Fourteen episodes in, still no editor, still no script. Just Adam and Ben catching up on a few weeks apart and diving into the topic every dad eventually has to figure out: how to navigate family and in-laws once you’ve got kids of your own.

What This Episode’s About

Adam and Ben trade Fourth of July stories (lake life vs. HOA fireworks fines), run through the Ethos Life Insurance read, and shout out the DG Mindset podcast before getting into the real topic: in-laws, generational parenting differences, and the moment every new parent hits where family visits stop being simple.

The Big Takeaways

  • You get to choose what you keep. Ben’s framing on family patterns: once you have kids, “you have two options. You can teach what you were taught, or you can do what you want to do.” Nobody’s obligated to repeat the playbook they grew up with.
  • Give your family grace, not judgment. Adam’s take on why in-law friction happens: “Everyone was raised differently… this all stemmed from a generational thing. They were raised a certain way, and then they raised their kids that way.” Understanding the “why” makes the friction easier to sit with.
  • Communication beats silent frustration. Adam’s bottom line on keeping the peace: “Being vocal and sharing how you feel is numero uno for a healthy relationship with the in-laws.”
  • Nothing prepares you, and that’s okay. Dad Day’s own newsletter poll backed this up — the top answer to “what would you tell a new dad” was some version of “nothing will prepare you.” Adam: “In your mind you feel like you have it all figured out. And then everything changes, man.”
  • Support systems matter more than people realize. Ben’s honest admission after his first family trip without backup: “That’s the game changer for us, just having someone to hand off to. If you don’t have that, you’re kind of toast.”

Best Quote of the Episode

“Everybody wants everybody to win. It’s just some people have a different way of getting to the win. Everybody loves each other. That’s the foundation, that’s all that matters.” — Ben, on in-laws

“Love is the glue, man.” — Adam

Listen to Episode 14

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Join the Conversation

Got a story about navigating in-laws, or a family tradition you’re passing down to your own kids? Drop it in the Dad Day Slack or call it in to 833-DAD-SHOW. We might play it on the next episode.