Share

The Daily Dad
You’ve Done Your Job
“This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/dailydad and get on your way to being your best self.”
The great John Wooden would practice his team hard through the week. He’d run through the plans over and over and over again. Yet as they left the locker room and headed out onto the court for the game, he would say to the team, “Well, I’ve done my job.” He wasn’t going to be micromanaging them from the sideline. It was their turn to do their job.
And so it goes for us as parents. At some point, we have to leave them at the entrance to the school. At their job. With their own finances. With their own children. We can’t solve every problem. We can’t prevent everything from going wrong. That’s their job.
Jessica Lahey’s wonderful book The Gift of Failure (pick it up at The Painted Porch) reminds us that by not giving them this chance, by not letting them try and struggle to do their job, we’re actually harming them. We’re setting them up for more failure down the road…and less ability to deal with it.
Giving children the space to struggle because we believe in them, because we believe even more in what will come out the other side, isn’t always easy—for us or them. That’s why one side of our Luctor et Emergo medallion features the mantra, “good, not easy,” surrounded by three other reminders we parents need each day: “let them struggle,” “show them support,” “help them grow.” Get one to carry around with you at the Daily Dad Store today!
✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com
More episodes
View all episodes

Is It Your Marriage or Your Situation? | Angela Duckworth
10:28|The way your family acts under stress can start to look like who they really are. In today's episode, psychologist Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit and author of the new book Situated talks to Ryan about mistaking a hard season for a bad marriage, how stress affects the way we judge each other, why kids need the same reminders over and over, and how small changes at home can bring out our best.Pick up signed copies of Angela’s new book, Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best, and her bestselling book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/Learn more about Angela Duckworth's new book here: https://www.angeladuckworth.com/situatedAngela Duckworth’s Website: https://www.angeladuckworth.com/Follow Angela on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelalduckworth/Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeProtect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dailydad or use code DAILYDAD and get 40% off your first year
Someday You’ll Want Them To Ask You For Stuff
02:48|Even if it’s frustrating now, even if it drives you crazy every time you’re at the store with them, take a second to remember this...Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeProtect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dailydad or use code DAILYDAD and get 40% off your first year
Let Them Learn
03:02|We have to make them understand that they have what it takes to do this on their own and if they don’t, the best way to get it is to develop it by experience, by curiosity and exploration. Our Luctor Et Emergo Medallion will help you remember to slow down and take advantage of teachable moments with your children. Grab your Luctor Et Emergo Medallion at our Daily Dad store!Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeProtect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dailydad or use code DAILYDAD and get 40% off your first year
You Don’t Need The Third Thing
02:08|Praise is always nice, but it’s sort of pathetic how desperately we want it…for doing our job. Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeProtect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dailydad or use code DAILYDAD and get 40% off your first year
Don’t Let The Wall Win
02:03|There’s a wall—a wall between you and your feelings, a wall between you and other people, a wall between you and this present moment.Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeProtect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dailydad or use code DAILYDAD and get 40% off your first year
Not Everyone Can Afford This (But You Can)
02:18|You could choose to be around more. You just won’t. You could choose to be more active, more aware, more involved…Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeProtect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dailydad or use code DAILYDAD and get 40% off your first year
Did Our Wedding Vows Cover the Goats?
13:32|Ryan says he didn’t sign up for goats in the house, but Sam has the wedding vows to prove otherwise. Between looking back on ten years of The Daily Stoic and debating which animals belong in the house, Ryan and Sam occasionally remember what they were supposed to be talking about.The new 10th Anniversary Edition of The Daily Stoic is out NOW! 👉 Grab your copy here: https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/the-daily-stoic-10Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeProtect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dailydad or use code DAILYDAD and get 40% off your first year
Don’t Wish Away A Minute of Their Life
02:15|Don’t wish it away, no matter how frustrating this phase or this bedtime or this age is. 📚 Book mentiond: Travels with EpicurusThe new 10th Anniversary Edition of The Daily Stoic is out NOW! 👉 Grab your copy here: https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/the-daily-stoic-10Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeProtect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dailydad or use code DAILYDAD and get 40% off your first year
You’re Going To Wish You Hadn’t
02:21|Be here for it. Even the difficult parts. The new 10th Anniversary Edition of The Daily Stoic is out NOW! 👉 Grab your copy here: https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/the-daily-stoic-10Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeProtect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dailydad or use code DAILYDAD and get 40% off your first year