Breaking cycles and building bonds across two families and thirty years.

Paul Crawford raised four children across two marriages and now brings grandfather wisdom to modern parenting challenges. From becoming a father at 29 while in grad school to navigating divorce, strained relationships, and ultimately reconnecting with his adult children, Paul shares raw insights about intergenerational trauma and conscious healing. This parenting podcast explores attachment theory, the critical importance of unconditional love, and how sometimes the best thing you can do for your kids is work on your relationship with your partner. Whether you're a new dad or navigating complex family dynamics, Paul's journey offers perspective on breaking bad patterns and passing on the good.

Key Takeaways:

• Intergenerational trauma works itself out through you as a parent
• The first two years establish whether children trust their caregivers
• Working on your partnership is one of the best things you can do for your kids
• Grandparenting offers a second chance to apply hard-won wisdom
• Breaking cycles requires awareness of both good and bad impulses
• Allowing kids to fail teaches resilience and problem-solving
• Reconnection with estranged children is possible through patience
• Managing emotions during conflict creates better outcomes than winning arguments
• The biological bond with grandchildren is powerful and immediate
• New fathers should embrace good impulses while staying aware of inherited trauma

If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com

Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/

• (00:00) - Introduction and Paul's background
• (02:07) - Becoming a dad at 29
• (03:38) - Divorce and co-parenting challenges
• (06:12) - When his son moved back in
• (12:38) - Getting remarried and blending families
• (18:25) - Tension between old and new families
• (22:14) - Letting kids fail builds resilience
• (28:42) - Managing conflict without winning
• (34:16) - Working on your partnership first
• (38:50) - Why the first two years matter
• (42:20) - Becoming a grandfather to twins
• (46:53) - Attachment theory and unconditional love
• (52:08) - Advice for brand new fathers
• (57:01) - Breaking cycles and passing on wisdom

Parenting doesn't follow a script, and sometimes life throws you every curveball imaginable.

Danny Cooper shares his raw, honest journey of raising his child Sari while navigating his wife Emily's decade-long battle with breast cancer that began when Sari was just three months old. From aggressive chemotherapy and stem cell transplants to ultimately losing Emily when Sari was 10, Danny had to step into both parental roles while dealing with his own grief. Years later, Sari came out as transgender, transitioning from female to male at age 26. Danny opens up about the emotional complexity of celebrating his child's happiness while grieving the daughter he thought he had, and what it means to reprogram yourself as a father when your child's identity shifts. This conversation explores resilience, unconditional love, and showing up for your kids no matter what life brings.

Key Takeaways:

• How to be present for your child during a partner's terminal illness
• Balancing work demands with being there for critical family moments
• Teaching kids self-reliance while providing unwavering support
• Processing grief as a parent while keeping your child stable
• Supporting a child through gender transition as an adult
• The psychological process of accepting your child's new identity
• Creating safety and unconditional love in single parenting
• Instilling values like empathy, work ethic, and kindness through adversity
• Why being hands-on from birth matters for long-term connection
• Choosing your child over work when it truly matters

If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com.

Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/

• (00:00) - - Introduction
• (01:35) - - Meeting Sari and early parenthood
• (03:45) - - Emily's breast cancer diagnosis
• (07:20) - - Aggressive treatments and survival
• (11:45) - - Being a dad during medical crisis
• (15:30) - - Emily's passing when Sari was 10
• (19:15) - - Single fatherhood and stepping up
• (23:40) - - Sari's gender transition at 26
• (27:50) - - Grieving the daughter you thought you had
• (32:10) - - Becoming a boy dad unexpectedly
• (36:25) - - Values and principles for raising kids
• (40:15) - - Hopes and dreams for Sari's future
• (43:50) - - Advice for brand new fathers

When your teenager starts reflecting your own traits back at you, parenting gets real

Michael Guidotti shares his journey raising 13-year-old Donovan, a remarkable young man who chooses family time over friends and stands firm when his character gets attacked. From sports bonding and travel adventures to navigating split households and teenage development, Michael reveals how authentic parenting means paving your own path while staying open to feedback. This fatherhood podcast explores the beautiful complexity of watching your child develop their identity while seeing yourself reflected in their choices.

Key Takeaways:

• Start becoming a parent before the baby arrives
• Kids mirror our behaviors more than we realize
• Character matters more than popularity to some teens
• Family-oriented values can emerge naturally in children
• Teenage identity development requires support, not control
• Sports create powerful bonding opportunities between fathers and sons
• Split households can still raise well-adjusted, family-focused kids
• Confidence in your parenting path is essential
• Mistakes are inevitable and valuable in the parenting journey
• Character attacks hurt deeply when integrity matters to your child

If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com.

Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/