The Dad Manual

The Dad Manual is a fatherhood podcast hosted by Tony Cooper, featuring honest conversations with dads about the real, unfiltered journey of parenthood. This parenting podcast for dads explores everything from the excitement of being a first time dad to navigating the teenage years. As one of the best podcasts for expecting dads and experienced fathers alike, we dive deep into what it actually means to be a modern dad—the struggles, the growth, the mistakes, and the moments that change you forever. Whether you're looking for a new dad podcast or seasoned parenting wisdom, this family podcast delivers the honest guidance you won't find in books.

The Dad Manual is a kids podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 41 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts The Dad Manual, a kids show with 41 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #40

  Ep 40: The Warrior Dad Who Had To Learn How To Come Home

  Sep 29, 202647 min

  Edward Crawford spent his life training to be a warrior, in the Peace Corps, in Afghanistan, and at Goldman Sachs, and it turns out that same drive almost cost him the family he was fighting for. In this conversation for the first time dad podcast, Edward opens up about deploying six days after his son was born, the videos he recorded for his kids in case he didn't come home, and the moment he realized his hyper vigilance was helping him survive but hurting his marriage. He and Tony talk about raising a daughter with autism, taking daughters on dates, and why "nothing's changed, but I have" became the truest sentence of his life. This is one of those episodes that speaks directly to any family podcast listener wondering how to actually come home, not just physically, but emotionally. Key takeaways: Giving kids responsibility for animals teaches empathy and care from a young age Edward's son's autism reshaped how he defines success and connection Deploying to Afghanistan six days after his son's birth changed how he saw fatherhood Coming home from war is often harder than the deployment itself Hyper vigilance that once kept him alive worked against him at home A five day silent retreat helped Edward reconnect with his heart over his head His number one goal became simply "be a better husband to Mary Crawford" Kids writing "Best Dad Ever" on his truck redefined what success means to him If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/ 00:00 Edward Crawford's introduction 00:53 Meet Tony and the dad manual mission 01:07 Edward introduces himself 02:12 Caroline, the singer at a conservatory 03:05 Edward's son and his autism journey 04:07 Meet Annabelle, the animal collector 05:18 Where all the animals came from 10:50 How autism reshaped Edward's mindset 14:57 Becoming a dad, the Haiti story 17:00 Mary's pregnancy reveal 19:16 Taking daughters on dates 19:45 Deploying six days after his son's birth 20:38 Recording videos in case he didn't return 23:10 Peace Corps years and hypervigilance roots 26:13 Coming home and reconnecting with Mary 31:23 Chasing achievement versus being present 33:00 Best dad ever, written in the mud 35:16 The jungle retreat and his new objective 38:39 Becoming a better husband to Mary Crawford 44:03 Advice for a brand new father

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  Episode #39

  Ep 39: Reclaiming Childhood As A Dad, With Brandon Fong

  Sep 22, 202657 min

  What if the goal of parenting isn't to make your kid grow up, but to help them stay a kid longer? Brandon Fong joins The Dad Manual to talk about raising his daughter Kaya with childlike curiosity, emotional honesty, and zero interest in bubble-wrapping her from the world. Tony and Brandon dig into masculine and feminine energy in parenting, why toddlers process feelings in about 90 seconds if you let them, the story behind a very memorable ER visit, and how AI might make being simply human the most valuable skill of all. It's a warm, funny, unexpectedly deep conversation about staying playful while raising a person. If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/ 00:00 The slide, the ER, dad wisdom 00:39 Meet Brandon Fong 01:24 Reclaiming childhood as an adult 02:22 What sparked childlike curiosity 04:37 Naming things kills their magic 07:00 Learning Kaya's perspective 09:03 The "other mother" past life talk 11:01 What Kaya is like as a kid 12:56 Always wanting to be a dad 14:04 Masculine and feminine parenting energy 17:06 Dad's playful Coke-bag toys 20:36 How intentional Leah and Brandon were 23:00 The most surprising part of fatherhood 26:04 Letting kids get hurt to grow 33:52 Working through reactivity as a dad 36:36 The 90 second feeling rule 41:06 Raising a kid in the AI era 49:03 Kaya's core essence described 51:14 Advice for a brand new dad

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  Episode #38

  Ep 38: How Lior Weinstein Uses AI to Be a Better Dad

  Sep 15, 202648 min

  Can a chatbot help you become a more present dad? Lior Weinstein returns to The Dad Manual to dig into where AI actually helps fatherhood, and where it quietly gets in the way. Tony and Lior talk through using AI as a bedtime story ghostwriter, the idea of "artificial intimacy," why harmony beats balance, and how Lior uses AI to process emotional moments with his kids without losing his own voice in the process. They also get into generational trauma, cultural identity, and small first steps any dad can take today. Key takeaways include using AI to enhance existing family moments rather than replace them, the importance of intention before you open the app, and why context (not cleverness) is what makes AI actually useful at home. If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/ 00:00 Cold open: the tantrum book analogy 00:29 Welcoming back Lior Weinstein 01:12 Picking up the AI conversation 02:07 How ChatGPT became a bedtime tool 04:23 Making life better, not just tasks 05:14 The idea of artificial intimacy 07:30 Who owns AI generated output 08:30 Claude as a writing partner 10:47 Delivery makes a story personal 13:18 Shared experiences and bonding 14:53 Adding "magical" changes everything 17:19 Getting more done to be present 19:26 Living your purpose vs work 21:03 Kids don't experience it as passion 23:10 Harmony over balance explained 26:04 Breaking generational trauma with AI 29:02 AI as a gateway to asking for help 30:21 ChatGPT as a travel guide in Japan 33:58 Prompting Claude "as if it has ADHD" 36:16 Jewish identity and collective trauma 39:16 Passover, language, and shared meaning 44:25 Where a dad should start with AI

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  Episode #37

  Ep 37: Breaking Generational Trauma With Chris Lee

  Sep 8, 202654 min

  Tony Cooper sits down with Chris Lee, a coach, trainer, and speaker who has spent his career helping people break the beliefs that quietly run their lives, to talk about where generational trauma actually starts and how dads can be the ones who finally stop it. They dig into what happens the moment your kid pushes a button: why the reaction fires before you can think, and why the fix isn't suppressing it but learning to create a space between what happens and how you respond. Chris breaks down his idea of "response-ability," the two fears every child is actually born with (falling and loud noises), and how every other fear in your life got handed to you by someone else's playbook. The conversation also covers why kids process emotion so honestly compared to adults, how the way a dad treats a mom shapes a child's emotional environment long before the child can remember it, and a practical tool for couples: building a family vision with non-negotiables that protect the home you're creating. This is a conversation about interrupting the pattern early, doing the work before the damage gets passed down, and choosing who you want to be instead of defaulting to who you were taught to be. If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, please like and subscribe. If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. 00:00 Cold open: hot heads, clarity 00:29 Meet Chris Lee, godfather 02:03 What being a godfather means 05:13 What is emotional intelligence? 07:26 Responsibility as response-ability 08:49 The Will Smith Oscars example 11:43 The power of a deep breath 16:28 Where trauma actually comes from 17:07 The two fears we're born with 21:31 Why we forget our own divinity 24:33 Pretending vs. choosing confidence 27:33 The subliminal resentment of a baby 30:14 Why kids process emotion honestly 34:18 Feeling inadequate as a new dad 36:14 How treating mom affects the child 38:06 Building a family vision 40:40 Becoming your parents unconsciously 45:15 Choosing kind over being right 46:56 Chris on earning his own worth 50:59 Advice for a brand new dad

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  Episode #36

  Ep 36: A CEO Dad On Emotional Intelligence And Letting Go

  Sep 1, 202645 min

  A CEO and father of two opens up about why raising kids became his real education in emotional intelligence. Topher Stephenson had his children while in medical school and residency, and looks back on how becoming a dad reshaped how he sees himself and everyone around him. Key takeaways: Emotional intelligence starts with realizing you're not the center of the universe Kids reveal how far your own emotional maturity has (or hasn't) come Empathy means letting someone else's experience be real without needing to agree with it Boarding school and letting go are their own kind of parenting lesson The skills that make you a better father also make you a better leader Topher also shares the one piece of advice he wishes someone had given him as a brand new dad If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/ 00:00 Cold open 00:29 Meet Topher Stephenson 01:24 Larkin and Finn, his two kids 03:34 Having kids in med school 05:13 What fatherhood taught him 07:15 Reparenting yourself as a dad 09:21 Defining emotional intelligence 13:10 Growing up in a stoic household 16:02 The LifeSpring retreat story 20:44 Empathy and holding two views 23:43 Why fatherhood shifts your focus 26:04 Nature vs nurture in his kids 28:28 Boarding school as a family choice 33:23 The bittersweet of kids leaving home 36:16 From dad to CEO 39:57 Advice for a brand new father 43:01 Being a father, the best role

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