<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[thebestdads]]></title><description><![CDATA[Helping dads be their best ]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/blogs</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 02:07:56 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thebestdads.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[We’re on USA Today. Yesterday Mattered More.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Our launch announcement ran on USA Today during the last week in August. Here is the honest version, and the harder story behind it. Something happened last week that I did not see coming when I started this on Father's Day seven years ago. Our launch announcement ran on USA Today. I will be straight about what that is. It went out as a press release, not a piece some reporter chose to write. I am not going to dress it up. But it is on USA Today, and I will take it. You can read the full...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/we-are-on-usa-today</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa3fd669e087d913e75a574</guid><category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:24:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_4602078a418e4f6a8fd69fd3764cbd4d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to teach your kids to pray]]></title><description><![CDATA[Teach your kids to pray by praying out loud, using simple words, and making prayer part of everyday routines. This practical guide covers bedtime prayers for kids, family prayer time, the five-finger prayer, and age-by-age tips from toddlers to teens. Learn how to answer questions about God, handle reluctance without pressure, and help children build a personal relationship with God.
]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/how-to-teach-your-kids-to-pray</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa30f5a311f760a692b2bce</guid><category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:25:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_e12329fa67e14cce9bb5a371ea9fd386~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Helping kids with homework without the frustration]]></title><description><![CDATA[I lost my temper over an Algebra II worksheet. Not shouting exactly, but my voice changed, and my son’s face changed with it. That was the night I worked out that helping kids with homework is a skill, and I did not have it. Offering a YouTube channel to teach algebra was not helping.  Good news: it is a skill you can pick up in about a week. Most of what goes wrong at that table is not your kid being lazy, and it is not you being a bad dad. It is the timing, and it is the kind of help you...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/helping-kids-with-homework</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9fe789ab13c31632ced652</guid><category><![CDATA[Good Habits ]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:03:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_0ac76cdd06884905bec8920dd005b6ef~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_614,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Be a More Present Dad (Without Quitting Your Job)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Being a present dad means giving your kids your actual attention inside the hours you already have. It is not a scheduling problem. Twenty minutes, where you are, beats a whole evening where your body is on the couch and your head is still writing an email. For years, I thought my job was the obstacle. If I could just get home earlier, I figured I would become the dad I wanted to be. Then I got what I wanted: 18 months of working from home during the pandemic before returning to the office. I...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/how-to-be-a-present-dad</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9959fdb79de6bdd0be313e</guid><category><![CDATA[Life]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:00:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_68f89920f4114748bfae67f9df122f58~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to get kids to listen the first time]]></title><description><![CDATA[I once asked my son to put his shoes on six times. Six. By the fifth I wasn't asking anymore, I was doing that low growl thing dads do when we've run out of road. Then I yelled. He cried. We were late anyway. If you're searching how to get kids to listen, you know that exact feeling. You're not a bad dad. You've fallen into a rhythm that quietly teaches your kids the first ask doesn't count. Most advice on kids not listening starts with the child. This one starts with you, because that's...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/get-kids-to-listen</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a98129b76a09a06b1b5571a</guid><category><![CDATA[Good Habits ]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_e5c8435c531f4569815d54d41f48b43b~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_550,h_307,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The best dads just love them.]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of my favorite quotes from Mother Teresa, and a great reminder for whatever season we find ourselves in. Helping dads be their best...mark]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/the-best-dads-just-love-them</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9809d7e3cf4ac5aa3895f0</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_6e2035b827b340e8a49c2c2ac967e5ec~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Fatherhood Gets Hard: A Dad’s Guide to the Tough Seasons]]></title><description><![CDATA[The hard parts of fatherhood are almost never the parts people warn you about. Everyone warns you about the sleepless nights. Nobody warns you about the ordinary Tuesday when you snap at your kid over a spilled drink, then sit in the car for ten minutes wondering what is wrong with you. I have had seasons of being a dad where I felt like I was actually good at this. I have had seasons where I was just getting through the day. Both were real. This is the honest map I wish someone had handed...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/when-fatherhood-gets-hard</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a97f1eaacc6b4f2b18f6aaa</guid><category><![CDATA[Change]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_4d9344dd053e4a6c881c39f389ca625e~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_500,h_279,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bedtime battles: how this dad finally won them]]></title><description><![CDATA[For about two years, bedtime battles were the worst forty-five minutes of my day. My youngest needs water. Then the bathroom. Then one specific toy that had not been touched since last Christmas. I would start out patiently and finish in the hallway doing that quiet, angry whisper every dad knows. What fixed it was not a trick. It was an earlier bedtime, the same boring routine every night, and me deciding to stop negotiating at eight o'clock. I'm not a sleep expert. I'm a dad who lost this...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/bedtime-battles</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a97e3339c8db6195f83734c</guid><category><![CDATA[Good Habits ]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_53a0f04615ac47b78ada027c06baf519~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_500,h_279,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to handle toddler tantrums without yelling]]></title><description><![CDATA[The short answer on how to handle toddler tantrums without yelling: calm your own body first, get down low, say almost nothing, and hold the boundary you already set. That's it. Everything below is just detail on those four moves. I learned it the hard way. My youngest went down in the cereal aisle because I said no to the box with the cartoon tiger on it. Full starfish. Screaming like I'd taken a limb.  And I did the thing I'm not proud of. I got loud, grabbed his arm and tried to pick him...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/handle-toddler-tantrums-without-yelling</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9d8</guid><category><![CDATA[Good Habits ]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_eaa08b42ae0b48f8a1f3010862563980~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dad hacks: practical parenting that actually works]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most of what I know about being a dad did not come from a book. It came from getting it wrong on a Tuesday morning with one kid missing a shoe and the other one negotiating over toast. The dad hacks below are the ones that survived that. Not clever ideas I read somewhere and never used. Actual fixes I still reach for. Some of them will look too simple. That is the point. On a hard day you do not need a parenting philosophy. You need something you can do in ten seconds while holding a...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/dad-hacks</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9cc</guid><category><![CDATA[Good Habits ]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:57:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_ede0df1ca3d246f4972e92fa20864660~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What makes a good father? 10 things that actually matter]]></title><description><![CDATA[One night, I sat in my car outside my own house with the engine off, not quite ready to go inside. The night before, I had shouted at my two kids for not going to bed on time. It didn’t call for shouting, and I wasn’t proud of myself. That’s usually when the question turns up. So what makes a good father, really? Not the version printed on the card. The version you can hold yourself against on an ordinary Tuesday. After years of getting this wrong in front of witnesses, here’s where I’ve...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/what-makes-a-good-father</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9af</guid><category><![CDATA[Family]]></category><category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:00:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_a64667f19d3d43cb99d34535d82e7bc4~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to be a good dad: real talk from an imperfect father]]></title><description><![CDATA[When my kids were little, I had a three-times rule: if I had to repeat myself twice, my voice changed on the third. It got louder, sharper, and sounded a lot like my father’s. There was no specific reason for my reaction. It could be a missed bedtime, late for school, clean up your room. If it is something I wanted done, and it wasn’t being done, then that was a problem. My kid finally would do it, with a lowered head and no smile. That would follow me for the balance of the day. One day, my...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/how-to-be-a-good-dad</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9b7</guid><category><![CDATA[Life]]></category><category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:00:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_0d115ccf853d4668bf093413278c75ca~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dad Guilt: Why You Feel It and How to Let It Go]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was on a call with someone earlier this week and my son came to my home office. We had glass in the doors, so we made eye contact. I still had 10 minutes on a 30-minute call, so I waved to him that I needed a few more minutes. When I got done, I left my office and looked for him. He had already left. Most likely, he just wanted to tell me he was heading out with friends for lunch and doing some shopping. But I couldn’t take two minutes to stop…make him the priority…and listen. That feeling...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/dad-guilt</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9cd</guid><category><![CDATA[Mental Health]]></category><category><![CDATA[Life]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:00:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_b857d8ea011244db9f62e324128781a8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Father-son relationship: how to build one that lasts]]></title><description><![CDATA[A strong father-son relationship isn't built in one big moment. It's built in a hundred small ones, most of which you'll forget by dinner. I didn't really understand that when my first son was born. I thought there would be some obvious handoff, and one day he'd look at me a certain way and I'd know we were solid. It was the first few days he was home, and we just sat on the couch watching the Yankees vs Boston baseball game. He slept perfectly on my chest. I think we both took a little nap....]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/father-son-relationship</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9dd</guid><category><![CDATA[Family]]></category><category><![CDATA[Love]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:00:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_9b59ec5fa0244840b1aa71619465b015~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Weekend activities for dads and kids (beyond screen time)]]></title><description><![CDATA[The best weekend activities for dads and kids don't need a screen, a big budget, or a plan you booked three weeks ago. They need you, an hour, and enough willingness to look a little ridiculous in the backyard. My son was watching a Youtuber build box forts on his pool. We weren't that courageous, but we had some extra boxes from the move. One Saturday we built a box fort in the media room, it had a bedroom, lighting, multiple windows, and a door. That's the stuff my kids still bring up. Not...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/weekend-activities-dads-and-kids</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9e3</guid><category><![CDATA[Family]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:00:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_dfe36369613c49dd89abd5f79fc1413c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dad Mental Health: A Real Father's Guide to Staying Sane]]></title><description><![CDATA[I didn't think dad mental health applied to me until I found myself sitting in the at a stop light, it turned green, but it took the driver behind me and his horn to make me realize. Nothing was wrong on paper. Great kids. A fun job. A wife who put up with me. But I was running on empty and pretending I wasn't. This is a real father's guide to staying sane, written by a dad who got it wrong for a while before he got some of it right. I'm not a therapist and I'm not a doctor. I'm just a few...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/dad-mental-health-guide</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9df</guid><category><![CDATA[Mental Health]]></category><category><![CDATA[Life]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:00:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_ff7af88b8083473686eda90f38196263~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dad burnout: signs you're running on empty and how to climb out]]></title><description><![CDATA[There's a specific kind of tired that sleep doesn't touch. You wake up already empty. You snap at your kid over a spilled cup, feel awful about it, then do it again an hour later. You come home from work, navigating dinner and the evening as a zombie, just trying to make it to bed early.  That's dad burnout. And if you're feeling it, here's the first thing to know. It isn't a weakness, and it isn't bad parenting. It's what happens when the demands of work, kids, and everything else outrun...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/dad-burnout-signs-recovery</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9be</guid><category><![CDATA[Mental Health]]></category><category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:00:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_76c29da12c8246278c998384a02e1eca~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to bond with your kids when you're a busy dad]]></title><description><![CDATA[I used to think bonding with my kids meant the big stuff. A trip. The whole Saturday cleared. A perfect afternoon I'd planned for a week. The problem is I'm a busy dad, and those wide-open days almost never show up. Here's what I wish someone had told me sooner. You don't bond with your kids in big blocks of time. You bond in small ones. The two minutes at the door. The drive to practice. The dumb joke at dinner you both still quote. So, if you're reading this between meetings, here's the...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/how-to-bond-with-your-kids-busy-dad</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9c6</guid><category><![CDATA[Family]]></category><category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:21:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_79aba0bfe59a4f0fabae70d8a24449bd~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[50 Father’s Day Questions About Dad That Become Real Memories]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sometimes the best Father’s Day gift is not a thing at all. It is a question that gets Dad talking. The right questions about dad for Father’s Day can turn a normal Sunday into the kind of conversation your family repeats for years. If you only ask five this year, ask these: What is your favorite memory of us as a family? What did you learn from your own dad? What is one thing you wish we did more of together? What is one thing you hope we remember about you? What makes you feel loved? Below...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/fathers-day-questions-about-dad</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9ab</guid><category><![CDATA[Holiday]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 20:00:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_116b58d471b042959e607a0667a5fd21~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Father’s Day 2026: 25 Meaningful Things to Do With Dad]]></title><description><![CDATA[Father’s Day 2026 lands on Sunday, June 21. If you are hunting for father's day things to do with dad and drawing a blank, here is the short version: the day works best when it stays simple. Spend time with him, put in a little effort, and give him something he will remember. That beats another tie he will never wear. My dad has been gone for over a decade, but I remember my father-in-law and my brothers-in-law. The last few years I go to a Catholic Conference early in the year and get them a...]]></description><link>https://www.thebestdads.com/post/fathers-day-things-to-do-with-dad</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a85f1f96306f4412713f9de</guid><category><![CDATA[Holiday]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:32:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60a14c_8ba8912992c742f8b73651e07978f5fe~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mark Szkudlarek</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>