The Family Covenant: Simple to Create. Surprisingly Powerful.

FRD member Jason Bronstad shares five things he does that drive his wife crazy — validated by his bride of 21 years. From giving his best energy to everyone except her, to fixing when she just wants him to feel it. Nine minutes. Honest. You'll recognize yourself. 📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: frontrowdads.com/books

FRD member Eric Farewell sits down with Craig Perra for a conversation about parts work, self-leadership, and the reframe that changed Craig's life. Craig is an attorney by training and former senior executive who hit rock bottom and discovered that the parts of himself he hated most were actually trying to help him. They dig into Internal Family Systems, why there are no bad habits (only bad outcomes), how shame is actually a compliance department working overtime, and what it looks like to lead your inner world the way you'd lead a business. Craig shows how neuroscience, psychology, spirituality, and business leadership all point to the same truth: we have parts, they're in conflict, and there's a powerful center inside every one of us that can lead them. The last five minutes are especially practical. Craig walks you through how to start doing this work right now with two simple questions you can ask yourself today. 🎙️ Craig's podcast: Patterns of Power (available everywhere) 🌐 mindfulhabitmastery.com  📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast-books  

📥 Download the free Family Covenant Guide — create your own in one night: https://frontrowdads.com/familycovenant FRD members Mike Green and Samuel Shreve break down something Samuel built for his family called a covenant — a set of promises the whole family writes together about how they want to treat each other. Not dad's rules. Not abstract values. Real promises that a seven-year-old helped create and that are hanging on their wall right now. They cover how to run the meeting, how to get the kids involved, and the simple tools (like "ouch, oops") that give your family shared language for the hard moments. Twenty minutes. Practical. Something you could do tonight. 📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: frontrowdads.com/books  

Brent Perkins is a father of two, author of Paper Cuts, and a Front Row Dad since 2022. He's also the man behind the growth of our band program — the small groups of four to eight men who meet monthly for three hours to do the kind of work most guys never get access to. In this conversation, Jon and Brent dig into what actually happens when men stop performing and start being real with each other. Why bands have become the number one rated feature in our community. What the edge of vulnerability looks like. And why the skills you build sitting with other men transfer directly to how you show up at home with your wife and kids. If you've ever felt like the rock for everyone else with nowhere to lean — or if you've read the books, listened to the podcasts, and still feel stuck — this one might be the nudge you've been waiting for. For current FRD members: frontrowdads.com/vault to get into a band. For everyone else: frontrowdads.com to learn more about the community.  

Dr. Kelly Flanagan is a clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience, a Front Row Dad since 2020, and the author of several books including Lovable and True Companions. His newest book, The Road Less Triggered, is about the moment your heart closes — and what to do about it before you set your relationships back. In this conversation, Kelly and Jon get into why having the right communication tools doesn't matter if you shut down in the moments that matter most. They explore defensiveness, boundaries, the difference between reacting and responding, and what it actually looks like to keep your heart open when everything in your body is telling you to close it. If you've ever known better and still lost it with your wife or kids — this one's going to land. 📕 Grab The Road Less Triggered + $348 in pre-order bonuses: roadlesstriggered.com 📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: frontrowdads.com/books  

Download the free Money Meeting Implementation Guide — everything Dave walks through in this episode so you can start with your kids this week: https://frontrowdads.com/moneymeeting Two Front Row Dad VIP members. One big disagreement. Eric Farewell thinks allowances are a mistake. Dave Powders swears by them. In this episode, they hash it out — and what comes out of it is a practical framework any dad can use to raise financially confident kids. Dave breaks down the exact system he's used since his oldest was 8 (she's now 12 and asking about maxing out her Roth IRA), while Eric shares why he pays his kids $25–$75/hour and makes them cover their own expenses — including half their dance lessons and even dental bills. In this episode you'll learn: The 5-jar system for splitting allowance money (play, save to spend, wealth, education, give) Why biweekly "money meetings" build financial literacy most schools never teach How to use a simple ledger to teach kids budgeting before they're teenagers The difference between allowance and commissions — and why it matters less than you think How one 12-year-old is funding her Roth IRA through her crochet business Why letting your kids make money mistakes young saves them from costly ones later Whether you're team allowance or team commission, this episode will change the way you talk to your kids about money. 📚 Want more? Grab the top book recommendations from our community of 300 dads — including the reads that changed how we think about money and family — at https://frontrowdads.com/podcast-books  

This conversation was originally shared inside the Front Row Dads community — just for members. But it was too important to keep behind closed doors. Ali Jafarian sits down with Philip McKernan — world-class speaker, coach to pro athletes and top executives, and the man leading a retreat for FRD fathers at a 500-year-old castle in Ireland this June. Philip also led two powerful sessions at FRD Live 2025. They dig into the hidden guilt driving so much of our parenting, why doing the opposite of your own father still isn't authentic, and whether who you are — not what you do — is actually enough for your kids. Philip says something you won't forget: if you can't find value in just sitting with your child doing nothing, it doesn't matter what you do for the next 25 years.  

Bryan Post has spent 30 years working with families in crisis. He's a father of seven, a former foster and adopted child himself, and the author of 20 books — including From Fear to Love, which has sold over a million copies. In this conversation, Bryan breaks down why most of what we call "bad behavior" in our kids is actually stress — and why the most powerful thing a dad can do isn't fix, coach, or correct. It's slow down and breathe. What you'll learn:  — How a parent's energy directly shapes a child's anxiety  — Why love-based parenting isn't permissive (it's actually harder)  — The difference between coaching your kid and connecting with them  — How to hold space when your child is melting down without losing yourself  — Why Bryan says grief is the most overlooked tool in a father's life If you're a dad who wants to lead with love instead of fear, this one's for you. 📕 Bryan's book: feartolovebook.com 🔗 Free course for men: courage-iq.com  

Alison Armstrong has been studying men since 1991. What started as a personal mission to stop bringing out the worst in them turned into over three decades of research, workshops, and books that have changed how thousands of people understand relationships, masculinity, and what really drives human behavior. In this episode, she sits down with Jon Vroman and goes deep on what none of that research prepared her for — what it looks like when these dynamics show up between fathers and their children. What you'll learn: The 6 Dominant Drivers — building, knowing, sharing, growing, expressing, and enjoying — and how to spot yours Why your dominant driver is visible to everyone except you How a dad's drive to build can unintentionally crush a child whose driver is joy The "hidden why" behind everything you do — and why it lives in your blind spot Why Alison banned her husband from Disneyland (and what that taught her about overprotective fathers) What her stepson meant when he said "Greg was the man" — and why Greg may never have known The shame conversation every father needs to hear: why penance is easy but forgiveness takes courage Jon also shares an unscripted moment from his son's birthday that brings everything Alison teaches into sharp, personal focus. Learn more about Alison's work at alisonarmstrong.com  

Valentine's Day doesn't have to be stressful. Front Row Dad Jason Bronstad (married 21 years) breaks down how to ditch the performative stuff and actually reconnect with your wife. He shares practical moves any dad can do this weekend — a connection signal, a no-agenda date, and one powerful question most men are afraid to ask. Want to keep leveling up your marriage? Grab the top book recommendations from 300+ Front Row Dads — including the relationship books that changed the game for us — https://frontrowdads.com/books/