Dad Space Podcast - for Dads by Dads

Episode 279 - Celebrating 33 Years of Marriage - 3 Free Things That You Can Do With Your Partner to Celebrate Your Anniversary Celebrating 33 Years of Marriage Dave marks his 33rd wedding anniversary on October 2 and shares three free, meaningful ways couples can celebrate their anniversary without spending money. He reflects on his own journey from a nervous groom to a husband of three decades, then offers practical ideas that prioritize thoughtfulness, memory, and presence over expensive gestures. Why anniversaries matter Dave admits he often loses track of dates because he works night shifts, and he has missed moments he wished he had honored. He encourages listeners to be intentional, plan ahead, and protect these milestones so they do not slip by unnoticed. He frames anniversaries as chances to remember the hard seasons and the joyful ones, and to strengthen the bond that has carried a couple through years of life together. Write a one page letter to your partner The first idea is simple yet powerful. Sit with a pen and paper and write a sincere one page letter to your partner. Reflect on the past year or the span since your last anniversary. Name what it meant to you. Share your hopes, your dreams, and the ways you want to show up better in the relationship. Then read the letters aloud to each other or exchange them and read in silence. Dave recalls leaving handwritten notes on his wife’s car and mailing letters back in 1993, and he says the act of writing unlocked feelings that casual words often miss. This creates a keepsake and deepens connection without costing anything. Take a memory walk to a meaningful place The second idea is to revisit a place that holds story. For Dave, that spot is the pier at Port Dalhousie on Lake Ontario, where he proposed. He suggests walking that same ground again, or returning to where you first met, got engaged, or shared a turning point. If you cannot travel to that exact location, still carve out time to talk through those memories together. He notes that partners often remember details differently, and those conversations spark laughter, tenderness, and renewed appreciation. A coffee along the way is optional. The core value is the shared journey back to your beginning. Host an at home celebration night The third idea is an at home celebration night. Transform your living space into something romantic and focused on the two of you. Play your favorite music or movie. Prepare a meal that carries meaning, perhaps a dish tied to a memory you both love. Let food, music, and film serve as connective tissue that draws out new stories and old joys. Dave stresses that you do not need an extravagant restaurant, expensive champagne, or a grand trip. The most meaningful moments come from undivided time and deliberate attention to the person who has stood with you through illness, financial stress, and life’s toughest trials. Anniversaries thrive on intention, not expense. Choose one of these free practices, put it on your calendar now, and let it rekindle joy in your relationship. Your family will feel the ripple effect when you honor the person who has walked with you through three decades of life. ___ 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 278 - At Your Next Parent Teacher Meeting - Ask These 7 Questions and Get A Better Understanding of Your Kid Parent teacher night offers a rare chance to see your child’s world through their teacher’s eyes. Most parents ask generic questions about grades or behavior. This episode gives you seven specific questions that reveal how your child learns, connects, and handles challenges. Use these questions to build a stronger partnership with your teacher and support your child more effectively at home. Why These Questions Work Teachers spend hours observing your child in social and academic settings. They notice patterns you cannot see from home. These seven questions tap into that frontline knowledge. Each question targets a different aspect of your child’s school experience. The answers help you understand your child’s friendships, stress responses, daily rhythms, and willingness to help others. You also learn how to support both your child and their teacher more effectively. The Seven Questions to Ask Start by asking who your child likes to sit with. Teachers see which kids naturally pair up during class, recess, and group projects. Get specific names so you can talk about those friendships at home. Next, ask what your child does when work gets too hard. Do they ask for help, shut down, or act out? This reveals how they handle obstacles and where they might need extra support. Find out who your child goes to when upset. This shows you how they process stress and whether they have trusted adults or peers they turn to in tough moments. Ask when your child is most settled during the day. Kids have natural energy rhythms. Knowing their peak focus times helps you schedule homework, conversations, or activities at home when they are most receptive. Learn what your child does when they get something wrong. Do they shrug it off, argue, hide their work, or spiral? Their response to mistakes shapes their learning mindset. Ask if the teacher has seen your child help someone else. Teachers notice kindness and collaboration. This question often unlocks a positive story you have not heard before. End by asking what you can do at home to help your child and support the teacher. Write the answer down in front of them. This simple act shows you value their input and builds trust. Parent teacher night is not just about grades. It is about understanding your child as a whole person. These seven questions give you a clearer picture of their social world, emotional responses, and learning habits. Use the answers to tailor your support at home and strengthen your partnership with their teacher. ___ 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 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 ___ 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 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 ___ 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 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. ___ 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