season of gratitude
As we all lead our different paths, A Tribe Called Dad continues to embrace our unique experiences as dads.
Whether you’re a single dad, a step dad, a married dad with grown kids whose re-nesting in a new home, a dad who has kids with special needs, a dad with toddlers, this season, this ‘album’, is about gratitude.
We hear about the ups and downs, childhood experiences that have shaped them into who they are today, who they want to be, who they don’t want to be, as fathers. As men, many of us have been conditioned for so long to suppress what we feel, but here we witness an opening to some of their deepest thoughts; some painful, some joyful, with a little bit of humor that always seems to take center stage. Whatever the situation, there’s no shortage of challenges, yet, no shortage of what makes them grateful either.
Tune in, and you’ll find yourself wrapped up in their world, hanging on their every word, and wanting to know more, like a fly on the wall.
Celebrating fatherhood with dr. Devon smith and dj hapa
We kicked off this season talking with Dr. Devon Smith, married 25 years, and a father of two, one in college and another in the midst of middle school. As a seasoned husband and father, he’s also got 20 years under his belt in the Santa Monica school district, as what he refers to as a ‘Social Justice Educator’. He also heads up a weekly men’s rap session whose intention is to have meaningful, honest conversations about life. With a wide span of knowledge and experience, we sat down to talk about ‘gratitude’. He pondered the thought and walked us through his thought process of taking one thing he was grateful for and going deep, an exercise we can all learn from and appreciate. He compares himself to a younger self and how that plays into him as a father and husband today. It was a great way to set the table for the season, in deep thought and gratitude.
BATTLING ANXIETY AND EVOLVING FATHERHOOD WITh Rudy Chung
We sat down with Rudy Chung, who tells us how his life as a dad, a father and an individual has evolved over the years, where he’s recently experienced the effects of anxiety and he’s learning to take time for himself and his family. He reminds us of the little things that make his work day a little lighter, like his daughter, Josie slipping notes under the door while he works behind closed doors in their home.
You might find him behind a desk in his home working during the weekdays, but he’s taken one of his own tips for work life balance which is ‘to plan’, where he eats lunch with his wife and kids daily and finds time for a walk as well.
Plant a seed & Watch it grow with stix
We sat down with Stix, in between his long list of to do’s as a father and a professional. Stix’s 3 kids range in ages between 1 and 15, which is a feat in itself. He provides us with valuable insight into what to consider when becoming a parent, breaking it to us quite frankly while half laughing, that your child won’t listen to you. Fortunately, like anything else that’s been put before Stix, he grasps the positive in all things and informs us that while your child might not listen to you, they will remember what you say. He gets into other important topics that for many of us might be uncomfortable, but leave us sitting on the edge of our seat. For one, the topic of sex and how to approach that topic with your kids so they can learn to do the right thing.
Embracing special needs children with Marc de grandpre
In this episode, Marc sheds light on what it means to be a dad for a child who has special needs, and in his case that special need is autism. His advice to parents who have a child with special needs speaks volumes not only to them, but to any parent. He tells us how important it is to embrace our children’s uniqueness and so much more that comes with his many years of experience and care as a father. We asked him what gratitude means to him, and if there’s anything we can take away from this talk, it’s “Don’t let a day slip by,” words spoken directly from Marc and words for us to live by.
Fatherhood as a choice with Ryan sickler
We had the opportunity to sneak in some time with Ryan this season. He tells us about the loss of his father growing up and how that’s shaped him as a father today. A single dad juggling schedules and a step dad who stays active in his son’s life, he maintains comedy is a big factor in raising both of his kids. Here you can learn some of his best step dad moments, like introducing his step son to his new little sister for the very first time and ensuring that he was a part of developing not only a sibling love between his kids, but that he was creating a family.