The podcast that made me look forward to fatherhood

The Secret Life of Dads podcast is a fun, honest and hopeful look at parenting. Listen to my episode where we talk about modelling good anger to kids – and the time I managed to piss off Ed Sheeran

“My legs won’t be on camera, will they?”

It was interesting reading the reactions to my recent post, On whether having a baby ruins your life. I wrote it, in part, as a response to what my TikTok algorithm had gurgled my way in the weeks and months before my daughter was born: lots of Dads delivering depressing ‘real talk’ or strained skits about the crushing grind of fatherhood. What I saw on social media about becoming a father filled me with anxiety about the fact we were expecting, rather than excitement.

There was one exception, and that was The Secret Life of Dads. A podcast created by Mathew Carter and Lawrence Price, SLOD features conversations that touch on every aspect of being a father: yes, the very real emotional challenges, but also the profound joys and opportunities it offers for personal growth. Clips from their episodes made me look forward to what was coming, rather than feel overwhelmed. It was a small port in the storm.

@thesecretlifeofdadsHave we got anger all wrong? We had Sam Parker author of "Good Anger" on the secret life of dads & love the work he is doing! Anger is something we can all relate to as parents, but we if we had it all wrong? @Sam Parker #dad #dads #goodanger #parenting #samparker #anger

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And so I was delighted when, last month, I got the chance to appear on the pod as a guest myself and discuss my new book, Good Anger. Parental rage – and the guilt that it induces in us – is a very real challenge, particularly when you’re raising small children who are only just learning to emotionally regulate themselves.

Are conversations validating their big feelings ‘enough’? What about the way we model emotions like anger, both in ourselves and with co-parents? Mat, Lawrence and I got into that and more: including the cost of hiding arguments in the bedroom, how anger can help us be less anxious, and my most embarrassing moment as a journalist. Hope you enjoy it.

Good Anger: How Rethinking Rage can Change our Lives is available in shops now, or can be ordered online at Amazon or Waterstones.