Episode 277 - The Need for More Spaces Dedicated to Men and Boys, Teenage Suicide and a Parent's Regrets with Paul Darling

In this episode, the guest shares a deeply personal reflection on fatherhood, family, grief, and the lessons he has carried through a military life and a long season of loss. Speaking from the Cumberland Plateau in East Tennessee, he talks about raising three adult children across different places and seasons of service, and how constant moving shaped his family while also making it hard to build lasting roots.

At the center of the conversation is the death of his youngest son, which he describes as the event that changed his family forever. He opens up about the pain, the guilt, and the questions that still remain, especially around whether a different environment, more support, or stronger peer connections might have changed the outcome. He also reflects on the warning signs of suicide, the limits of what parents can see, and the lasting impact tragedy has on a marriage and the rest of the family.

The episode also explores broader ideas about boys, men, discipline, responsibility, and the value of all male spaces, sports, scouting, and other environments where young people can be challenged and learn resilience. He argues that boys need opportunities to fail, grow, and earn confidence through effort rather than praise alone, and he connects that belief to his own regrets about where he feels he fell short as a father.

Throughout the discussion, he returns to themes of stoicism, truth telling, gratitude, and the danger of teaching envy, anger, and empty comparison instead of thankfulness and perseverance. He also speaks about marriage, faith, family, and the belief that real happiness is found in commitment, responsibility, and working through hardship rather than escaping it.

This episode is a candid and emotional reminder that children need both love and challenge, and that helping boys grow into healthy men means teaching them how to face difficulty, accept truth, and keep going when life gets hard.

Paul's book:

https://www.amazon.com/Taliban-Safari-One-Surkhagan-Valley-ebook/dp/B07QW32VZ5?ref_=ast_author_mpb

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

Episode 276 - Feed Drop - Dr. Liz, Nutrition For the Early Years - 7 Mistakes NOT to Make in Feeding Your Toddler

7 Mistakes NOT to Make in Feeding Your Toddler

What if the nutrition choices you worry about most are not the ones that matter most? In this episode of Nutrition for the Early Years, Dr. Liz Daniels shares seven common feeding mistakes parents make during the baby and toddler years. With warmth and honesty, she explains why multivitamins are not always the answer for picky eaters, how kid-friendly leftovers can add to parent guilt, and why oral care should start as soon as teeth come in. She also talks about juice, flavored drinks, salt fears, food labels, and the need for parents to care for their own health, too. This episode gives parents simple, guilt-free guidance to focus on what truly helps kids grow strong and build healthy habits from the start. What You’ll Learn:

• Why food matters more than most supplements
• How to reduce guilt around leftovers
• When to start brushing your baby’s teeth
• Why juice does not need to be a daily habit
• How to focus on the big picture instead of stressing over every label detail
• Why caring for your own health is one of the best ways to support your child’s nutrition

Episode highlights:

Mistake 1: Relying on multivitamins for picky eaters

Mistake 2: Letting food waste and leftovers create guilt

Mistake 3: Skipping early oral hygiene

Mistake 4: Offering juice and flavored drinks too often

Mistake 5: Worrying too much about salt in home cooking

Mistake 6: Focusing too much on tiny label details

Mistake 7: Forgetting parent health matters too

Nutrition for the Early Years is a pediatric nutrition podcast for parents seeking evidence-based guidance on infant feeding, toddler nutrition, and child health. Hosted by dual pediatrician + registered dietitian Dr. Liz Daniels, this show explores newborn and infant nutrition, introducing solids, baby-led weaning, complementary feeding, formula feeding, multivitamins for kids, growth and development, and picky eating solutions—all through the lens of real pediatric nutrition science.

From feeding anxiety and selective eating to questions about appetite, supplements, and healthy eating habits, this podcast helps parents build a confident, guilt-free feeding mindset. You’ll learn how to support your child’s relationship with food in ways that nourish growth, protect early childhood nutrition, and align with your values—without fear-based messaging or all-or-none thinking.

Food goes deep. It’s often not until we begin feeding our own children that we revisit our childhood nutrition experiences—comments that shaped us, arbitrary rules, pressure around healthy eating, and the quiet guilt many of us carry. Feeding kids has a way of surfacing old narratives and challenging us to rethink what child nutrition really means.

This is where the conversation begins—supporting families through toddler feeding, early childhood feeding, and raising children with a strong, positive relationship with food. Because nourishing your family isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity, confidence, and understanding what truly matters in the early years.

https://www.newstorynutrition.com/

Listen here: https://pod.link/1865258075

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@drliznewstorynutrition

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

Episode 275 - Four Months Left - What Kind of Dad Will You Be by December

The Intentional Final Four

Four months remain in 2026. This window offers dads a chance to finish the year with purpose instead of letting time slip away. The episode lays out a simple monthly focus for September through December. Each theme builds connection, presence, self awareness, and gratitude without requiring a complete life overhaul.

September: Reset the Family Rhythm

September brings new school schedules and a return to routine after summer. Use this shift to reset the family rhythm. Choose one recurring weekly moment to protect on your calendar. It could be a family meal, Saturday morning coffee, a walk, or a short evening check in. Keep it simple and consistent. The goal is reliable connection, not complexity. Guard this time like a non negotiable appointment.

October: Show Up Fully Present

October asks dads to be fully present. Put your phone away for one intentional block of time every day. Aim for at least fifteen minutes. During that time, give your full attention to your kids, your partner, or the whole family. Listen without fixing. Ask follow up questions. Stay in the moment. Kids copy what they see. If they mimic you holding a phone to your ear, they learned that from you. Presence communicates value before you say a word.

November: Check In With Yourself

November centers on men’s mental health and self awareness. This is your month to be selfish in a healthy way. Name what you feel and tell someone your truth. Write one sentence each day about your emotional state. Share honestly with your partner, a friend, a doctor, or a counselor. Ask yourself what you have carried silently that deserves a conversation. Do not wait until stress becomes a crisis. You do not need to walk this path alone.

December: Celebrate What Matters

December often brings pressure around spending, travel, and traditions. Shift the focus to creating one meaningful family memory that costs nothing. Cook together. Take a drive to see lights. Play a game. Share stories. Record a short family conversation where each person names a moment from the year they want to remember. Finish the year by noticing the people, experiences, and choices that gave your family meaning in 2026.

One intentional choice each month can change how a dad finishes the year. Restore connection in September. Strengthen presence in October. Support honest self awareness in November. Preserve gratitude and family memories in December. Pick up this four month challenge and make the final stretch of 2026 count.

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