When my wife, Nancie, and I bought our first house in 2006, it needed everything. We basically purchased a floor plan and a cracked driveway. Back then, decisions were simpler. We picked materials from a few options at three stores. Now, thanks to Amazon, we...
My co-hosts and I just recorded our 95th episode of the All Pro Dad Podcast. We want each episode to be relevant and give dads go-and-dos they can actually pull off in the real world. We are not interested in piling on more impossible advice...
I was speaking at a marriage conference, walking down the hall of a hotel, when I overheard a couple arguing in their room. I may or may not have slowed down. OK, I stopped to listen, but just long enough to hear a woman yell,...
As a guy who can occasionally forget to think before he speaks, I’ve learned that sometimes, silence is golden with my kids. Silence can keep me from saying things I later regret and give me time to think through a better response. And yes, some...
In a marriage and family counseling class, my professor walked in holding a baby mobile. "Families work like this," he said. "Each person has their place, their rhythm. Add someone new (like a son-in-law), and things shift out of balance until the person finds their...
Have you ever said any of these classic dad sayings? "Don’t make me turn this car around." "Put on a sweater if you're cold." "I’m not just talking to hear my own voice." "Money doesn’t grow on trees." "Don’t spend it all in one place."...
At the gym recently, I saw two teenage boys “working out.” One was loudly swearing; the other was laughing but just along for the ride. When the manager confronted them, he asked both to come into his office. I watched through the glass office walls....
I’ve started regularly, but cautiously, using ChatGPT. I realize there’s plenty of debate about AI, and there should be. But one day, it hit me how much I like the way it relationally responds to my questions. It’s bizarre to be so personally encouraged by...
Some of us are missing an opportunity for joy in marriage—to rejoice with our spouses. I often see married people choosing the opposite. I see spouses responding to their spouse’s excitement with eyerolls, disinterest, or outright contempt. Some spouses can be killjoys. And the thing...
I have learned a lot about being open and honest in marriage from my friends Payden and Lane. In addition to raising two young boys, Payden and Lane own and personally run a gym. Payden said she used to get so frustrated with how often...