How To Be A Dad Today Podcast | Mark Foster | Parenting | Dad Techniques | Expert Interviews

In this episode we continue the discussion of mentors. We will look at the benefit to those who are mentored, as well as to those doing the mentoring.  Also in this episode, we will take a look at a recent Huffington Post article regarding supposed communication mistakes parents make with their kids.  For more information go to our website at www.howtobeadadtoday.com

There is a great need for mentors in today's world.  No matter what country your live in, mentoring is an essential part of growing and becoming the person you want to be. As a Dad, my number one responsibility is to be a mentor in the lives of my children.  But what is a mentor?  Who should be a mentor?  Do I still need a mentor in my own life?  Where can I find a mentor if I want one?   All these questions and more as we spend the next few episodes tackling this important subject.   For more on this subject and to find additional articles and resources for Dads, go to howtobeadadtoday.com and subscribe to our blog to be notified of new content just for dads! *This podcast is sponsored by Audible.  For a free 30 day trial and a free audio book, go to audibletrial.com/howtobeadadtoday    

With summer break just around the corner, we need to get a game plan, and get one quickly!  Episode 50 is here to offer you some tips, and ideas for how to maintain your sanity when the inmates let loose! Also, "Free Range Parenting:" have you heard of it?  In this episode Mark gives you an overview of the book written by Lorene Skenazy, and offers his own perspective on the growing movement.  For more info, you can read his articles at: howtobeadadtoday.com/freerange

Do you speak more than one language?  What about the language of love?  Did you know that there may be more than one love language, and that there is a good chance your kids all speak a different one?   In this episode I review "The 5 Love Languages of Children" by Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Ross Campbell.   In the book, the popular "5 Love Languages" idea is applied to children.  I will give you my thoughts on the topic as well as our personal experience with our children.  I know you want to tell your kids you love them.  Don't you want to tell them in the language they understand? Find the post for this podcast episode at howtobeadadtoday.com/49    

Sometimes its nice just to sit down with another dad and talk about the ups and downs of parenting, and being a dad in general.  In this episode I sit down in studio with my friend, Andy Sharpeta, and talk about his experience when it comes to being a dad. Andy has the unique experience of being on the road nearly every week of the year with his kids, due to the fact that they are missionaries.  Imagine spending 24 hours a day, seven days a week with your kids.  Road trips are fun, but not every week!  I will ask Andy how he keeps the peace, and how he helps his wife maintain her sanity.  Enjoy!

Should I push my beliefs on my children?  Do I have any right to try an influence what they do, or what they believe?  Should I just let them make up their own mind about the subjects that are the most important to them?  These questions and more in today's episode on influence.

Have you ever been left home alone with the kids while your wife goes out for the evening, or even away for several days?  Have you experienced the joys of preparing breakfast lunch and dinner for all those hungery mouths?  How about laundry, homework, and bedtime routines?   In this episode we discuss how to not only survive, but thrive when left home alone!  I share tips and advice on things like dinner prep, following schedules, and surviving manipulating children.  Every dad needs to hear this episode! Also, listen to my advice on daddy/daughter dates.  With Valentines Day just around the corner, you won't want to miss your chance to shine in your daughters eyes.

Respect doesn't mean what it used to.  We are living in a culture where respect for the individual is almost gone, and where respecting your elders is something reserved for the Leave it to Beaver re-runs.   Well...it doesn't have to be!  In this episode we are going to talk about the need for respect, and some things we can do to increase our own attitude of respect for others, as well as instilling such an attitude in our kids.  Also...find out my secret for getting pizza deliverd in under 30 minutes every time!!!  It's called respect.  www.howtobeadadtoday.com www.facebook.com/howtobeadadtoday

Every New Year people all over the world make resolutions.  Most will not see them through.  Still, this year, I want to encourage dads everywhere to get rid of that flab and be the best dad they can be. I am not just talking about physical fat.  I am also talking about the flabby dad muscles some of us have developed. Are you up for the challenge of making 2015 the "Year of the Dad"?  Listen now and find out how! www.howtobeadadtoday.com  

Do Dads really matter?  Can families and children survive without them?  Could it be that those in society that seek to minimize the importance of dads are actually correct?  NOPE! They are wrong.  In this episode I give you three areas in which dads matter to their kids.  Resources Mentioned in This Episode The Fatherless Generation Website (Statistics on the impact of fatherless homes) Wild at Heart - by John Eldredge ( Amazon Page

Dealing with death may be the hardest thing we are called to do in this life.  As husbands and dads, we are called upon to offer strength to those in our care who are grieving.  Often this leaves us wondering who will be strong for us.  This episode deals with this difficult subject and offers some advice for how to help your kids face the death of a loved one and also how to deal with your own feelings. We will also talk about the pain of miscarriage and how this subject affected the host, and affects countless dads every day.  It is the silent death, and it is time someone brought attention to it. This episode is not an easy one to listen to, and may evoke feelings of grief concerning your own loss.  While it is no my intention to cause greater grief, it is my intention to offer help and a word of comfort. I know grief from death personally, and speak as one who has walked the road himself.  I hope it will be a help to you. The free resource mentioned in this episode is available here. 

Nurture: It's not for sissies.  If you are wondering how in the world something like nurture could  possibly be for men to take seriously, then you HAVE to listen to this episode.  I think you might be suprised.  If you are not nurturing your kids...you aren't being a manly dad!

EPISODE 40!!!! As we pass the milestone of our 40th episode I am also celebrating my 34th birthday!  To celebrate, I am releasing an episode unlike any other episode I have produced here on the podcast.  I hope you enjoy it! In today's episode I interview three special guests.  There names are: Brian Bruce Joe I think you are really going to enjoy hearing about these guy's parenting philosophies.  Let me know what you thought of the episode by going to www.facebook.com/howtobeadadtoday or by visiting our website at www.howtobeadadtoday.com

I am a dad.  That means I am also a man.  Manhood and masculinity is something that is vanishing in our world today.  In this episode I get a little passionate about the need for masculinity in men and boys.  

Have you ever been talking to your kids and felt like your weren't getting through?  Have you ever seen that blank look that says..."I am looking at you, but I ain't hearin you..."? Well, if you ever wanted to communicate more effectively with your kids, this episode is for you.  If you have any other ideas, I would love to have you communicate by going to facebook.com/howtobeadadtoday and join the conversation, or start a new one!

When you were growing up, did your family have a regular dinner time?  Today is seems that family dinner has become a lost art.  Families no longer sit down together and eat, talk and spend time together.  In this episode I offer some ideas for strengthening or establishing your own family dinner routine.  Hopefully it encourages you, and I know that you will never regret the investment.  Trust me.

Have you ever gotten to that stage in your kid's lives when they really push back against your leadership?  Do you remember the day you realized that they really believed they knew better than you?  If you haven't gotten there yet...YOU WILL!  In this episode I share a little bit about the ways I have dealt with this situation in my own family, and hopefull, give some advice and encouragement that will help you deal with it in your own.  

Okay, bedtime can be pretty stressful. Establishing a bedtime routine is easier said than done.  With bathtime, homework, and busy schedules, is having a set bedtime routine even a possibility?  YES!  You can bring sanity back into your life.  You can get your kids in bed without starting WWIII.  In this episode I give you some tips on how.

Our kids have recently been going through a transition in which they have begun becoming aware of the times when my wife and I are not getting along.  If this hasn't happened to you yet, it will.  How do you deal with personal conflicts between you and your spouse?  What do you do when the kids ask about it?  Do you lie?  Do you pretend it doesn't happen?  Could there possibly be a valuable lesson opportunity that you are missing?  These questions, and a few answeres in this episode of the How to Be a Dad Today Podcast. To comment on this episode, please go to www.howtobeadadtoday.com or to our facebook page at facebook.com/howtobeadadtoday.  

Recently a reviewer left a kind rating and a review which included an honest disagreement with something said in a previous episode.  I appreciated their honestly and class, and wanted to address their statements, and share with you the importance of growing as a dad.  If we are growing, we should be learning.  If we are learning, we will admit that there were things we believed or did early on in our parenting, that we have discovered were mistakes.  Have you ever had an experience like that?  Think I am crazy?  Take a listen and then join the discussion on facebook.com/howtobeadadtoday Also, check out howtobeadadtoday.com for more articles and encouragement on being a dad in today's difficult environment.