The Dad Whisperer Podcast

Today on The Dad Whisperer Podcast we’re re-airing Part 2 of a 2-Part conversation from 2017 with my friend Paul Young, and it’s packed with rich and profound content that's as relevant today as it was when we recorded it. I’ve titled today’s episode, When God Becomes a Real Father, where you’ll hear Paul talk about his first book, The Shack, while sharing his story of untangling the image he had of God based on experiences he had with his earthly father. With his sequel, Return to the Shack, just being released last month, it’s fitting to listen to these timeless truths that will definitely encourage and inspire you. 0:00 Open 0:36 A word from Michelle 5:09 Welcome, and Michelle introduces Paul Young 7:06 On your mark: When God Becomes a Real Father 7:13 How Paul came to the name Papa 9:15 "I'm especially fond of you" 10:21 The women's prison 12:45 Loved because you exist: what daughters need to hear 15:48 Break 16:59 Perception is projection 18:44 Fifty years to wipe my father's face off God's 20:32 His father's 80th birthday 22:09 From woundedness to tenderness 24:36 "I can't do God the Father" 25:33 The black Labrador retriever 26:13 Crossroads, and why Papa shows up as a woman 27:51 "God the Father has a womb" 29:10 Go step: talk to the one you're closest to 30:29 What it will cost you 30:49 Sign-off 31:10 Support The Dad Whisperer 32:56 Close

Chapters 0:00 Open 0:35 A word from Michelle 3:40 Welcome, and Michelle introduces Paul Young 5:22 On your mark: From Bondage to Freedom 7:54 Paul's father: "a terrifying man" 9:40 "Your father was disappointed in you" 11:52 "I'll be good," and the God we were taught 13:59 Break 15:10 One family, different wounds: his sister 18:26 Becoming a father himself 20:54 Anger, buried and unfocused 22:03 Kim, Willard, and the counterbalance 24:06 Healing, and exposure as a gift 26:24 Forgiveness is not reconciliation 27:59 Go step: validate your own story 29:16 Thank you, Paul, and a word to dads 29:47 Support The Dad Whisperer 30:51 Close

Dad, if your daughter’s tone ever makes you want to match it, this one is for you. At the NRB conference I sat down with Jill Garner, founder of Manners of the Heart, a nonprofit focused on reawakening respect in our society for the sake of the next generation. Her books, including Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World and Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World, have sold over 100,000 copies, and her most recent is Strong Heart: Cultivating Humility, Respect, and Resiliency in Your Child. Jill’s starting point: manners isn’t a set of rules. It’s “an attitude of the heart.” From there we get practical: the difference between punishment and discipline, why “let’s back up a minute” gives a daughter a do-over without shaming her who, what to do when she’s rising up at a seven or an eight, and why self-respect and self-esteem are, in Jill’s words, “two absolutely polar opposites.” Jill also gives dads her GRIT acronym, and her go step is the one she gave us early on: be the man you want your daughter to marry. On your mark… get set… go. 0:36 Welcome and On Your Mark 1:38 Meet Jill Garner 3:16 Where the passion began 3:58 Manners is an attitude of the heart 5:24 When Dad gets triggered by disrespect 7:07 Punishment vs. discipline 8:14 Breaking the generational pattern 12:39 Be the man she’d want to marry 14:10 Teach it, or model it? 16:24 The great pause 17:51 When she says no 21:37 Break 22:48 Welcome back 23:11 Self-respect vs. self-esteem 26:27 The home of respect 28:25 GRIT 29:16 The go step 30:25 Where to find Jill 30:46 Sign-off

00:00 — Open 00:36 — Welcome, and the grid: on your mark, get set, go 01:45 — Meet Dr. Zach Wagner 04:10 — On your mark: Cultivating Character That Counts — what “virtue” means 06:25 — The nine fruit of the Spirit 08:13 — Start with the heart 13:02 — “God likes you” — the delighting love underneath everything 17:25 — Perfecting love, accepting love, delighting love 22:25 — Welcome back — peace, and men and anger 24:25 — Peace is not passivity 25:31 — The shoes in the doorway: patience and gentleness in real time 30:31 — After you’ve raised your voice — “will you forgive me?” 31:24 — Kindness: entering her suffering 34:06 — The stolen bike 35:58 — The who-what-when-where-why-how grid for empathy 37:37 — Go: pick one fruit and work it for a week 40:07 — Where to find Zach 41:00 — Sign-off, and a new way to partner with The Dad Whisperer

It’s a joy today to hear from Nick Vujicic as we anticipate the release of the movie about his extraordinary life, NO LIMBS, NO LIMITS, coming to theaters September 25th. As a dad to twin daughters, Nick brings a powerful and personal perspective to our conversation about how dads can inspire and lead their daughters to live boldly, trust God deeply, and embrace a faith with no limits. This is one conversation you definitely don’t want to miss!

Today on The Dad Whisperer Podcast, I’m joined by a new friend, Gigi Butler, founder of Gigi’s Cupcakes. If you’re a dad who wants to inspire your daughter to be an entrepreneur who pursues her dreams with grit, faith, and fearless ambition, you’ll definitely want to listen in. And her new tv show, “In the Kitchen with Gigi” debuts next month…so the timing of this conversation about dreaming BIG is one Gigi lives out every day in her own life!

Today on The Dad Whisperer Podcast we’re privileged to hear from Caleb Price, a dad to five kiddo’s (2 of them daughters) about what it looks like to start strong by creating a firm foundation in a young daughter’s life. Caleb is a filmmaker and movie director, as well as founder of The Podcast Upload, a media company serving faith-driven brands and thought leaders. If you’re ready to be inspired by a dad who intentionally leads his young daughters to live with vision and passion, you’ll love this conversation!

Whether you're a dad wanting to learn how to intentionally bless your daughter—or you’ve never experienced your father's blessing, this episode is for you. Today on The Dad Whisperer Podcast Dr. John Trent shares why a father's blessing is one of the most powerful gifts he can give his daughter—and why its impact lasts a lifetime. He also prays a special blessing over you too. This is definitely an unforgettable conversation that will inspire and encourage you!

As we celebrate our country’s 250th birthday this week and focus on the theme of FREEDOM, I thought it would be fun to do a parallel story in honoring our courageous forefathers while inspiring present-day dads to follow in their footsteps. Today I’m joined by my husband, Dr. Ken Canfield, as we talk about how a POWERFUL FATHERING VISION LEADS TO POSITIVE ACTION. If you’re ready to be motivated, celebrated and inspired, we invite you to listen in! 

Happy Father’s Day Dads! With this being the week to celebrate YOU, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share about recent interactions I’ve had with dads around the country. I want to give you a first hand view of what I’m hearing, which leads me to call this episode, “Dr. Michelle’s Front Lines Fathering Report.” Think of this as your personal invitation to sit down with me as together we debrief and strategize!