Parenting often feels like walking a tightrope—trying to keep your kids safe while giving them enough space to grow. In this episode, we dive into that tension between control and trust, unpacking how much of it is really about our anxiety and need for structure.

We also bring back The Mess-Up segment, where we confess the parenting moments we wish we could redo—and the lessons hiding in them.

Key Points:

• The tricky shift from rule-heavy toddler parenting to trust-building with older kids

• How our anxiety drives routines, overscheduling, and “perfect parent” behavior

• The struggle to stay calm during morning chaos and public meltdowns

• Why letting kids fail a little is harder for us than it is for them

• The Mess-Up: moments we totally blew it, and how we recovered

• Balancing work, family, and our own mental health without burning out

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Fifty episodes in and we’re still parenting mostly by gut instinct and Google. This week, we dive into first-day emotions, birthday party logistics, and the awkward art of stepping back so our kids can figure things out on their own.

We talk about the stress of managing behavior without overcorrecting, the weird vulnerability of drop-offs, and how AI has quietly become part of our parenting toolbox. Also: we introduce a new segment called “The Mess-Up,” because let’s be honest—sometimes the best lessons come from the stuff we’d rather not repeat.

Key Points:

• First-day nerves and the emotional whiplash of transitions

• Behavior challenges and how to course-correct without control spirals

• Creating good summer days while keeping your sanity intact

• Using AI to manage health, stress, and occasionally, parenting guilt

• Embracing the mess-ups—and actually learning from them

Join the club: Super Secret Dad Club Discord

This week we caught up on a bunch of highs and lows—Jack’s crushing potty training and finally staying in bed (huge win), while Pete’s gut is still mad at him. Lacey graduated pre-K and somehow beat all of us at bowling. We talk about the neighborhood pool party that felt like the official summer kickoff, the screen time swaps we’re trying out, and why post-dinner walks and shooting hoops might actually be better than scrolling. Plus, we get into parenting hacks, Facebook photo fails, and why bi-weekly episodes just make way more sense. Oh—and one of us may or may not be obsessed with a $66 tempered glass mat.

Key Points:

• The pool party that kicked off summer

• Jack’s potty training and bedtime routine = game changers

• Lacey’s birthday bowling party turned into an unexpected flex

• Screen time swaps, mud kitchen builds, and staying sane as parents

• Pete’s gut health journey + accidental wins from ChatGPT

• The best $66 chair mat you didn’t know you needed

• Why we’re sticking with bi-weekly episodes

Come hang out in the Discord:
https://discord.gg/supersecretdadclub