Just Winging It

From the moment you move into a new home, the projects begin and never stop. With all this extra time at home now during the pandemic, it seems the projects have multiplied. John and Patrick celebrate Father's Day with a chat about their home improvement ups and downs. Let's be honest, mostly downs. Happy Father's Day!

A spark has ignited across the country as we slowly climb out of the pandemic while facing head on a crisis that continues to plague the US: the oppression of black people. Patrick and John work through how to show up meaningfully and helpfully in this moment as two white men. Most important, they want to listen and amplify black voices. Founder and co-host of the Perfect Organism podcast, Jaime Prater, joins to share some of his experience growing up holding dual identities, black and white, and to reflect with John and Patrick on the significance of this moment in the fight for racial justice.

Spring is peaking, the pandemic curve is sloping down, and we're all gradually emerging to figure out our new reality. That new reality for Patrick and his family includes a new house in new state. He and John chat about the big move, what it has been like to transition homes at this particular moment, and how we're all feeling some sense of new beginnings.

We meant it when we said it's important to check in with each other during this time of insanity. John and Patrick bring on a group of listeners for a Zoom roundtable on how we're all managing life during a pandemic.

The school-year is officially canceled. Daycare is closed for a couple more months. What has felt temporary, is now settling into something more. Patrick and John dig into what it's going to take to prepare for this longer-than-expected episode of life.

As we settle into week five of staying home and trying to balance managing a family and work, we're having to relearn how to keep up with parenting. John and Patrick catch up on the latest life events and how they're getting stuff done, continuing to adapt, and maybe making some discoveries along the way.

More than ever, it's important that we find time to check in with ourselves and with our friends and family. As the COVID-19 crisis peaks in the US, Patrick and John catch up on their weeks—the continued stress of parenting through a pandemic. Because honestly, what the heck else is there to talk about?

This is life now. It's socially distant. It's virtual school and work. It's 24/7 parenting. And as much as it's all feeling like Groundhog Day, each week has it's own flavor. This week, John and Patrick describe what it has been like to attempt the things we had been doing before the pandemic. In the face of these challenges, the two dads try to figure out how they can do better.

Our society's response to COVID-19 has triggered rapid changes in how we live—with such frequency that we're left trying to adapt daily as best we can. Patrick and John talk through how they're managing to settle into some kind of new rhythm with their families and what they're learning so far amidst this crisis.

Alright folks, now we are just winging it at a whole new level. Families everywhere are coping with the day-to-day uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. And this is only the beginning. John and Patrick take some time together to process the last couple of weeks—the closing of schools, the quarantining, the working from home with kids, and all the rest of it. As usual, we don't have any answers here. We're just learning how to be okay with that.

Socializing becomes a whole lot different after having kids; when it happens at all, it often involves a half-engagement with other people and half-focus on watching or thinking about our kids. We know friendships are generally a good thing to pursue, but who has the time to put into them anymore? Patrick and John welcome guest Finn McSweeney to chat about what it has been like for he and John to connect via their kids. The three dads explore why the pursuit of friendship with other dads is a worthy one.

When it comes to planning anything with kids, there's the fantasy version of the event we hope will happen and then there's the reality. Parenting is all about how you mind the gap. John and Patrick talk about their recent Valentine's Day and other activities they plan with their families—and how they've managed when things don't turn out the way they were "supposed" to turn out.

Time keeps on rolling by, each and every moment fleeting. Despite having a multitude of methods to capture memories of our kids, it never quite feels like we're recording enough of them. Patrick and John work through the right balance between being in the moment and capturing the moment to enjoy later, sharing some strategies on how to do a better manage their responsibility as parents to make some of the impermanent permanent.

The first few years of our kids lives come with an onslaught of sickness. Slowly, their immune systems build up while we get to repeat childhood episodes of colds, fevers, and vomit. John and Patrick chat about some of their kids' recent ailments and how the families dealt with it in the moment and in the stressful aftermath. You might not want to listen to this episode while you're eating, or after you ate, or... ever.

A new year. A new season! A new me? Patrick and John are back for season three of Just Winging It! It's time to catch up and chat about why, no matter how many new years we've begun already in our lives, it still feels like a time we need to reinvent ourselves. How will we make this year, this season, and ourselves, better than ever?!

It's the end of the year! A season filled with celebrations and maybe a bit of time to reflect on the fact that we raised our family through another full year. John and Patrick close out season two of Just Winging It. The dads take stock, reflecting back on the 40+ episodes they recorded this year, and chat about where they'd like to take their lives and the show in the new year. To all those just winging it in 2019 and those about to just wing it in 2020: thank you for hanging out with us and making us filthy rich. Oh wait, that's right we do this for free. You're welcome.

The modern US family household typically centers around children, dictating many of the life choices that parents make. It wasn't always that though. In her book, "All Joy And No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood," Jennifer Senior brings some historical context to parenting today. Patrick and John continue their discussion, going deeper into the pressures of modern parenting and exploring what the future stages might look like as their kids get older.

What if parenting doesn't bring the happiness we're led to believe it should? How do we deal with the gap between our experience and the expectations we've set with every other parent? These are some of the questions Jennifer Senior explores in her book, "All Joy And No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood." John and Patrick unpack the first half of the book, hitting on many of the threads discussed previously on the podcast about how kids impact parents— this time based in some insight from somebody who might actually know what they're talking about.

A generation that grew up with the Star Wars phenomenon now get the chance to pass on the ways of the force with their children. Ahead of the latest Star Wars theatrical release, Patrick and John reflect back on their love of the movies and franchise. And they consider the joys of being part of the millennial dad Jedi order.

What does the life of a stay-at-home-dad look like? Episode 34 guest Joe Ketner returns to report live from the front lines after leaving his job ten months ago to be home with his young children. Joe reports back to John and Patrick what it has been like to transition, how he manages his days, and what he's learned about himself on this journey.