Happy Friday. This is officially newsletter #300. Whether you’ve been here since the early days or just joined us recently, thank you for reading, sharing, replying, and being part of Dad Day.
Pumped to keep building. 👊
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.
"People are always looking for the single magic bullet that will completely change everything. There is no single magic bullet. Progress is about bridging the gap between what we observe and what we can imagine — one careful step at a time."
Temple Grandin
THE DIGEST
Wisdom of the Week: Want a closer relationship with your kids? Go toward it. Want a better relationship with your wife? Go toward it. Want to be in better shape? Go toward it. Want to build something you're proud of? Go toward it. A lot of the things we say we want require us to actually put ourselves in the play. You can't stand in the corner waiting for life to pass you the ball. Sometimes you gotta call for it. You gotta want the ball.
Most Clicked: 15 Things Every Dad Should Do Before the Year’s Out
Gear of the Week: Helly Hansen Rain Jacket
For the Kids: Magnetic Tiles (But Big)
ICYMI: If you’ve been looking for a sign to break up the routine, this is it. 25 dads joined us in Charleston in May this year. We’re running it back in Austin, Texas from October 15-17th. All the details can be found here.
And because it’s our 300th newsletter issue, we’re hooking it up with $50 bucks off. Discount code: FIRST-DIBS. Good for 48 hours. So ya, get a ticket. Bring a dad friend or come solo. You won’t be mad about it.
*FIRST-DIBS only good for individual ticket.
Read, Watch, Eat, Listen
A few things to get into this weekend if you have a moment
📕 Read: PSA — Know What You’re Doing
📺 Watch: Back Extensions for the WIN | Is the 4-Runnner a Good Family SUV? (Dad Day original)
🍔 Eat/Drink: Mastering the French Press | Learn How To Cook in Under 25 Minutes
🎧 Listen: Living an Extraordinary Life w/Laird Hamilton on You Choose Podcast
IN THE TRENCHES
From our Monday Poll:
We asked which parenting rule gets bent the most. Hundreds of responses rolled in.
The winner? Buying them something they don't need. Bedtime and sweets weren't too far behind.
Some comments that stood out…
One dad admitted he's constantly saying his kid has too many toys... while also being the guy who sees something at the store and thinks, "Man, he would love that."
Another said he'll happily push bedtime for fireworks, stargazing, or a night around the campfire. A little grumpiness tomorrow can be worth the memory tonight.
Screen time, sweets, curfews. Pretty much every rule had someone willing to make an exception.
But one comment summed up the whole thread best:
"All of them, honestly. Not all, all the time. But each one now and then."
Rules matter. But apparently so does knowing when to call an audible.
GARAGE
Show us your space or something you’re working on…
Mixing it up today with a video. Check out this awesome setup on the Nova Scotia coast.
We want to see your projects. Send ‘em our way! Just reply to this email.
WEEKEND BURNER
For Time:
10 Rounds For Time:
10 Burpees
10 Air Squats
10 Push-Ups
10 Sit-Ups
ONE LAST THING
🍻 Weekend Assignment: Do something you haven’t done since you were a kid. Jump off a diving board. Play catch. Ride a bike somewhere. Get a Slurpee.
🧠 Worth Knowing: The little pocket on your jeans was originally designed to hold a pocket watch.
🎧 On Repeat: Fresh tracks on the Dad Day Playlist → Listen
dad shower thoughts: Nothing tests a man's confidence quite like someone watching him back a trailer into a parking spot.