Dad Space Podcast - for Dads by Dads

Episode 296 - My Birthday Wish For You This Year - Movember Daily Dad Episodes My Birthday Wish For You This Year Every dad deserves the chance to create meaningful memories with his children. For Dave Campbell's 57th birthday, his wish for fathers is simple. Make something special happen with your kids today, regardless of their age or stage of life. Give Your Kids The Gift Of Your Time Children remember the moments when Dad made time for them. Those memories do not require expensive vacations, extravagant gifts, or elaborate plans. They grow from the everyday moments when a father gives his children his attention because he wants to spend time with them. Make the moment happen on purpose. Read a bedtime story. Go for a walk. Spend time together without attaching expectations or rewards to the experience. Let your children enjoy your company simply because you want to be there with them. The goal is to give them a memory they can carry with them long after the day ends. Create A Memory Today Your children might be six months old, sixteen, or already adults. Wherever they are in life, you can still make time for a meaningful connection. Imagine your child settling into bed tonight with a smile, feeling safe and loved after spending time with you. That is the kind of memory worth creating. You do not need to wait for a birthday, a holiday, or a special occasion. An ordinary day can become memorable when you decide to make it count. A Birthday Wish For Dads Dave shares his birthday wish with the Dad Space community as an invitation to start something new in your relationship with your children. Make today the day you choose to create a moment that matters. Key Takeaway Your children do not need an expensive experience to make a lasting memory with you. They need your time and attention. Make something special happen today, on purpose, and give your kids a moment they will remember long after bedtime. You can start today. https://movember.com/ ___ 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 295 - The Five-Minute Reset Before Reacting or Responding - Movember Daily Dad Episodes Make Your Last Words Count Dave challenges listeners to treat everyday goodbyes as meaningful moments. Inspired by Dead Like Me, a show about beings who help people transition at the moment of death, he reflects on regret, unfinished conversations, and the words we leave behind. Because nobody knows when a final moment will arrive, he encourages people to live with intention now. A Small Goodbye With Big Meaning Dave shares a simple habit from his marriage of more than 30 years. When his wife leaves for work, he often steps outside, watches her drive away, and waves goodbye. Neighbors may wonder why he stands at the front of the house. He does it because he wants his last interaction with her to carry love and attention. He admits nobody can prepare for a final moment. You only recognize it after it has passed. That uncertainty makes ordinary departures matter more than they may seem. Last Words in Daily Life Dave asks listeners to think about the last words exchanged during routine moments. What do you say when your kids jump out of the car at school? Do you kiss your partner, offer a hug, say you love them, or wave from the driveway? What do you say to a longtime coworker as you leave a shift, or to friends after a drink at the bar? Every day contains potential last moments. Dave does not suggest living in fear or expecting disaster. He suggests paying attention to the chances already in front of you. Living With Intention Dave wrestles with this idea as a father of adult children who no longer live at home. He sees them less often and wants their time together to feel meaningful. His goal for the week is to focus on his final comments, connections, and interactions each day. He believes intentional living reduces regret. Avoid shortcuts with the people you love. Do not ignore an opportunity to encourage, apologize, appreciate, or connect. Small acts of care can help family members feel valued and understood. Love Yourself and Others Dave closes with a reminder to love your partner, children, family, and yourself. He references the idea of loving others more than yourself and points out that healthy love for others begins with caring for yourself. During Movember, he encourages men to pay attention to mental health and physical health, and to take care of one another. Treat every goodbye as an opportunity to show love. Speak with care, stay present, and live with intention so the people closest to you know exactly how much they matter. https://movember.com/ ___ 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 294 - Dead Like Me and the Mystery of Life’s Final Moments - Movember Daily Dad Episodes Dead Like Me and the Mystery of Life’s Final Moments Dave revisits Dead Like Me, a short-lived television series that has stayed with him long after it aired. The show follows unusual beings who appear moments before someone dies unexpectedly. They guide that person through the transition from life to whatever comes next. Dave describes the series as a strange blend of comedy, drama, and supernatural storytelling, built around characters who help people face an untimely ending. The Premise of Dead Like Me In the show, a grim reaper-like figure arrives just before a sudden death, such as a piano falling from a building onto someone in the street. The being touches the back of the person’s head and helps ease their passage into the next stage of existence. Dave appreciates how the series explores fear, confusion, and acceptance during those final moments. He recalls the cast, including the actor from The Princess Bride, and remembers the show as original, emotional, and difficult to categorize. Although it did not run for long, its central question remains powerful: what happens in the moments between this life and whatever may follow? A Real Life Reminder Dave connects the show to a recent plane crash in Florida that claimed nine lives. None of those people began that day expecting it to be their last. They woke up, ate breakfast, drove to the airport, and moved through ordinary routines before a catastrophic event changed everything. That reality leads Dave to reflect on how little control people have over the timing of their lives. We cannot map out every day ahead. We do not know how many days remain. Events like this make the idea of a comforting presence during a final transition feel meaningful, even though no one can say with certainty what happens after death. Hope for What Comes Next Dave says he loves life, the people in it, and the simple beauty of a November morning in Canada without deep snow. He hopes there is something beyond this life, something better or something to look forward to. He leaves room for each listener to hold their own beliefs about death, family, faith, and what may come afterward. His hope echoes the central idea of Dead Like Me: that perhaps something or someone meets us at the threshold and helps us move from here to there. He encourages listeners to watch the show, especially through the YouTube links he plans to share, because it can be difficult to find on Canadian streaming services. Life can change without warning, so hold your beliefs about what comes next with openness, appreciate the life you have now, and let stories like Dead Like Me prompt reflection on mortality, hope, and transition. https://movember.com/ Dead Like Me Show Clips: https://youtu.be/JD1YAJNAMPw?si=33LtGdj1ZshhC4bb https://youtube.com/shorts/gUKSIxcl7Fs?si=-zTQLTKvBo0WfBVV ___ 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 292 - Your Kids Are Watching How You Cope - Build in Public - Movember Daily Dad Episodes Your Kids Are Watching How You Cope Dave uses this Movember message to remind dads that children learn coping skills by watching the adults around them. The episode focuses on emotional regulation, self awareness, and responding to stress with intention. Life brings situations no parent can fully prepare for. Dave compares a driver who sees a problem ahead with one who gets surprised by a sudden danger. Preparation makes it easier to stay calm. When a situation catches someone off guard, reactions can become loud, rushed, or harsh. Build Better Coping Habits Dave encourages dads to identify the situations that repeatedly push them into poor responses. A pattern of frustration, short temper, or harsh self criticism can point to an area that needs attention. Dads can build practical ways to prepare, pause, and respond with more control. He acknowledges that nobody can prepare for every difficulty. Still, dads can prepare for many of them. Learning what helps before stress arrives makes it easier to stay steady when the next challenge shows up. Own the Missed Moments When a dad handles a situation poorly, Dave encourages honesty. Tell your kids and partner, “I did not handle that well.” Naming the mistake models accountability and gives children a healthier example of repair. The next step matters just as much. Apologizing without changing behaviour teaches children that words replace action. Dave asks dads to own the moment and then do better the next time, for their own benefit and for their family. Support Another Dad Dave closes with a Movember reminder to visit Movember.com and support men’s health where possible. He also asks listeners to reach out to one dad today. A simple check in can remind another father that he does not have to manage stress alone. Your children absorb how you handle pressure. Build healthier coping habits, admit when you fall short, and show them what repair and growth look like. https://movember.com/ ___ 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 291 - Put the Phone Down for One Hour Today - Do Something Different - Movember Daily Dad Episodes Put the Phone Away for One Hour Dave from Dad Space challenges listeners to power off their phone for one full hour and spend that time with family, a partner, or themselves. The message centers on screen time, family connection, and intentional parenting. Dave admits the challenge applies to him too. He works nights, raises time with his grandchildren during the day, and often uses his phone to answer podcast emails, book guests, and respond to listeners. Still, he notices what his grandchildren see when adults stay attached to their screens. What Children Notice While watching his one year old grandson and three year old granddaughter, Dave sees them imitate phone use. His grandson sits in the backyard talking to a rock as though it is a phone. His granddaughter holds a TV remote and pretends it is a cell phone. Those small moments raise a bigger question. When adults look over a screen instead of into a child’s eyes, children may learn that the phone carries more importance than they do. Dave describes the phone as something that can sit between a parent or grandparent and the people right in front of them. A Simple Family Challenge Dave asks listeners to shut their phone completely off, place it out of sight, and give one uninterrupted hour to the people around them. No notifications. No quick checks. No pulling the phone back out when it rings. He suggests telling a partner exactly why. Saying, “I want to spend an hour with you without looking at my phone,” turns the act into a deliberate choice rather than an inconvenience. That conversation may lead to a surprising and meaningful response. Make It a Habit One hour can become a daily practice. It can grow into a weekly routine, then a lasting family habit. Dave reminds listeners that people lived full lives before smartphones existed, so stepping away for a short time remains possible. Power your phone off for one hour today and give your full attention to someone you love. Presence communicates value in a way no screen can. https://movember.com/ ___ 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