The Fatherhood Challenge Podcast & Radio Program

Eating disorders and disordered eating are among the most complex challenges a family can face. As dads, we often want to 'fix' the problem with logic or discipline. But when it comes to a child’s relationship with food, the mission requires a different set of tools: empathy, strategy, and a deep understanding of how to build 'eating competence.' And if you’re like me, you don’t have a clue where to even begin and that’s why I brought an eating disorder professional who is a registered dietician to walk us through the healing process for eating d...

Navigating the 'ABC's' of parenting adult children is often the hardest test a Durable Dad will face. How do you lead when you can no longer command? How do you protect when you aren't invited into the room? And how do you maintain a durable bond when the dynamic of the relationship has to be completely rebuilt from the ground up?

In this episode, we are joined by James Moffitt, the host of the ABC's of Parenting Adult Children podcast. James is a specialist in the delicate art of the empty nest and beyond. He’s here to...

What if you were the primary engineer of your child’s speech? What if the most effective way to lead your child into language wasn't by being the 'Expert' who has all the answers, but by being a 'Tactical Saboteur' who intentionally creates space for them to find their own voice?

Jeaneen Tang is a speech-language pathologist and the author of the provocative book Play Dumb & Sabotage. Jeaneen is here to strip away the confusion and give new dads the top three things they need to know about language development. She’s going to show us why some...

We imagine the Lone Woodsman—the guy who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, never complains, never asks for help, and keeps his internal world strictly guarded. We think this is 'durability.'

But in reality, a lone woodsman is just a man waiting to be overwhelmed. When you isolate yourself, you lose the counsel that would have saved you from a mistake, you lose the support that would have kept you from burnout, and you lose the mirror that would have shown you your blind spots. For the Durable Dad, strength isn't found in...

For the Durable Dad, education isn't just about grades or test scores; it’s about a strategic offensive. It’s about ensuring that the curriculum of your child’s life aligns with the legacy you are trying to build. But the idea of homeschooling can feel like a daunting 'breach' in your current lifestyle. You have questions about social dynamics, academic rigor, and—most importantly—how to actually lead this mission without the house falling into chaos. And I’ve brought an expert who can and will answer those questions.

Katelyn Deville is the founder of the Homebased Me...

For many men, the absence of a father isn't just a missed milestone; it’s a 'breach' in their identity. It’s a silence that screams, 'Who would I be if I had been claimed?' But there is a different way to look at that silence. There is a way to take the fragmented, chaotic tracks of a difficult childhood—the loss, the confusion, the rejection—and remix them into a legacy of power, purpose, and clarity. We’re going to hear a real story of how this was done.

In this episode, we are joined via cellph...

Adoption isn't just a legal process; it is a tactical act of rescue and a lifelong commitment to endurance. It is the ultimate expression of a Durable Dad—someone who chooses to be the foundation upon which a child’s new life is built. But once the rescue is over, the real climb begins. How do you forge a bond that is strong enough to weather any storm? How do you teach a son who was once 'lost' that he is now a 'warrior' capable of reaching the summit?

There are few people better equipped to discuss the...

Many of us have also felt the specific frustration that comes when our kids struggle—especially when it comes to reading and school. Too often, we find ourselves stepping into the role of a 'disciplinarian' or a 'tutor,' and in the process, the connection we actually want with our kids starts to slip away.

But what if the key to unlocking your child’s ability to read isn't more flashcards or stricter rules? What if the secret is actually a closer connection?

Today we are joined by Russell Van Brocklen, an expert who is help...

Today, we’re talking about the dinner table conversations. We’re exploring how a simple 'charitable allowance' isn't just about money; it’s a tool for a father to teach his sons empathy, agency, and the profound emotional weight of looking out for someone else.

John Bromley has spent over a decade helping people turn the abstract idea of 'doing good' into a tangible, daily reality. As the Founder and CEO of Charitable Impact, John has built a platform that has facilitated nearly $2 billion in donations. He is a titan in the world of Canadian philanthropy, but today...

Pornography is a digital breach that targets the very architecture of a young man’s brain. It hijacks his dopamine, distorts his view of women, and creates a 'mental fog' that can disconnect him from his purpose, his faith, and his future family. For many fathers, this feels like an impossible battle—we feel outgunned by the technology and paralyzed by the awkwardness of the conversation.

But a Durable Dad doesn’t retreat in the face of a breach; he moves to the Forward Position. Protecting your son isn’t just about the software you install on his phon...

For the sentinel dad, 'hoping for the best' is not a strategy. To be a Durable Dad, you need an intentional framework. You need to know which character traits you are actually installing into the hearts of your children and which ones you are modeling in your own life. You need to move from a 'survival' mindset to a 'strategic' one. Our guest joins us remotely to give you that framework.

Dr. Daniel Huerta, is the Vice President of Parenting and Youth at Focus on the Family. Dr. Huerta is the author of 7 Traits of Effective Parenting...

For many children, the death of a beloved pet is the very first time the 'Great Dark Unknown' enters their world. It is the first time they experience the heavy, confusing weight of grief. And in that moment, they don't just need a dad who can dig a hole in the backyard; they need a Spiritual Shepherd who can answer the hardest 'Why' they’ve ever asked.

Dads often feel ill-equipped for this conversation. We want to be 'tough,' or we offer clichés like 'He’s in a better place,' without really knowing how to ex...

There is an Internal Civil War that rages in us. We think we are one single, consistent person, but in reality, we are a complex system of 'Parts.' We have the Protector, the Provider, the Achiever, and the Wounded Child—and often, they are all fighting for the steering wheel of our lives.

For the Sentinel, true leadership doesn't start with commanding others; it starts with commanding yourself. If you are 'blended' with your anger or your anxiety, you aren't leading—you’re reacting. To be a Durable Dad, you have to do the inner work to mov...

Pornography isn’t just a ‘bad habit.’ It’s a digital siege on the adolescent mind—a flood of 'mental cobwebs' that tangles up their identity, stunts their emotional growth, and creates a thick barrier between their soul and the Holy Spirit. For the dad standing on watch, the goal isn't just to 'stop the behavior.' The goal is to clear the path so that deep, inner restoration can actually begin.

But how do you lead a son or daughter out of that darkness without crushing them with shame? How do you move past the 'filters' and the 's...

Childhood obesity isn't just about 'carrying a few extra pounds.' It is a silent, systemic threat to a child’s long-term durability—impacting their heart health, their hormone levels, and their self-worth. But for the Sentinel, the answer isn't 'tough love' or shame. Shaming a child for their weight is like blaming a soldier for a broken compass; it doesn't fix the direction, it just breaks the spirit.

To lead a child out of obesity, a father has to look beyond the plate. He has to understand the 'Invisible Drivers'—the ADHD-driven impulsivity that makes saying 'no' i...

For many, a divorce isn't just a relational tragedy; it’s a total tactical collapse. The 'system' can strip a man of his savings, his home, and most importantly, his access to his children, leaving him defenseless in a war against families that often has already decided the father should lose.

In this episode I'm joined remotely by Ronald Platt, the architect behind the National Association of Self-Directed Families (NASDF). Ronald is introducing a game-changer for the American father: Divorce Insurance. He’s here to show us how to build a 'Legal War Chest' that levels the play...

The provider lie is the belief that your bank account can substitute for your presence. It’s the idea that your 'Provision' ends at the wallet, rather than beginning with your heart, your time, and your spiritual leadership. It’s a trap that convinces us to trade our children’s childhoods for a promotion, only to realize too late that we’ve bought a lifestyle but lost a legacy.

Today, we are joined by a panel of men who have walked and are still walking through this fire. We’re going to deconstruct the myth of the 'Silent Pr...

We work so hard to provide for our families that we eventually become strangers to them. We trade our presence for a paycheck, and our children grow up with a father who is a 'Provider' in the bank account but a 'Ghost' at the dinner table.

For the Sentinel, protection isn't just about a life insurance policy; it’s about being the primary influence in your child’s life. It’s about being there for the small conversations that shape a big future. But in today’s economy, how do you come home without losing your edge? How do y...

When a father loses his job, when a mother faces a medical emergency, or when the weight of life simply becomes too heavy to carry alone, the lack of a support system often leads to the unthinkable: the state stepping in and the family being torn apart.

But what if the antidote to the foster care crisis isn't more government funding, but more open front doors? What if the 'Durable Dad' isn't just a protector of his own children, but a sentinel for the family down the street? What if, just what if, we can heal dads...

If you match your child’s chaos with your own anger, you’ve just turned the heat up on a house that’s already burning. But if you can master the neurobiology of your own calm, you provide the 'External Regulator' your child’s developing brain desperately needs. Emotional Intelligence isn't about 'being soft'; it’s about having the Tactical Restraint to lead your family out of the fire instead of into it. And my guest is going to give us some language and strategy to do just that.

Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst. Dr. Vanderhorst is a psychologist and an exp...

As fathers, we often think our job is just to protect them from the storm. But a Sentinel knows that the greatest protection you can give a child isn't a wall on the outside—it’s a compass on the inside.

If a child knows who they are and why they are here, they don't need to fear the world. They can walk into the wind with courage because their identity is an anchor, not a sail. Courage isn't the absence of fear; it’s the presence of a purpose that is bigger than the fear, and much b...

This episode continues with part 2 of my conversation with Ed Dickerson. If you did not listen to part 1, you will will want to to back and listen to that first and then come back and listen to part 2 so you have complete the complete story and context.

You can email Ed Dickerson at: edickers@netins.net and write "homeschool inquiry" in the subject line and ask for his free guide book resource that has helped so many families.

To be a guest on The Fatherhood Challenge visit: https://podmatch...

In part 1 of our conversation, we are joined by a girl dad of two PHD daughters, (one of whom is my wife). This dad didn't just fight for his own family; he became the master architect of a movement that secured freedom for every family in the state of Iowa to educate their own children.

Ed Dickerson didn't just lobby; he mastered the art of the 'Unlikely Alliance.' He understood that to win, you have to speak the language of both sides of the aisle. He navigated the halls of the Iowa Statehouse, building a bipartisan...

Our kids aren't listening to our lectures; they are watching our lives. They are looking to see if the God we talk about in the car is the same one who influences our patience in the kitchen.

If our faith doesn't have 'boots on the ground' in the mundane moments of fatherhood, it won't have any weight when our kids hit the storms of their own lives. We have to move from being 'church day Believers' to 'Everyday Priests' of our own households.

James Moffitt is the founder of Father’s Refuge. James has dedicated hi...

For a long time, we were told that a 'strong' father was a stoic one—a man who suppressed his emotions until they inevitably leaked out as anger or withdrawal. But the truth is, true strength isn't found in suppression; it’s found in Self-Regulation.

When we talk about Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, we aren't talking about being 'soft.' We’re talking about being an Emotional Anchor. Your kids are looking at you to see how a man handles frustration, how he navigates disappointment, and how he reconciles after a mistake. If you can’t lead your own...

When we see our child struggling with a math problem, fumbling with their shoelaces, or facing a social conflict on the playground, every instinct in our bodies screams at us to step in. We want to be the hero. We want to be the 'Protector' who smooths the path and removes the pain. But what if our 'help' is actually an act of sabotage? So how are we supposed to just bypass our fixing nature and how are we supposed to know when it’s appropriate to do so?

Jody Hill is a confidence coach and an ex...

We’ve all heard the stories of dads who have been pushed to the sidelines, treated like a paycheck with visitation rights. But today, we’re joined by an advocate who is standing in the gap for those men. And what makes her voice so powerful is that she isn't a father—she’s a mother who refuses to stay silent while children are deprived of their dads.

Rachel is known to many as the 'Fathers' Advocate Mom.' She’s a voice for the voiceless in the family court system, dedicated to dismantling the bias that says a fat...

Today, we are joined by a man who operates at a level of capacity that most of us can only imagine. He is a titan in the world of financial education, a successful entrepreneur, and a man of deep, unshakable faith. But perhaps his most impressive credential is the title he holds at home: Father of nine. We’re diving into the 'Trade of a Lifetime.' We’re exploring how to apply market-level discipline to your spiritual life, how to build wealth without losing your soul, and what it actually looks like to lead a large family with inte...

Every man has a vision of what fatherhood will look like. We imagine the ball games, the graduations, and the moment we pass down our skills to the next generation. But for millions of fathers, that vision is redirected by a single moment in a doctor’s office. A diagnosis is handed across a desk, and suddenly, the map you’ve been following for your life is gone.

You’re in a new territory. It’s a landscape defined by therapies, advocacy, and a level of emotional complexity that most men aren't trained for. In that moment, many dad...

 This episode is an update on the Ancientz franchise. If the Ancientz sounds familiar it’s because the Ancientz characters were featured in the episode called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If you haven’t listened to that episode, I would encourage you to stop and listen to that episode first, and then come back to this one so everything will have context. Now we’re going to get an update on the growth of the Ancientz franchise and how you can get your own Ancientz characters.

Learn more about Ancientz and place orders at https://ancientz.com/

In Part 2 of our conversation with Jerold Limongelli, we learned from his testimony how dads can protect their kids and their families from spiritual deception. If you haven't listened to part 1 in the previous episode, it is strongly recommended that you do so for context before listening to part 2. His testimony was powerful!

To connect with Jerold Limongelli or learn more about what he is doing, visit: https://taplink.cc/thekingdommindedman?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnQkyLhDXosRqWd8JaheU-ZPZELpPRAlb4A43C-qdpXeMDl27JKpBgdJsXoNw_aem_yaLcAthlJ587o3...

When the 'Self' is your only god, you have no anchor when the storm hits. And as dads, if we don't know how to spot the counterfeit, we can’t protect our kids from it. We end up raising children who are spiritually adrift because we traded the Rock of Ages for a handful of crystals and 'positive energy. I’ve brought a guest who will help Dads spot the counterfeits, protect their family and connect to the ultimate source of power and success.

Jerold Limongelli didn't just study the New Age; he lived it. He climbed that...

Jermaine Wilson didn't just 'do time.' He allowed his time in state prison to be the forge that reshaped his entire identity. While he was separated from his children by cold steel, he refused to let his fatherhood go cold. Through programs like Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree, he learned that you can be a 'present father' even when you aren't physically in the room.

Jermaine didn't just return to society; he rose to lead it—eventually becoming the Mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas. He has moved on from being a mayor to working for Prison Fellowship as a...

Today’s episode is a deep dive into a book that I believe should be issued to every man the moment he finds out he’s going to be a dad. The author didn't just 'study' babies; she decoded them. She discovered that every infant on the planet—regardless of culture or language—uses five universal sounds based on their body's natural reflexes. In this hour, I’m going to give you the 'Sentinel’s Cheat Sheet' to these five sounds. We’re going to move you from 'guessing' to 'knowing,' so that the next time the alarm goes off at 3...

As dads, we spend a lot of time worrying about who our kids are hanging out with or what they’re watching on screens. But we often overlook one of the most powerful 'discipleship' tools we have: the way they handle a dollar.

Financial literacy isn't just about math; it's about management. It’s about teaching a child that they are not the owner of their lives, but the steward of what has been entrusted to them. If a child doesn't learn to master a ten-dollar allowance today, the world will have no trouble mastering them with a te...

Being a 'Durable Dad' isn't just about being strong; it’s about being available. It’s about ensuring your structural foundation is aligned so you can handle the literal and metaphorical weight of fatherhood for the long haul. My guest is going to share some compelling reasons why having a really good chiropractor is essential for every dad.

We’re joined by Dr. Thomas Wick of Wick’s Chiropractic in Vinton, IA. Dr. Wick specializes in helping men move from 'just getting by' to 'optimal performance.' And as far as skill is concerned he is one of the b...

Child sexual abuse is the conversation every father wants to avoid because the mere thought of it is paralyzing. But here is the hard truth: Silence is the predator’s greatest ally. Our discomfort is their opportunity. To be the true 'Sentinel' of our homes, we have to be willing to look at the 'unthinkable' so that we can prevent the 'irreparable.' and that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about in this episode.

Veronica Thompson is a leading voice in trauma-informed, faith-based advocacy. She doesn't just talk about the statistics; she provides a bluepr...

In this episode we’re talking about moving from 'Passive Spectator' to 'Lead Architect.' We are diving into a movement that treats fatherhood with the same level of intentionality as a high-stakes professional venture. We will explore how to close the 'engagement gap' and build a relationship with our children that is rooted in more than just shared DNA.

Joining us is Jon Hord, the founder of The Engaged Father Project. Jon is on a mission to help men reclaim their place at the center of their families, providing the tools and the blueprints necessary to bu...

In this episode, we are talking about the 'grandfamilies'—the men who are doing it all over again, with more gray hair but also with a much deeper perspective on what actually matters.

Joining us is Jerry Culver, a man who understands the grit and the grace required for this specific calling because he is on second watch as we call it. If you're raising your grandkids as Jerry is, he wants you to know you're not alone.

Special thanks to Smile Online Course & Books for sponsoring this episode. To learn more vi...

If you're a new dad and you’ve been feeling like a stranger in your own home, or if the joy you expected has been replaced by a heavy, silent struggle, this episode is for you. You aren't a 'bad dad,' and you aren't weak. You are navigating a massive neurological, hormonal, and lifestyle shift that no one warned you about. There is hope and there are answers.

Dr. Shoshannah Guerrero has her PhD. in Marriage and Family Therapy and Dr Rachael Schmitz is the sole author for her first publication within the American Journal of Nu...