Unhinged Dads Podcast: Video Episodes
All episodes available on YouTube.
Click any thumbnail below to watch,
or binge the full playlist here:
Dada. Daddy. Dad. Bruh. That is not your kid getting lazy with your name. That is the job title changing out loud.
Brian and Dave talk about how a dad’s role has to change as kids grow: caretaker, teacher, coach, mentor. The fights usually start when you keep doing last year’s job after the kid has already left it.
In this episode:
What “Dada,” “Daddy,” “Dad,” and “Bruh” actually mean as job descriptions
Why pouring cereal for a kid who can do it starts the day on fire
The packing test: check the bag, hand them the list, or answer the text from the road
Why child two will ignore everything you learned on child one
The quiet grief of the last time they fell asleep on you
How to stay close in the Bruh years without grabbing the wheel back
Not a childhood-development lecture. Just what the work looks like when the title changes and you still have to show up.
Newest Episode:
All Video Episodes
29: Stoicism for Dads
Dave uses the philosophy degree. They cover real Stoicism, not the internet version, then talk about the friendships that only work when nobody is keeping score.
28: "Legacy Bad Habits"
You get mad at the behavior. Then you recognize the voice. Brian and Dave on the bad habits kids pick up from us, and how raising them sometimes makes us clean up our own.
27: From "Dada" to "Bruh"
Dada becomes Daddy becomes Dad becomes Bruh. Brian and Dave talk about the four jobs a father actually has, and why staying in the old one too long is how you pick fights you do not need.
26: "Good Enough"
Perfect is how projects die and conversations get postponed. Brian and Dave talk about calling something done, showing up before you have the perfect words, and remembering that the job still counts when it is only good enough.
24: Real Skills Matter
Most parents try to protect their kids from failure. In this episode we talk about why that often backfires, and how letting kids experience struggle (with you still present) is one of the most important things you can do for them.
Most of the work modern dads do is hard for kids to see or understand. In this episode we talk about why tangible skills still matter, and why letting your kids watch you learn and struggle is more valuable than looking like you already have it all figured out.
25: The Benefits of Failure
22: Boys Adventure Stories
Four dads talk mental health, the stay-at-home dad identity shift, failure to launch, and why being real with your kids beats the old “wait until your father gets home” model.
23: Being Real with Dave and Andres
Boys adventure stories used to shape how a generation of boys saw the world. Then they mostly disappeared. This week Chris DiNote of Raconteur Press joins us to talk about what’s been lost, what’s being rebuilt, and why these stories still matter.
20: Traveling...with children
Screens aren’t going away. In this episode Brian and Dave talk about quality vs quantity, why rigid limits often fail, and why being actively involved matters more than just watching the clock.
21: Screen Time Wars
Family trips can feel more like survival missions than vacations. Brian and Dave share real talk about the chaos, meltdowns, and unexpected memories that come with traveling with kids, plus practical tips to make it actually worth it.
18: Why Men Stopped Reading
After a 5-week gap, Brian and Dave sit down to catch up on everything that happened. Summer dad bootcamp, mountain hikes, orchestra, house repairs, sick kids, sci-fi conventions, and a whole lot of real-life chaos. Real talk from two dads just trying to keep up.
19: 5 Weeks of Dad Chaos
Brian is joined by Malory — author and PhD researcher studying men’s reading habits — for an honest discussion on why fewer men and boys read fiction today, and how snarky, action-packed storytelling might be part of the solution.
16: Boundaries Give Freedom
17: Program Design and Perverse Incentives
Brian and Dave explore how the incentives we create as parents can sometimes backfire — rewarding the exact behavior we’re trying to stop. From Goodhart’s Law to real-life dad examples, this episode digs into why good intentions often go wrong and how to design better systems at home.
Brian and Dave challenge the idea that more freedom means fewer rules. They explain how clear, reasonable boundaries actually create more liberty — less chaos, less anxiety, and better relationships — for both kids and parents.
15: It Takes a Village
14: The Ultimate Male Fantasy
Brian and Dave explore why the romantic "last stand" fantasy hits so hard for men, and why the real grind of daily Fatherhood requires a different kind of strength.
Brian and Dave debunk the collectivist argument and talk about how to build a functional voluntary community to raise your kids in.
13: The Dad Skill We ALL Suck At
Brian and Dave tackle the uncomfortable topic of giving ourselves credit and acknowledging our wins as dads — something most of us are terrible at.
12: Raising Independent Adults
Brian and Dave discuss the real ultimate goal of parenting and how to navigate higher education, trade skills, and preparing kids for the real world.
Peeks into how we make episodes.
10: Dad Friendships
Brian and Dave talk about how hard it is to maintain adult friendships when you’re already exhausted by the time the kids go to bed.
11: Lawdog's Wild Childhood
Ian “LawDog” McMurtrie joins the show to share insane stories from growing up in West Africa — trebuchets, rocket launchers, and accidental warlord moments included.
8: The Comparison Trap
Brian and Dave talk about breaking free from toxic comparison, practicing self-compassion, and giving yourself the same grace you give others.
9: Parenting as a Time Traveler
Brian and Dave discuss the strange feeling of raising kids in the modern world while holding onto older values and trying not to screw up the next generation.
6: Chores
Brian and Dave discuss why chores matter more than just getting the house clean. It's teaching responsibility, pride, and real life skills.
7: The Sleep Wars
Brian and Dave go deep on the brutal reality of sleep deprivation while raising toddlers in your 40's, and what actually helps (or doesn't.)
4: Discipline
Brian and Dave explore how to build discipline in yourself and teach it to your kids by example — plus thoughts on holiday traditions in response to our first live commenter.
5: Building Partnerships
Dave and Brian share hard-earned lessons on building a strong marriage that actually works as a team through deployments, disasters, and daily life.
2: What the Hell is Self Care?
Brian, Dave, and Tome Knighton ramble about what real self-care looks like for responsible dads (and why it feels so foreign)
3: Tantrums and More
Dave and Brian discuss kid tantrums, loud emotions, and why parents must first learn to regulate themselves.
The Pilot Episode
Brian, Dave, and Nik introduce themselves, share their wild origin stories, and kick off the first "Questions 3" segment.