According to most medical sources, roughly 10-20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. Although we probably all know people who have experienced miscarriage (or have ourselves), this is a staggering statistic. But according to Kelly Jean-Philippe, host of The Miscarriage Dads podcast, men are often overlooked and undermined when it comes to grieving the devastating loss of a miscarriage. Kelly shares candidly about his family's multiple pregnancy losses, and why he is working diligently to shed light on the often-overlooked grief and needs of fathers during these challenging times. Stay to the end for an uplifting installment of Kisses and Disses!

Episode 118 of Modern Dadhood broaches a subject that hasn't come up in the history of the show to date: Miscarriage. Adam opens up about his and his wife's experience with miscarriage prior to having their second daughter, explaining what a "molar pregnancy" means. The guys play back a conversation Adam had with father of two and podcaster Kelly Jean-Philippe, whose podcast The Miscarriage Dads aims to normalize the conversation about men and their need for support during the loss of a pregnancy. Topics include:

• The role of a Chaplain in a hospital setting
• Kelly and his wife's miscarriage experiences
• The importance of clear communication between partners
• How society often invalidates or overlooks fathers' grief
• Kelly's goals to provide a platform for discussing fathers' grief
• And more!

LINKS
The Miscarriage Dads Podcast
Kelly Jean-Philippe (Instagram)
Support for Men After Pregnancy Loss
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are more than buzzwords—they’re at the heart of today’s cultural and political conversations. In a time when these topics spark both progress and polarization, it’s a conversation well worth elevating, especially for parents striving to shape the next generation. For parents who feel uncertainty around how to instill these values in your children, we've got your back. In this Rewind episode, Jermaine Moore, founder of the Mars Hill Group—a training, development, and consulting firm specializing in leadership and DEI—joins us. As a father of four, Jermaine brings not just professional expertise but also personal experience to the table. Together, we explore how to raise empathetic kids in a world that sometimes resists change.

Jermaine is Co-Founder of the Mars Hill Group, a New England-based consulting firm which specializes in leadership training, workplace culture, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Jermaine is a father of four children who are currently scattered across the world, and he shares candidly about what led him to this line of work, why it's so important and valuable, and how we as parents can actively exercise it and celebrate it within our families in order to raise empathetic kids. The conversation covers topics including:

• What is DEI? Jermaine defines diversity, equity, and inclusion
• WHY Jermaine is passionate about DEI work
• DEI Misconceptions
• Diversity in NON-diverse areas
• The importance of exposure and representation
• "More is caught than taught" - Modeling behavior for our kids
• Allyship and how to be a true ally


LINKS
Jermaine Moore (LinkedIn)
Mars Hill Group
McKinsey: Diversity Wins / How Inclusion Matters
eXtension Foundation: What Is DEI
Forbes: 15 Key Benefits of DEI
Dr. Joy Degruy: A Trip To The Grocery Store
Jermaine Moore Presentation at Creative Mornings
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Join hosts Adam Flaherty and Marc Checket in this special compilation episode as they highlight the most eye-opening moments of 2024, sharing insightful and unexpected clips from a year of remarkable guest interviews.

Clips include:

↳ Actor George Basil (HBO's Crashing, Barbie) on how single parenthood awards him a unique relationship with his teenage daughter.

↳ Timothy Gant, Jr. AKA Teddy The Doula on what it means to be a “full spectrum” doula, and the benefits of being a male in a predominately female-led field.

↳ Margaret Ables of the podcast What Fresh Hell – Laughing in the Face of Motherhood, on how society can better support and promote equitable parenting.

↳ Comedian Pete Holmes on his young daughter discovering his body of work as she grows up.

↳ And Dr. Vivek Murthy, US Surgeon General, on the epidemic of stress and loneliness in parents, and his 2024 advisory “Parents Under Pressure.”

THANK YOU, dads and moms, for 🔊listening, ✅subscribing, ✍️reviewing, and 🔗sharing Modern Dadhood with people you care about, and interacting with us! Here’s to an epic 2025!

LINKS:

Dr. Francois Clemmons (official)
Pete Holmes
What Fresh Hell podcast (official)
Teddy The Doula (Instagram)
Dr. Vivek Murthy
Dr. Murthy's advisory "Parents Under Pressure"
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Have you ever read a book to your kids and been so disappointed by how uninspired the story is? Or how half-baked the visuals are? Or how poor the grammar is? Same. That's why when you come across the truly great ones, you elevate them and celebrate them. Maine author and illustrator (and father of two) Chris Van Dusen joins us to share about all that goes into creating purposeful, high quality children's literature.

Episode 115 of Modern Dadhood is our holiday episode. The guys open with a discussion about The Clement Moore classic "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" and debate the merits of modifying classic material in the public domain before transitioning to their conversation with author, illustrator, and father of two, Chris Van Dusen. Chris shares his story of coming up in the art world, and the path that led him to writing and illustrating classic kids books such as Circus Ship, the Mr. Magee series, and the If I Built series as well as illustrating the Mercy Watson series for author Kate DiCamillo.

After the interview, Marc shares a story of connecting in person with one of our early guests, singer/songwriter Martin Sexton.

From our families to yours, we wish you happy, safe, and fun holidays. - Adam & Marc

LINKS:
Chris Van Dusen (Official)
Chris Van Dusen (Instagram)
Chris Van Dusen (Facebook)
Martin Sexton
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Any parents of teenagers? (...Or have kids who will be teenagers before you know it?) The seismic shifts that take place during the teenage years can make parenting feel impossible. Inspirational speaker Ed Gerety joins the conversation to impart some wisdom on how to raise curious, grateful, resilient, and self-sufficient teenagers in today's fast-paced world. Hand around after the interview to hear Adam share a recent Instant Regret.

Episode 114 of Modern Dadhood opens with a quick chat between Marc and Adam about gratitude. Adam shares a story about his 7 year old daughter receiving a gratitude award at school, and the guys talk about modeling thankfulness to their kids. The guys transition to Adam's recent conversation with inspirational speaker Ed Gerety who has built an impressive career visiting middle schools, high schools, and companies to inspire kindness, leadership, empathy, and more. The conversation touches on topics such as:

• The significance of being truly present parents
• Creating a list of family values to guide your decisions
• Communication strategies for teenagers who don't want to talk
• The value of fostering curiosity in our kids
• Modeling empathy and vulnerability by admitting your mistakes
• Debunking myths about entitlement
• Separating behavior from identity
• And more!

Listen to the end to hear Adam try to talk his way out of explaining something wholly inappropriate to his 10 year old kid in a new installment of Instant Regrets.

LINKS
Ed Gerety (official)
Shine Your Light (Ed's new book)
Ed on Instagram
Ed on LinkedIn
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

Every new parent stumbles and bumbles their way through learning the responsibilities of their new job, and adapting to their new lifestyle. Most of the "what to expect" books for dads seem to focus on swaddling and potty training, when what we really need is resources for loneliness or advice on how to keep your cool when you're totally overwhelmed. Today's guest, Joe Gidjunis, spent so much time contemplating fatherhood, that he decided to produce a documentary series about it... and PBS loved it so much, they made it available to millions of people. A father of one and former journalist, Joe opens up about his show Grown Up Dad, and how he hopes it will help new dads find joy in being present and in control. Listen to the end for an uproarious (and disgusting) installment of Did I Just Say That Out Loud?

The guys open Episode 113 of Modern Dadhood with a quick catch-up on the 2nd Annual Checket Family Halloween Party before welcoming Joe Gidjunis into the conversation. Joe is the creator and host of Grown Up Dad, a documentary series airing on PBS that explores many of the same topics that this podcast explores. Joe shares about his early ideas for a film exploring fatherhood, and how he landed on a docuseries which has found him traveling the globe, meeting dads, and diving deep on the value of present fatherhood.

After the interview, Marc shares an installment of Did I Just Say That Out Loud? that has Adam splitting a gut.

LINKS:
Grown Up Dad (official)
Grown Up Dad (PBS)
Grown Up Dad (Instagram)
Joe Gidjunis (Instagram)
Grown Up Dad (Facebook)
Grown Up Dad (LinkedIn)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

What do happiness hacks, magic mushrooms at Bonnaroo, and suburban dadding have in common? Comedian Pete Holmes, that's what. Pete (You Made It Weird podcast, HBO's Crashing) has been a "pie in the sky" guest for since the wee beginnings of Modern Dadhood, and the conversation didn't disappoint. Pete opens up about being a vulnerable dad, the importance of emotional transparency, working six-year-old Lila into his jokes, and more. Listen to the end for an Instant Regret which left Marc feeling like a dink.

Episode 112 of Modern Dadhood opens with the fastest catch-up in the history of the show, so the guys can get straight into their conversation with comedian Pete Holmes, who has been on the Modern Dadhood bucket list since the show was conceived. Pete brought the goods, and the dudes had an in-depth conversation about what it means to be a dad. The conversation took many twists and turns, and includes topics such as:

Listen to the end to hear about Marc's recent Instant Regret!
• How to balance being a friend and a parent to your kid
• The emotional extremes of parenting
• The value of teaching your kids that you are a human
• Modeling behaviors we want to see our kids embody
• Embracing vulnerability to foster a stronger relationship with your kid
• And more!

LINKS
Pete Holmes (official)
You Made It Weird (Apple Podcasts)
I Am Not For Everyone (Netflix)
Faces And Sounds (HBO)
Crashing (HBO)
Comedy Sex God (book)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a stressful, emotional path to becoming a parent. Adding a surrogate to the equation introduces a new set of risks and stressors. For Ryan O'Connell and his wife, when the stars aligned and their healthy, perfect baby was born, it was nothing short of a miracle... and then they hit the lottery a second time. During our conversation, Ryan opens up about the deeply personal and intricate process of having children via surrogacy, shedding light on the highs and lows that come with it. We explore the emotional challenges, legal complexities, and moments of triumph that the O'Connells faced along the way. Listen to the end for an ego-deflating installment of Kisses and Disses.

Episode 111 of Modern Dadhood opens with a quick catch-up with the guys about the back-to-school process and the crazy, overwhelming nature of parent life. The guys waste no time getting into Adam's conversation with fellow girl-dad Ryan O'Connell, an event manager and prolific blogger. Ryan lives in New Jersey with his family, including his two daughters, nine and four.

Ryan opens up about the highs and lows of dad life, navigating the world of surrogacy, and the emotional rollercoaster involved in starting a family. We discuss the challenges and triumphs he and his wife faced on their path to parenthood, including their experiences with surrogates and the intricate medical and emotional processes involved. Topics include:

• The process of finding a surrogate
• What attributes make a couple and potential surrogate click?
• A brief overview of IVF
• The potential risks and setbacks of working with a surrogate
• The emotional and physical toll of miscarriages
• The legal and financial side of surrogacy
• And more!

Listen to the end for an ego-deflating installment of Kisses and Disses.

LINKS
Giddy Up America (Ryan's blog)
Ryan O'Connell (LinkedIn)
Reproductive Possibilities (surrogacy agency)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast