Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast, where we provide one lesson every single day to help you with your most important job, being a parent.

I'm Ryan Holiday, and I draw these lessons from ancient philosophy, modern psychology, practical wisdom, and insights from

parents just like you all over the world. Thank you for listening, and we hope this helps.

You have to have their back. When Sir Archibald Southby questioned Randolph Churchill's war record,

he hadn't meant anything personal. In fact, right after he tried to shake Winston Churchill's

hand intending to explain it away as just politics, but no such thing existed to the Churchill's.

Do not speak to me, Winston Churchill told the man coldly.

You called my son a coward.

You are my enemy.

Do not speak to me.

Now, Randolph Churchill was not perfect, but that wasn't going to stand in the way of his father

standing up for him, having his back.

Nor should it ever prevent us.

Churchill's own father had not supported or believed in his son. Churchill's own father had not

supported or believed in his son. And Winston, deciding, as we said to do better, would not make

that same mistake. He backed his son. He fought for him. He let him know he could

always be counted on. And we must do the same. Our kids are going to screw up, but they need to know we'll

never write them off. Our kids need to know that we'll take their side, that we'll fight for them,

that will never let anyone wrongly abuse or attack them without hearing from us about it. And this is our

most basic duty as parents. One made even more profound if we didn't experience that kind of

support from our parents when we were kids. Now, to be sure, this doesn't mean burying our heads in

the sand or pretending like our kids can do no wrong.

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