9. The Challenges of Raising Kids in the Modern World and Why Millennials Aren’t Having Kids

9. The Challenges of Raising Kids in the Modern World and Why Millennials Aren’t Having Kids

We’ll be honest with you, listeners. When we sat down to record this episode, we had a completely different topic in mind, but with the heavily publicized murder of an innocent woman on Charlotte’s (our hometown) light rail, and the political violence that has spread like wildfire, neither of us felt like we could ignore what’s going on. In today’s episode of Millennial Dads, we decided to address some of the current events happening in our community, both locally and nationally, and how it relates to our never-ending efforts to be the best fathers we can be. It’s not easy raising kids even in the best of circumstances, but the general tone and feel of our current moment seem to add an extra layer of doubt and anxiety. We talk about how we’re feeling about it all (not great!), while also discussing the many reasons why people of our generation are choosing to not have kids, resulting in an unsustainably low birthrate in the US.  References: * CBS: The trends behind the historically low US birth rate [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trends-behind-historically-low-us-birth-rate-60-minutes/#:~:text=He%20pointed%20to%20one%20trend,not%20going%20to%20be%20born.%22] Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Millennial Dads Podcast 03:10 Celebrating Children's Victories 05:52 Facing Parenting Challenges 09:00 Navigating Sickness as Parents 12:06 Bedtime Struggles with Young Children 15:11 Current Events Impacting Parenting 19:07 Raising Children in a Complex World 23:00 The Fear of the Future and Parenting 27:10 Discussing Violence and Safety with Kids 30:08 Finding Balance as Parents 34:02 Navigating Tough Conversations with Kids 39:04 The Reality of Parenting in Today's World 41:57 Declining Birth Rates and Societal Impacts 55:18 The Challenges of Modern Parenthood 01:02:47 Finding Hope Amidst Adversity

8. The Rise and Struggle of the Stay at Home Dad

Ever-shifting gender and family roles have brought upon the rise of the “Stay at Home Dad,” or a father who is raising their child as the primary caregiver during the working day. While generations before us have become accustomed to the mother often finding herself on baby duty, more and more, dads are taking on the responsibility themselves. While neither Brian or Andy are stay at home dads themselves, it’s a trend they haven’t let go unnoticed. On today’s episode of Millennial Dads, we dive into the rise in daily daytime dad duty, some of the reasons for that rise, and also our own experiences having to be the primary caregiver in the family, if only temporarily.

7. Giving Your Kids the “90’s Summer”

Check any kid’s itineraries in 2025 and you’ll see there’s no end to: summer camps, sports, traveling athletic leagues, practices, showcases, and literally a million other things that need to be planned and paid for. But some parents of a certain generation are yearning to give their kids the one thing they could count on during the summers of their own youth: boredom. Having grown up in an era before cellphones and 9/11 meant having a degree of freedom, and a lack of programming, that doesn’t seem to exist for many middle-class kids these days. Millennial parents are trying to replicate that for their kids, but is it even possible? If it is possible, is it even a good thing? Brian and Andy dive into the topic on this week’s episode of Millennial Dads! Links: * Millennial parents want to give their children a ‘90s kid summer. What does that mean? [https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/millennial-parents-want-children-90s-120041438.html][USA Today] Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Millennial Dads 01:16 Navigating Parenthood Challenges 03:30 The Nostalgia of Parenting 09:40 The Over-Scheduling Dilemma 14:24 The Importance of Boredom 18:45 The 90s Kid Summer 24:30 Cognitive Bias and Parenting 29:45 The Return to Analog Experiences 35:19 Generational Differences in Nostalgia 40:54 Instilling Values in the Next Generation 46:43 Driving Lessons and Technology 52:39 The Changing Attitudes Towards Driving 56:00 Reflections on Parenting and Nostalgia

6. Balancing Entrepreneurship and Parenthood: Building Two Worlds at Once

As any father knows, being a parent isn’t easy. It’s something that you have to have a vision for, work for every day, and be proactive about finding solutions and avoiding pitfalls. Parenting, however, isn’t the only place that describes. Owning a small business shares many similarities with parenting: You are solely responsible for bringing something to life and giving it a chance to succeed, there’s no manual or guidebook on how to do it, and those who do it best are often the most devoted and consistent. Our guest on today’s episode of Millennial Dads is CEO of Stern Security and cybersecurity expert, Jon Sternstein. Jon is also the parent of three, a nine, seven and three year old.  We talk with Jon about balancing the needs for running a business with being a dad. Jon talks about leaving the corporate world at the same time as he and his wife found out they were expecting their first child. Brian also shares some stories about he and Jon’s time growing up in New York. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Millennial Dads Podcast 02:52 Entrepreneurship and Family Life 05:55 Balancing Work and Family 08:56 The Transition to Entrepreneurship 12:01 Daily Routines of a Busy Dad 14:51 Navigating Parenting Styles 18:05 Involving Kids in Work 20:55 Reflections on Parenting and Growth 23:48 The Humor in Parenting 27:12 Closing Thoughts and Advice 40:55 A Serendipitous Meeting 44:45 The Butterfly Effect of Relationships 45:48 Creating a Family Band 49:59 Parental Worries and Responsibilities 52:44 The Simple Joys of Parenting 56:00 Navigating Screen Time and Attention 59:57 The Importance of Connection 01:02:07 Ending on a Light Note

5. Traveling With Kids: What Do They Want Vs. What’s Good for Them?

One of the biggest challenges any parent at almost any stage faces is making travelling with their kids as smooth and as incident-free as possible. On today’s episode of Millennial Dads, Brian and Andy shares stories from their past travels, including Andy and Oliver’s trip to Chicago (Ollie’s first plane ride!), and Brian talks about his upcoming trip to Disney. While discussing what they want to provide for their kids on these journeys, both hosts realize that sometimes what the kids want is just the time and attention of their parent, and not the sing-along breakfast with Mickey Mouse that we parents sometimes convince ourselves is the top priority. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Millennial Dads Podcast 03:05 The Transition to Parenthood 06:02 Challenges of New Parenthood 11:58 Navigating Family Dynamics 17:59 Traveling with Kids: The Experience 23:55 Lessons Learned from Traveling with a Newborn 30:12 Planning Future Travels with Kids 33:51 Traveling as a Family: Tips and Tricks 40:39 The Chaos of Family Road Trips 43:41 Planning the Disney Adventure 46:20 The Cost of Disney Magic 50:40 Alternatives to Disney: Finding Value in Experiences 56:15 Understanding Kids' True Desires 01:00:34 Being Present: The Key to Parenting 01:04:48 The Importance of Connection Over Cost