this time of year. They’re memory-makers. Couch-pile moments. Affordable holiday magic at a time when everything else costs triple.

And that’s the real gift.

Becoming a dad for the first time feels a little like standing under a fire hose labeled “parenting advice.” Books. Blogs. Well-meaning relatives who suddenly become experts.

But if you ask real dads who are in the trenches—or just made it out—you get something far better than textbook theory: hard-won, lived-in wisdom.

Based on a candid Slack thread from a group of dads swapping advice with a dad-to-be, here’s the distilled, no-BS, modern playbook.

1. Your Life Is About to Shift—Beautifully

One dad summed it up with a simple philosophy:
You spend years building your life, and parenthood is the moment you start giving your life away—in the best possible way.

That doesn’t mean losing yourself. It means aiming your energy differently. Every effort to make the environment better for your partner and baby is time well spent.

Fatherhood: the sacrifice that somehow refills your tank.

2. Forget Perfect—Focus on Presence

Dads kept repeating this theme: you learn as you go. No matter how many books you read, every baby writes their own script.

Yes, prepare. But also accept that:

  • Plans break.

  • Routines fall apart.

  • Sleep is a myth (for a bit).

  • You will laugh at how chaotic it gets.

Your job isn’t to know everything. It’s to show up, watch closely, respond with love, and recalibrate tomorrow.

3. Keep It Stupid Simple: Feed, Change, Sleep

Multiple dads said they were drowning in info until someone told them the core mission:

  1. Keep the baby fed

  2. Change their diapers

  3. Figure out sleep (eventually)

Everything else is noise.

Parenting a newborn isn’t hard because of complexity—it’s hard because of the relentless simplicity. High-stakes boredom, as one dad put it.

4. Build a Routine You Can Fall Back On

Not a down-to-the-minute military schedule—just a rhythm.

Newborns are tiny chaos goblins, so routines get disrupted constantly. But having a baseline pattern gives you something to return to when your brain feels like pudding.

Pro tip from veteran dads:
Trade nights so at least one parent gets real sleep. It’s a game-changer.

5. Your Partner Needs You in a Whole New Way

A common refrain: the best thing you can do early on is support your partner like it’s your full-time job.

  • Change every diaper you reasonably can

  • Handle night feeds when possible

  • Advocate for her in the hospital

  • Encourage rest—and protect it

  • Shoulder the mental load where she can’t

This isn’t heroism. It’s partnership. And it pays emotional dividends for decades.

6. If You Can Afford Help, Take It

Several dads swore by hiring a night doula—even for a few nights a week.

Not everyone can swing it, but if you do have the resources, experienced hands in those first 4–8 weeks can reduce stress dramatically. They teach you the essentials and give you something priceless: sleep.

7. Ask for Help (Seriously. Ask.)

Friends and family want to help—but they don’t know how.

Be explicit:

  • “Can you come hold the baby while I nap?”

  • “Can you bring dinner?”

  • “Can you sit with the baby so I can shower?”

Small gestures feel huge in the newborn fog.

8. Capture Everything—It Goes Fast

New dads agreed:
Take pictures constantly.

One day you’re rocking a seven-pound burrito. The next, they’re walking. The next, they’re in kindergarten. It’s wild how quickly your tiny human becomes a full person.

Your camera roll becomes a time machine.

9. Listen to Your Instincts

Modern parenting throws a mountain of opinions at you.

But veteran dads were clear:

  • You’ll know your baby better than you think

  • You and your partner’s instincts matter

  • Doctors are helpful, but not omniscient

  • If something feels off, call—guilt-free

You’ll develop a gut for this stuff fast.

10. Don’t Miss the Magic

New dads kept returning to one emotional truth:

The newborn days are brutal…but also unbelievably beautiful.

Skin-to-skin time. The first sleepy smile. Their tiny hand wrapping your finger. Your partner seeing you as a dad for the first time.

More than one dad admitted tearing up just remembering it.

Final Takeaway for the First-Time Dad

Fatherhood doesn’t start the day the baby arrives. It starts the moment you decide to show up with intention. So prepare a little. Laugh a lot. Embrace the chaos. Support your partner. Capture the good moments. Forgive the tough ones.

And remember this:

You’re not becoming a different person.
You’re becoming a deeper version of yourself.

Welcome to the best adventure of your life.

Want real talk from real dads? Join our private Slack community at www.dadday.co/community and plug into the best dad group on the internet.