In the Mirror

In the mirror is where the work of becoming Dad Smart begins.

This conversation began in the midst of painful events unfolding in Minneapolis in 2026. Moments that left us, like many parents, searching for words. From that place, we slow down to reflect on a single calling: the quiet work of guiding our kids through what we don’t fully understand ourselves.

Together we explore how calm presence, honest conversation, and steady love help children make sense of a hurting world. This isn’t about having perfect answers. It’s about walking closely with our kids, and returning again and again to the quiet practice of looking inward; aligning our values, our parenting, and our hopes for our children with the kind of fathers we’re becoming.

Because the hard work doesn’t start out there.
It begins in the mirror.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:00 When the World Hurts: Teaching and Parenting During Difficult Times

6:55 What Kids Need Most: Modeling Calm, Love, and Thoughtful Presence

19:49 Stay Close: Why Family Becomes a Safe Place in Hard Seasons