Ever find yourself losing your cool when your kid melts down, or scratching your head as they refuse to clean up their room (again)? Turns out, there’s a surprising science behind keeping calm amid the chaos of parenthood. We're joined by Kirk Martin, founder of Celebrate Calm and host of the immensely popular Calm Parenting podcast. Kirk is the proud dad of one grown son, Casey, and “America’s Calm Coach” to thousands of families around the world. Kirk shares his journey from career military upbringings to a unique problem-solving approach that’s helped countless parents reframe their reactions and connect deeply with their kids. Whether you’re raising a strong-willed, high energy kid, or just want to inspire more harmony at home, Kirk’s insights offer practical, uplifting wisdom for every dad (and mom!)

Topics Include:

• Navigating meltdowns and emotional outbursts in kids and understanding what's really going on beneath the surface.
• Shifting parenting habits from authoritarian styles to problem-solving and connection-based approaches.
• The importance of parents regulating their own emotions to positively impact children's behavior.
• Recognizing and working with individual differences in children, even among siblings and twins.
• Practical strategies for tackling persistent challenges like messy rooms, homework battles, and resistance.
• The significance of affirming and bonding with children, especially in moments of weakness or conflict.
• Normalizing triggers for both parents and kids, and using tools like a “trigger board” to foster open communication.
• And more!

LINKS
Celebrate Calm (website)
Calm Parenting Podcast
Calm Parenting (Instagram)
Calm Parenting (Facebook)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Not everyone instinctively knows when they’ve reached the point in life where they’re ready for kids. For Nick Hexum, the self-proclaimed “dad” of his band 311, that moment came when he realized his wild days were behind him and he was ready to step into family life as a husband and father. Nearly two decades later, he’s a proud dad of three daughters, ages 5 to 16. We caught up with him for a rare in-person conversation during a tour stop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Nick opens up about the challenges and rewards of raising kids while touring, the jaw-dropping story of delivering his own daughter during a home birth, how fatherhood reshaped his songwriting, and the powerful influence his own upbringing has had on the way he parents today.

Episode 130 of Modern Dadhood finds the guys recording in person, outside, over a frosty fall beverage. The guys chat briefly about finding positivity in a world that can feel particularly dark at present, and why the autumn has a certain exciting energy. They catch up with Nick Hexum, lead singer and songwriter for 311, before a gig promoting his 3 new americana/bluegrass EPs (compiled on a full length album called Phases of Hope and Hollow). Nick candidly shares stories about his family and his career as a touring musician, reflecting on how becoming a dad has impacted his work and put his life into perspective. Topics include:

• Touring as a musician dad: balancing life on the road with being present for important family milestones.
• How becoming a father transformed Nick's creative process, songwriting inspiration, and outlook on life.
• Nick's incredible (and dramatic) story of delivering his daughter at home
• The evolving relationship between Nick’s children and music, including their early involvement in creating songs and videos.
• The influence of Nick’s own upbringing, especially his positive relationship with his father, on his parenting style.
• Navigating social media, privacy, and the shifting dynamics as his kids grow into their teen years.
• Maintaining a positive worldview amid challenging news cycles, and fostering open, vulnerable communication with his kids.
• And more!

LINKS
Nick Hexum (website)
Nick Hexum (Instagram)
Nick Hexum (TikTok)
311 (official)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

We've been teasing it for months; a new podcast that we are producing in conjunction with Wavland which is hosted by former Modern Dadhood guest, Victor M. Sweeney. And now the time has come to make the official announcement and share the trailer. And we couldn't think of a better way to do that, than to couple it with a Rewind episode of our original chat with the Internet's famous mortician himself. Stay to the end for some death-themed movie trivia... And please subscribe to the new podcast using the links below!

LINKS
Victor M. Sweeney (YouTube)
Victor M. Sweeney (Instagram)
Death And (Apple Podcasts)
Death And (Spotify)
Now Departing (Victor's book!)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast