What it Means to be Present As A Father in Your Children's Lives ft. Michael Rothman

The Dad Edge Podcast

Larry Hagner

Health & Fitness, Education, Self-improvement

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 3 October 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of the Dad Edge Podcast, I sit down with Michael Rothman—entrepreneur, father, and co-founder of Fatherly—to talk about what it really means to show up for your family with intention and presence in a rapidly evolving world.

Before he ever became a dad, Michael was shaping the conversation around modern fatherhood. Now, with a toddler at home and a lifetime of service under his belt, he reflects on how being a present father isn't about perfection—but about presence, community, and character. We dive into powerful insights on building secure attachment with your kids, the risks of oversharing online, how marriage impacts your children more than you think, and what dads can do to lead with both strength and vulnerability.

TIMELINE SUMMARY

[0:00] – Introduction

[1:25] – Why "wife care" is often harder than baby care

[4:22] – The origin of Fatherly and Mike's shift from single men's media to parenting

[7:20] – How Mike's dad inspired a life of service

[10:44] – The awkward "birds and bees" talk and learning from what wasn't said

[15:10] – Mentoring kids without fathers and the deep need for stable male figures

[19:15] – Why kids seek connection in gangs, screens, or wherever they're accepted

[20:30] – What it means to build a secure emotional foundation for your kids

[23:47] – Attachment theory and the critical role of ages 0–3

[26:41] – Presence vs. proximity: how dads can show up without distraction

[31:00] – How kids absorb emotional tension in marriage

[34:01] – Should you stay in a marriage just for the kids?

[36:09] – The hidden dangers of exposing your kids' lives online

[38:34] – The AI risk: voice spoofing, facial recognition, and digital breadcrumbs

[41:21] – What Tinybeans does differently for family privacy

[45:00] – The mission behind Fatherly, Tinybeans, and The Dispatch

[46:55] – Encouraging respectful debate and deeper understanding through The Dispatch

5 KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Presence Is More Than Just Showing Up

Kids feel when we're distracted. Being physically there isn't enough—our full attention is the greatest gift we can give.

2. Secure Attachment Starts Early

The first three years are foundational. Love, encouragement, and consistency build the confidence kids need to thrive later in life.

3. Your Marriage Sets the Emotional Tone of the Home

Children sense tension. Investing in your relationship with your partner creates the safety your kids deeply crave.

4. Be Cautious With Digital Sharing

The internet remembers everything. What you post about your kids could be used in ways you can't predict. Protect their digital footprint.

5. Leadership Starts With Community

Dads can't do it alone. Leading your family includes building community around you—because your kids benefit from seeing other strong, grounded men too.

LINKS & RESOURCES

The Dad Edge Alliance (Join Us) – https://www.thedadedge.com/alliance
25 Questions to Spark Connection With Your Partner – https://www.thedadedge.com/25questions
Dad Edge Podcast Website – thedadedge.com/1383

If this episode gave you insight or encouragement, rate, review, and share it with another dad who needs to hear it. Don't forget to follow the podcast so you never miss the wisdom and real talk we bring every week. Let's keep leading our families with presence, power, and purpose.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Dad Edge podcast. The Dad Edge movement creates leaders of men, leaders of families, and leaders of communities. We will not only impact this generation of fathers, but the next generation as well. The kids we are raising will have better chances and odds stacked in their favor because of the amazing example
0:21.2	that their fathers emulated for them. We are here to change the world. We are here to change
0:27.6	relationships. We are here to positively disrupt this generation of fathers so no man goes to their
0:33.6	grave with regret. We disrupt the drift of busyness and replace it with razor-focused intention,
0:40.3	passion, purpose, and direction.
0:43.7	We are the Dad Edge,
0:45.7	and we're here to change the game.
0:47.8	We're here to change the game.
1:07.4	I don't know. Most of us thought about being a dad meant that we had to learn how to change diapers.
1:12.5	We always talk about like how we're going to get zero sleep and somehow,
1:18.6	some way, keep the baby alive when we first become dads. But what if I told you that the harder part isn't baby care? It's wife care. And today's guest knows that truth firsthand because
1:26.2	Mike Rothman co-founded fatherly the largest media company for dads before he became a tad himself.
1:34.1	And now after raising millions in venture capital, interviewing President Obama, the rock, and shaping how the world sees fatherhood, Mike is now in the trenches of fatherhood
1:45.4	himself. And what he is learning is probably going to surprise all of us, but he is here today.
1:51.8	And gentlemen, welcome back to the Dad Edge podcast. I'm Larry Hagner. I am the husband to one
1:56.8	amazing woman for the past 22 years. I am the father of four incredible young men who are 19, 17, 11,
2:03.8	and 9. I'm the founder of the Dad Edge Alliance, which that's our elite brotherhood for our career
2:08.1	men. Also, the Dad Edge business owner brotherhood for men who refuse to settle for success
2:14.1	in business while having a mediocre marriage or a disconnected relationship with his kids.
2:19.7	Mike is also the president of the dispatch, but you probably know him as the co-founder and the CEO of
2:28.7	Fatherly, the groundbreaking lifestyle brand for dads that earned Webby Awards, Peabody nominations,
2:35.3	and even featured conversations, like I said, with President Obama and the Rock, even George W.
	...

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