Dad to the Future

We’re back! We talk about 2019, and plans for the New Year.

In this no-frills episode, John and Dennis catch up after having not talked in a few weeks. We talk about what’s going on in our families’ lives, getting back into theater, and going to therapy.

Dennis and John talk about the controversial Gillette commercial, toxic masculinity, and how it’s manly to have good hygiene.

Dennis and John talk about sleep training.

Dennis and John talk New Year’s Resolutions. John and his daughter, Ireland, are jumping in some really cold water for a good cause, the Special Olympics. Donate to Team Mickaroni and Freeze.

Happy Holidays from Dad to the Future! In this episode, Dennis and John talk about when they stopped believing in Santa Claus – spoiler alert: Dennis never did; how John and his wife handled Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny with their girls, and Dennis wonders how him and Betsy will present … Continue reading S2E3 – Believing in Santa Claus →

Dennis and John talk about three things from their own pasts and the past few years that they would change if they could go back in time. The conversation takes some weird turns.

John Mick joins the podcast as a regular co-host of Season 2. In this episode, We talk about the perennial controversy over the holiday song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, and use it as a jumping off point to talk about consent – how we learned about it growing up, and how we hope to teach … Continue reading S2E1 – What These Two Dads Think of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” →

We learned a valuable lesson these last couple of weeks about our son’s screen time.

This is our son’s second Halloween, but the first one he really grasped something special was happening, and he got into the spirit of “How’Ween”, as he calls it. This is a fast and dirty episode in a week that’s been busy for me and my family. For photos and video and more, check out … Continue reading S1E12 – Harrison’s First Post-Halloween Crash →

THE CONNORS recently debuted on ABC, a Roseanne-less spinoff of Roseanne. Her character was killed off, but the show moves forward, with the family coping with their loss. In this episode, I discuss how the series 8 SIMPLE RULES did something similar in 2003, when its star, John Ritter, passed away, and how I viewed … Continue reading S1E11 – 8 Simple Rules for Killing Off a Sitcom Character →

This week, I’m excited to have a conversation with one of my oldest childhood friends, Adam Funkhouser. Adam is the dad of two young boys on the autism spectrum. We talk about a wide range of topics, including his family getting that first diagnosis, and his becoming involved in a local support group – first … Continue reading S1E10 – Being a Special Needs Dad, and Helping Others on That Journey →

This week, I take a break from some of the recent serious topics and dad talk, and nerd out with three lesser-known time travel movies that deserve your attention, plus a mention of one I think is overrated.

The hearings about Brett Kavanaugh and the sexual assault allegations against him have dominated the news this last week. In this episode, I discuss how I think about this story in regards to my son, and how his mom and I are working to teach about the concepts of bodily autonomy from a young age. … Continue reading S1E8 – Teaching Kids about Bodily Autonomy →

This week, I have a conversation with Alan Hawkins, Seattle husband, father of two daughters and stand up comedian. We talk about how he uses Twitter to hone his jokes, living with what he calls “resting angry biker face”, and how he trolls well-meaning but overbearing strangers who give unsolicited parenting advice. You can check … Continue reading S1E7 – Living with “Resting Angry Biker Face” as a Dad →

Last week, a family member told me she was forever severing ties with me and my wife and son over a social media post I made late last year, which she had just seen for the first time. How do you go forward when a tie to your past has been severed?

In this episode, I discuss the time travel story trope “San Dimas Time”, and how it relates to my own anxiety and struggle to stay in the present moment.

I have a wide-ranging conversation with John, one of his oldest childhood friends. John has two daughters – one in middle school and one just entering high school. He shares stories about starting a family in his early-20s, and what it was like chaperoning the dance where his oldest daughter had her first dance with … Continue reading S1E4 – Your Daughter’s First Dance →

In this episode, I have a conversation with my friend, Sam Fain. At the time of this recording, Sam was just a few days into being a new dad, and we share and compare stories about witnessing their children’s birth, sleepless nights, and how trying to soothe a baby is like fighting a borg. Sam … Continue reading S1E3 – Time Capsule for a New Dad →

I talk about a key scene from the 2003 Audrey Niffenegger novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and how it inspires me to think about the legacy I leaves behind for my son. It may be obvious, but there are some major spoilers for the novel (and its 2009 movie adaptation). If you haven’t read the book … Continue reading S1E2 – Not Continuously Dead →