Quick reminder that Halloween is tomorrow. Have fun out there, be safe, and enjoy it. See ya Monday.
If you’re new here, we mix it up on Fridays with a quick recap from the week and a few extra gems to head into the weekend right.
"I was waiting for something extraordinary to happen but as the years wasted on nothing ever did unless I caused it."
THE DIGEST
Wisdom of the Week: Don’t confuse providing with participating. Both matter, but they’re not the same thing. At some point, the job isn’t just to make the life possible. It’s to actually be in it.
Most Clicked: Habits of High Achievers
Gear of the Week: ACE Overshirt
For the Kids: LED Hover Soccer Ball
Read, Watch, Eat, Listen
A few things to get into this weekend if you have a moment
📕 Read: A Man & His Watch: Iconic Watches and Stories from the Men Who Wore Them
📺 Watch: Terminal List | Season 2 | YETI Presents: The Polar Passage: Surviving the Deadly Northwest Passage Ice Trap
🍔 Eat/Drink: How to Eat Ground Meat & Rice Everyday (without going insane)
🎧 Listen: Steve Young on High Performance and Reinvention w/Tim Ferriss
IN THE TRENCHES
Topic: Raising Kids in Today's World
We threw a pretty big question out there this week: What's your biggest concern about raising kids today?
Apparently, asking dads to pick just one concern was a tall order.
58% went with "all of it." Another 18% pointed to the world our kids are growing up in, while social media (8%), screens and technology (7%), and mental health (7%) rounded out the main responses.
One dad even called us out for including "all of it" as an option. We see you, big dawg!
The comments went quite a bit deeper than the poll itself.
A lot of dads are trying to figure out how much technology to introduce and when. There's the concern about social media, but also the reality that our kids will grow up in a world where AI is everywhere.
One dad who's a teacher said he's already seeing high school students lean heavily on AI and wonders what that means for his three-year-old.
Others brought up bullying, school safety, mental health, and whether our kids will even be able to afford a house someday.
One dad wrote something that captured a lot of the uncertainty:
"Life looks a lot different from when I was a kid, which makes me feel a bit unsure about what advice to give."
There were some encouraging perspectives in there, too. One dad pointed out that technology has made it easier for his kids to discover music they love and stay connected with family who live far away.
Another, with a seven-month-old, said they're simply trying to introduce their son to the beautiful parts of the world a little at a time.
And we appreciated this response:
"Good news to me is nobody else has the answers and we are all figuring it out together."
This was a heavier topic than we typically get into, and we appreciate everyone who took the time to share their thoughts. Especially the dads who opened up about some very personal experiences. These are the kinds of conversations we're glad this community can have.
PROJECTS
Show us your space or something you’re working on…
Love us a good outdoor shower. Put one in a couple of years ago and haven’t looked back. Thanks for sharing!
Can You Send Me More Pictures?
If you've got parents or in-laws who ask for photos every few weeks, you know the drill. You say yes, mean it, and then forget until they ask again.
Tinybeans made this less of a thing for us. One link, they get the updates, nobody's on FaceTime watching you scroll past 200 blurry photos trying to find a good one.
Still 3 free months of Tinybeans+ and $15 off a photo book with DADDAY if you want in.
*Sponsored. We only feature brands we actually use.
WEEKEND BURNER
Not a fun one, but a good one. Set a 30-minute timer and keep grinding:
400m run
12 dumbbell thrusters
15 kettlebell deadlifts
12 hand-release push-ups
20 alternating step-ups
30-second suitcase carry each side
That’s one round. Keep cycling until the clock hits 30.
Pick weights you can keep moving with and settle into a pace you can hold. It should feel manageable at minute five and pretty ugly by minute twenty-five. Don’t be a hero. Scale accordingly.
ONE LAST THING
🍻 Weekend Assignment: With Halloween this weekend, it's time to open the family candy exchange. Dump everyone's haul on the table and give the kids 15 minutes to wheel and deal.
🧠 Worth Knowing: The first commercial passenger flight took place in Florida in 1914. It flew from St. Petersburg to Tampa, covered about 18 miles, and took roughly 23 minutes. The first paying passenger won his seat at auction for $400.
dad shower thoughts: At some point, someone was the first person to sing “Happy Birthday” at a birthday party, and everyone else probably thought it was a little weird.