Dadville with Dave Barnes and Jon McLaughlin

In this episode of Dadville, we sat down with counselor and family friend Will Mooney to talk about what it actually takes to show up well for our kids. We dive deep into the core truth that "more is caught than taught"—our children mirror our emotional health far more than our verbal lectures. Will opens up about his journey into counseling, helping us unpack shadow selves, old personal baggage, and inevitable parenting ruptures (including an infamous milk-throwing incident!).  From overanalyzing innocent spouse questions about water bottles to surviving school drop-off lines, we discuss why doing internal self-work is the ultimate parenting strategy. We explore how vulnerability and honest repair model resilience, why we don't need to act like unfazed cowboys, and why no parent should navigate this journey alone. Join us for a funny, deeply honest, and practical conversation about turning daily chaos into meaningful growth and fatherhood connection. Thanks to our Sponsors! Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bollandbranch.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: ⁠⁠⁠Download the free SEEDS app⁠⁠⁠ and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. The Subtext Podcast: Search for The Subtext wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Polo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dadville or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we sit down with our good friend Robert Cunningham—pastor, writer, speaker, and founder of Christ for Kentucky. We kick things off with a crucial parenting debate: can YouTube piano tutorials replace traditional music lessons? Then, Robert gets honest about making a massive career pivot away from a comfortable pastorship with four kids and zero financial safety net to launch his own ministry. We also dig into his incredible work erasing $250 million in medical debt for Kentucky families, why future generations might judge our smartphone habits like lead paint, and how we can approach complex cultural debates around faith and identity with disarming humility. It’s a funny, honest, and thought-provoking conversation on raising boys, trusting God, and navigating major life transitions. Grab your favorite cup of coffee and join us in Dadville! Visit Christ for Kentucky: https://www.christforky.org/ All Things Dave: https://www.davebarnes.com/ All Things Jon: http://jonmcl.com Topics 00:00 – Welcome to Dadville & The Great Piano Lesson Debate 03:45 – Introducing Robert Cunningham 07:30 – Navigating the Career Pivot Without a Safety Net 18:15 – Reimagining Wealth Stewardship & Kingdom Investment 26:00 – Erasing \$250 Million in Medical Debt for Kentucky Families 36:30 – Public Strategy, Age Verification, and Protecting Kids from Tech Addiction 46:15 – Moving Beyond Online Echo Chambers 53:00 – The Beauty of Christian Ethics & Theology of the Body 1:01:30 – Deconstructing the Modern Identity Fallacy 1:18:00 – Grace, Complexity, and Wholehearted Discipleship 1:30:00 – Wrapping Up in Dadville Thanks to Our Sponsors! Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bollandbranch.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: ⁠⁠Download the free SEEDS app⁠⁠ and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. HeyPolo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to ⁠https://heypolo.com/dadville⁠ or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re catching up on the back-to-school flow and having some honest, vulnerable talks about our 40s. We laugh about the exact ways we are becoming our dads, from driving like grandmas to stockpiling ten of everything in the garage. We also reflect on what we’d tell our younger 25-year-old selves (hint: relax!) and why we need to stop focusing so much on the worries "just out of frame". Finally, we draft our ultimate Dadville Hall of Fame, sharing our favorite dad gear like sleep machines, Nike Cortez shoes, and our family-favorite card game, Play Nine. Grab a spoonful of peanut butter and join us! Since we spent so much time laughing about our inherited traits, would you like to create a personalized "Are You Becoming Your Dad?" quiz to see how your own habits stack up against our slow driving, lawn maintenance standards, and medicine cabinet stockpiles? Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp: Our listeners get 10% off their first month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://betterhelp.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shopify.com/dadville⁠⁠ Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bollandbranch.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: ⁠Download the free SEEDS app⁠ and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. HeyPolo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dadville or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we sat down with entrepreneur and author Jordan Raynor, and honestly, we had so much fun reminiscing about Jordan's freshman year at Florida State that we practically skipped our own intro. Once we got past the twenty years of nostalgia, Jordan totally reframed how we look at our daily grind. We talked about why our Monday-through-Friday work has intrinsic value to God—meaning Dave's songwriting and Jon's upcoming Christmas shows are deeply sacred, not just secular. Jordan shared incredible, practical advice for staying present with our kids, like holding "stop-doing" meetings and converting our smartphones into temporary landlines. Our absolute favorite takeaway? The liberating truth that we can peacefully leave "unfinished symphonies" behind in this life because eternity is filled with purposeful, joyful work. So grab a seat in Dadville—you won't want to miss this episode! Visit Jordan Raynor: https://www.jordanraynor.com All Things Dave: https://www.davebarnes.com All Things Jon: https://www.jonmcl.com Thanks to our sponsors! Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bollandbranch.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Dadville! Today, we’re sitting down with our incredibly learned friend, Ian Morgan Cron. We usually try to keep things light and funny, but Ian brought some serious "strings on the bridge" energy to this one. As an author, psychotherapist, former priest, and Dove Award-winning songwriter, he’s basically a vocational tossed salad. We dive deep into his complicated childhood with an alcoholic father, how we all inevitably screw up our kids, and why we need to let everyone—and ourselves—out of the penalty box. Jon got to geek out over being a fellow Enneagram Four, and Dave sat up a little straighter to show off his youthful "vigor". Truly, Ian reminded us that we’re just growing up alongside our kids, and that at the end of the day, we're in good hands. Enjoy this episode with the lovely man of permission himself! Visit Ian Morgan Cron: https://ianmorgancron.com Join us: http://dadville.substack.com All Things Dave: https://www.davebarnes.com All Things Jon: https://www.jonmcl.com Thanks to our sponsors! Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bollandbranch.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices