Episode 255 - Collecting Penguins, Noticing the Good That Our Kids Do and Not Just the Bad - Rethinking our Kids Scorecard

Instead of focusing mostly on mistakes, frustration, and correction, this episode encourages fathers to notice, name, and celebrate the good things their kids do every day.

In this episode, Dave shares a powerful story heard on another podcast about a father who began collecting penguins as a visual reminder to notice what he likes more than what he doesn’t. The story centers on a child who loved penguins, and on a parenting shift that happened when the father realized his son was getting most of his attention for negative behavior, while good behavior often went unnoticed. That insight becomes the heart of the conversation here: children can end up learning that acting out gets attention, while doing well gets silence.

Dave connects that idea to everyday fatherhood, pointing out how easy it is to keep an invisible scorecard of what kids get wrong while forgetting to count their wins, kindness, effort, and growth. He shares a real-time moment with his granddaughter to show how quickly encouragement can change the tone of a child’s day. The episode also offers practical ways to apply the message, including catching kids doing something right, offering more positive comments than corrections, creating a personal reminder symbol, and keeping track of the good moments so they are not lost.

Key takeaway: If you want your kids to feel seen for who they are becoming, not just corrected for what they do wrong, start collecting your own penguins and make noticing the good a daily habit

https://www.jayshetty.me

https://danielamenmd.com/

https://pod.link/1450994021/episode/OGIyYzhmOGQtNjkxMS00YzlmLWIxMGQtYjMwNTAwNWI2NGNk

___

https://dadspace.ca

Leave Dave a voice message here! Tell me where you are listening from!?

https://www.speakpipe.com/HelloDave

music provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 254 - What Passion Really Means, Redefining Passion for Family, Partner, and Purpose

As dads, we wear many hats — provider, partner, leader, teacher. But somewhere between school lunches, late nights, and chasing deadlines, our sense of passion can fade into the background. February, with its focus on love and connection, is a good time to ask: What does passion mean for me now — as a father, as a man, as a builder of something bigger than myself?

We often think of passion as enthusiasm — a burst of energy, a strong feeling, maybe even love for something. But its roots tell a deeper story. The Latin pati means “to suffer” or “to endure.” True passion isn’t just excitement; it’s commitment through struggle. It’s caring enough to stay when things get hard.

For us dads, that’s the core of what we live daily:

1. Passion for our kids means showing up when we’re tired, listening when it’s tough, and loving through imperfection.
2. Passion for our partner means choosing connection and effort, even when life feels chaotic.
3. Passion for our family means enduring the tough seasons together — knowing that the payoff is belonging, growth, and legacy.
4. Passion for our work or calling means pushing through fear and fatigue because we believe in the impact we’re making.

The truth is, passion will test you. It comes with sacrifice — late nights, doubts, and choices that stretch your patience and pride. But it’s also where meaning lives. When we embrace that kind of passion, we don’t just build careers or families; we build stories worth passing on.

So, if something matters deeply — your family, your marriage, your craft — expect it to demand something of you. That’s not failure. That’s proof it’s worth it.

___

https://dadspace.ca

music provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 253 - March DadNess - Building A Championship Culture – Playing the Long Game

In this March Dadness finale, the conversation closes the five part series with a focus on building a championship culture at home and playing the long game as a dad. Using the language of sports as a frame, the episode argues that the real legacy is not the trophy or the scoreboard, but the character, confidence, and resilience our children carry into adulthood.

It invites parents to rethink what winning looks like in the family by valuing kindness, effort, integrity, perseverance, teamwork, and emotional honesty over appearances or short term results. The episode also challenges dads to examine their own modeling, since kids learn more from how parents handle disappointment, conflict, stress, gratitude, and faith than from what they are told.

A championship home, it says, is built on a firm foundation and should prepare children to become secure, grounded adults who can stand tall long after they leave the house. The practical invitation is simple: choose one core family value, talk about it, post it somewhere visible, and reinforce it through words and actions.

Key takeaway: the best families are remembered not for temporary wins, but for the culture they build and the adults they raise.

___

https://dadspace.ca

music provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270