300. What does it take to break generational patterns? | with Rodd Stockwell, MD

None of us gets to choose the family we were raised in. But we do get to decide which patterns we carry forward and which ones end with us. In this special 300th episode of The Intimate Marriage Podcast, Alexandra Stockwell, MD sits down with her husband, Rodd Stockwell, MD, for an unusually personal conversation about fatherhood, family, and the choices that shaped their marriage and their children’s lives. Rodd reflects on growing up with a distant father and the intentional decisions he made to become the kind of father he wanted to be, while Alexandra shares what it looked like for both of them to navigate major changes in work, parenting, and partnership. Together, they explore what it really takes to become more emotionally present, why conflict and discomfort are worth moving through, and how the relationship skills developed in a marriage naturally ripple into the way we parent. In this episode, you'll discover: • How Rodd broke patterns from his own childhood to become a deeply present father• Why being physically available isn't the same as being emotionally present• How curiosity became a powerful tool for connecting with their children• Why rescuing your partner can actually interfere with long-term growth• How navigating conflict in your marriage teaches children how to handle conflict themselves• Why breaking generational patterns requires intentional choices, not perfection The greatest gift we give our children isn't a perfect childhood. It's the experience of seeing adults choose connection, work through discomfort, repair after conflict, and create something healthier than what came before.