The Fathers Four

We are continuing the conversation about men's mental health, and Bryan wanted to put out a solo episode to talk about how he has struggled with and helped his mental health moments. Please enjoy this solo episode, and if you're struggling with mental health issues, please do not be embarrassed about getting help.

We want to spend every episode this month talking about men's mental health. If you are suffering from severe mental health, please get help, and if you don't know where to go, call 811. If you need a different kind of help, reach out to your family and friends, and don't be afraid to ask for help. We all need it! The conversation revolves around the theme of men's mental health, discussing personal experiences, challenges, and coping mechanisms. It explores the impact of societal expectations, faith, and the need for open dialogue. The speakers reflect on the stigma surrounding mental health and the importance of seeking support and self-care. The conversation covers the topics of counseling, mental health, and the importance of recognizing and addressing personal struggles. It also emphasizes the significance of small changes and the support of family and friends in overcoming mental health challenges. Takeaways The conversation highlights the importance of addressing men's mental health and the impact of societal expectations on mental well-being. Personal experiences and coping mechanisms are shared, emphasizing the need for open dialogue and support in managing mental health challenges. The role of faith and spirituality in mental health is discussed, highlighting the value of finding calm moments and seeking support through faith-based practices. The stigma surrounding mental health and the need for self-care and seeking professional help are emphasized as crucial aspects of managing mental health challenges. The importance of recognizing and addressing personal struggles The significance of small changes in mental health improvement The support of family and friends in overcoming mental health challenges

In this episode, we discuss the importance of effective communication with spouses and share personal experiences of being bad communicators when first married. We highlight the need for growth and adaptation in communication and the importance of spending quality time together. We also discuss how technology impacts understanding and expression. Overall, the episode emphasizes the ongoing learning process of communication within a marriage. Improving communication in marriage requires active listening, adapting communication styles, and letting go of ego. Thanks for listening!!

I had the pleasure of chatting with Manny Digital from the Father Hoods podcast, and I loved the conversation. We talked about communication, sobriety, and working on being the best dad. I look forward to more opportunities to collaborate and grow this community. Check out the Father Hoods on YouTube! Please follow @thefatherfour on Instagram and YouTube.

We all recognize the importance of adventure with our families. It can be a grand international travel or something closer to home, but it's important to get out there, take your family, and do something adventurous. ps. apologies but my sound is a little off on this episode. Please follow us on Instagram and YouTube @thefathersfour

It has been a moment since we published an episode as we have all had a busy beginning to spring. Our goal is to be consistent, but we also know time with family is the most important. We don't want to sacrifice that for anything. This episode discusses how important apology is in our families, especially our wives. If we can lead by example and teach our kids the importance of apologizing or asking for forgiveness, they will be better for it as they become adults and enter into their relationships. Please follow us on Instagram and YouTube @thefathersfour.

In this episode, we explore the topic of affection with kids and how to use it in healthy ways. We discuss our experiences with affectionate fathers and the challenges of expressing emotions. We also delve into love languages and how they influence how individuals show and receive affection. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding and adapting to different love languages, as well as the impact of quality time on building strong relationships with children. This conversation explores how affection is expressed and received in relationships, particularly within families. The conversation also touches on offering support and understanding in difficult situations. Takeaways Expressing affection in healthy ways is important for building strong relationships with kids. Love languages play a significant role in how individuals show and receive affection. Understanding and adapting to different love languages can improve communication and connection with children. Quality time spent with children is a powerful way to express affection and build lasting memories. Affection is evolving and varies for each individual. It is important to understand and respect the love languages of others. Quality time and creating memories and experiences are valuable forms of affection that can outweigh material gifts. Offering support and understanding in difficult situations is a powerful way to show affection. Affection should not become excessive or intrusive, and it is important to respect personal boundaries. Thank you so much for listening!!

What parenting style are you? 1. Authoritative - create positive relationships; enforce rules 2. Authoritarian - focus on obedience; punishment over discipline 3. Permissive - don't enforce rules; kids will be kids 4. Uninvolved - provides little guidance, nurturing, or attention Most of us want to be authoritative, but as discussed in the podcast, we might have little of everything and might see areas we need to improve. Those negative parenting styles can be changed for the better. There is a lot of information out there from reputable sources that can help you determine what parenting style you have.

We can prepare our kids for change, but when it happens, the reality can be very different from what we expected. This doesn't mean preparation is not important, without it, that change might be even harder. Here's to being great dads!! We hope you enjoy the episode.

Lie may be too strong of a word, it is more about not revealing the whole truth. We may be dealing with semantics, but we are trying to speak to our kids in ways they understand. It does not work to tell them sodas are bad for them, but if we tell them it is spicy, they understand. As they get older, of course, we can speak to them more plainly or truthfully. Sometimes our lies are bigger because we are trying to protect our kids' emotions. Let's just make sure these become truths before they are hurtful. I hope you enjoy this episode, and please let us know your thoughts. Here's to being great dads!!

Our influences greatly determine how we think about parenting, and what happens when two people raise kids with different influences? We must come together, compromise, and communicate. We hope you enjoy the episode, and here's to being better dads!

All four of us practice the same faith; however, I know that all faiths can help people become better fathers and husbands. From my personal experience as a convert to Christianity, I know that my faith has made me a better person. Sometimes faith is just finding those quiet spots to pray and/or to meditate. I'm not a perfect dad, but every day I'm trying to be better and my faith helps in that journey. Here are the books I mentioned in the episode if you're interested: The Four Noble Truths by the Dalai Lama Dharma Punx by Noah Levine Our Search for Happiness by Russel M. Ballard Here's to being great dads!! Thanks so much for listening Apologies for uploading the incorrect episode!

“I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson. In this episode, we discuss ways to provide children with ways to succeed in school and work when they get older. Learning a good work ethic when you're young will set up kids for success when they get older. Thank you so much for listening and here's to being great dads! Please follow us on Instagram and Youtube @thefathersfour

Teaching kids to be good sports is one of the best qualities. Playing sports as kids is incredibly valuable and can teach many lessons that can be applied later in life. Good sportsmanship might be the best of them all. Learning to fail well and treat others with respect is a core value that will enrich their lives. Thank you so much for listening and we hope you enjoy our discussion. Happy Thanksgiving!! Happy Holidays!! Here's to being great dads!! Follow us on Instagram and YouTube @thefathersfour

Traveling with kids can bring a tremendous amount of joy and adventure and at the same time stress and difficulty. We want our kids to experience great journeys but must also consider their emotions and capabilities. A couple of us have taken our kids through great change and travel. I must admit that the older kids get, the easier traveling becomes, but we must still pay close attention. Here to being great dads!

In this episode, we discuss ways to prepare our kids for change. Two of us had big moves coming, and we knew that there would be many things to prepare for and do. We recorded this episode a while ago, and so many of the things that were going to happen have happened. I will say that it is so hard to prepare kids for change, but I'm happy that we had the conversations with them beforehand. Change is important in everyone's lives, but needs to be done with consideration and care. Here is the video we mention,"It's not about the nail": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg&ab_channel=JasonHeadley Thanks for listening and here's to being great dads!!

We just got back from College Station where we went to see Texas A&M play Alabama, and what an experience it was. However, what was truly great was being able to see each other after a couple of us had moved away from Utah. It was a great time to bond and get to know each other even more. In this episode, we discuss how to help our kids be creative. We follow tangents at times, but we discuss many ways to encourage our kids to seek creativity. One thing that is incredibly important is allowing kids to be bored. Check out this article in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/19/well/family/kids-summer-boredom.html. Thanks for listening and here's to being great dads!! ps. My kids and I never started the YouTube channel we discuss in this episode, but I believe in fostering our kid's interests even if they don't last very long. They should be allowed to experiment, it will only make them more well-rounded.

In this episode, we discuss how to help kids become self-sufficient when it comes to overcoming obstacles and hurdles. If we raise children and give them the skills to overcome difficulties on their own, we will create skilled and capable adults. We'd love to hear the ways you guide your kids.

In this episode, we are responding to a recent article in CNN about loneliness in men and, especially, fathers. These feelings have all affected us and believe it is a crucial topic. Creating a "deep connection" with male friends is a key to better mental health. Let us know if you have experienced these feelings. Follow us on Instagram @thefathersfour Here's to being great dads!

In this episode, we discuss finding better ways to react to small or medium-sized problems with our kids. Can you imagine coming home and finding your kids and your walls covered in Vaseline? How would you react? I'm sure we have all reacted poorly, but we are constantly trying to improve how we speak to and discipline our children. Thank you so much for listening! Here's to being great dads!!