In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we sit down with our first guest, Morgan Selecman from the That’s A Win podcast, to talk about the pressure of perfect parenting and the hidden weight so many moms and dads carry every day.

From parenting guilt and social media comparison to fear, shame, and perfectionism, we unpack why modern parenting can feel emotionally exhausting—and why your kids don’t actually need a perfect parent. They need a present one.

This conversation is full of honest stories about marriage, fatherhood, motherhood, sleepless nights, emotional regulation, apologizing to your kids, and learning how to parent with grace instead of fear.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why dads and moms feel pressure to be perfect parents
• How parenting exposes impatience, insecurity, and fear
• The impact of social media on modern parenting
• Why repair matters more than perfection
• How to apologize to your kids in a healthy way
• What dads can do to support overwhelmed moms
• Parenting stress, emotional regulation, and family leadership
• How faith and dependence on God shape us as parents
• Why parenting is about faithfulness, not performance

If you’re a dad trying to lead your family well, grow spiritually, love your wife better, and become more intentional as a father, this podcast is for you.

Relatively Functional Dads is a Christian fatherhood podcast focused on faith, fatherhood, marriage, spiritual growth, and raising a healthy family while following Jesus.

Key Reminder:
Your faithfulness matters more than your performance.

Weekly Reflection:
What fear might be underneath my need to “get parenting right”?
What would change if I focused more on being faithful than being perfect?

Episode Mentions:
That’s A Win Podcast: Follow on Instagram @thatsawinpodcast 

That’s A Win Podcast on Apple Podcast

Decoding Boys, Expectations in Marriage + Fighting Bitterness (BONUS Interview w/ Lauren Earley)

Music Provided By: Derek McClardy

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send questions and feedback to relativelyfunctionaldads@gmail.com 

Instagram: @relativelyfunctionaldads

In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we talk about fatherhood, faith, and how the way we respond to interruptions is shaping our kids in real time.

It’s easy to feel entitled to our time, especially when we’re tired, working, or finally getting a moment to breathe.
But our kids don’t understand our intentions… they experience our actions.

Are we pushing them away?
Or are we seeing these moments as opportunities to love, lead, and be present?

This is an honest conversation about being a dad, navigating real life, and learning how to show up better, even when it’s inconvenient.

If you’re in the middle of raising young kids, balancing work and family, and trying to grow in your faith as a father… this one’s for you.

Subscribe for more conversations on:

• Christian fatherhood
• Faith-based parenting
• Biblical leadership in the home
• Marriage and family life
• Personal growth for dads
• Real, honest dad life moments

Challenge for the week:

This week, treat interruptions as invitations.

Ask yourself:
“Is this a moment God is giving me to love my child well?”

Respond with intention, not just reaction.

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send questions and feedback to relativelyfunctionaldads@gmail.com

Instagram: @relativelyfunctionaldads

Music Provided By: Derek McClardy Spotify

In this episode, we’re getting real about something every dad feels but rarely talks about—the quiet frustration of serving without appreciation. We love our families, but if we’re honest, it’s easy to expect something in return… respect, acknowledgment, even just a simple “thank you.”

And when we don’t get it? That’s when our hearts get exposed.

We dive into the “invisible contract” many of us carry—the unspoken belief that if we serve, we should get something back—and how that mindset can quietly turn love into a transaction.

More importantly, we talk about how to shift it.

What if your service wasn’t about being noticed by your family… but about being seen by God?

This episode will challenge your motives, encourage your heart, and help you serve from a place of identity—not expectation.

In this episode:

• Why we really serve our families
• The hidden expectations that lead to frustration
• How to break free from the “invisible contract”
• What it looks like to serve like Christ—without recognition
• Practical ways to serve with the right heart this week

Challenge for the week:
Where can you serve sacrificially… without anyone noticing?

Episode Mentions:
Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms – Justin Whitmel Earley

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send questions and feedback to relativelyfunctionaldads@gmail.com

Music Provided By: Derek McClardy Spotify

In this episode, we talk about the kind of exhaustion most dads are living with—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—and why it’s not all the same.

There’s a difference between good fatigue and unhealthy exhaustion. If you don’t know which one you’re dealing with, you’ll keep trying to fix the wrong problem.

In this episode, we cover:
• The difference between meaningful fatigue and burnout
• The 3 kinds of tired (and how to identify yours)
• Why most dads are living with no margin
• How margin impacts your patience, presence, and leadership at home
• Simple, practical ways to create breathing room in your life
• Why asking for help is essential—not optional

Key Reminder:
You can’t be a present dad if every second of your life is spoken for.

Weekly Challenge:

• Where am I tired because I have no margin?
• Where am I tired from good work?
• What is one thing I can remove this week to create margin?
• How can I ask for help to create margin in my life?

Episode Mentions:
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry – John Mark Comer – https://a.co/d/0iR5Yk3y

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send questions and feedback to relativelyfunctionaldads@gmail.com

Music Provided By: Derek McClardy Spotify

In Episode 3 of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we talk about the subtle ways entitlement creeps into our lives as dads. It rarely shows up as arrogance. Instead, it sounds like, “I worked hard… I showed up… I did the right things… so now I deserve this.” The problem is, when entitlement enters the home, love slowly becomes transactional—and that changes the emotional and spiritual temperature of a family.

We share real stories from our week as dads (the wins and the “Should’ve Known Better” moments), and then we dive into a deeper conversation about:

• How entitlement quietly turns effort into expectation
• How “I deserve this” can show up in our tone, patience, and presence-
• The ways entitlement can damage connection with our wife and kids
• Why entitlement often comes from exhaustion, feeling unseen, or wanting relief
• How gratitude is one of the main ways we fight entitlement
•  What it looks like to stop demanding return and start receiving from God as sons

This is a fatherhood podcast focused on faith, fatherhood, spiritual growth, and family leadership—for dads who want to be present, intentional, and grounded in their faith.

Key Reminder:
Entitlement turns acts of love into transactions.

Weekly Reflection:
Where am I expecting something instead of receiving everything as grace?
What would it look like to replace entitlement with gratitude this week?

Episode Mentions:
Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms – Justin Whitmel Earley - https://a.co/d/0dC8sxkP

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send questions and feedback to relativelyfunctionaldads@gmail.com

Music Provided By: Derek McClardy Spotify

In Episode 2 of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we explore how our fathers shaped us—for better and for worse—and how God continues to father us through the places we’re still growing, healing, and maturing.

We also share real-life dad moments from the week, including a Big Dad Energy win and a classic Should’ve Known Better moment.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How your upbringing affects your parenting
• The “fathering scripts” we all inherit about work, rest, anger, affection, and faith
• Why the danger isn’t having a script—it’s never examining it
• The stages of masculine growth and development
• How God meets us in the places we missed or got stuck
• How to honor your dad while still healing from what you didn’t receive
• What it looks like to rewrite the script for your family

This episode is about growth, healing, faith, and becoming intentional fathers—no matter what kind of dad you had.

Key Reminder:
You don’t get to choose your dad—but you do get to choose what you do with the story.

Weekly Reflection:

• Take time to name the scripts handed to you by your dad. What are you grateful for and want to build on? Which do you want to rewrite for your family?
• Ask yourself: Which stage do you need God to meet you in right now? How do I need God to father me to provide wholeness?

Episode Mentions:

• Fathered by God: Learning What Your Dad Could Never Teach You – John Eldredge - https://a.co/d/04hfnF6K
• ANBESSA | A BPN Media Film on Haftu Knight
• Is 30yrs Old Too Young to Lead? with John Eldredge
• 6 Stages of the Masculine Journey - John Eldredge - 
  1. Beloved Son – Being seen, delighted in, provided for; safe and secure attachment
  2. Cowboy/Ranger – Freedom to play, test strength, and navigate the world through adventure and hard work
  3. Warrior – Strength, courage, and initiation; learning to fight for what is right
  4. Lover – Tenderness, intimacy, and connection; leading a wife and family
  5. King – Responsibility, blessing, and legacy; ruling with wisdom and humility
  6. Sage – Wisdom, mentorship, and counsel to younger generations as an “elder at the gates”

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send questions and feedback to relativelyfunctionaldads@gmail.com

Music Provided By: Derek McClardy Spotify

In Episode 1 of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, we talk about Christian fatherhood, parenting, faith, and the reality of being imperfect dads trying to lead our families well. We share real stories from our week as dads (the wins and the “Should’ve Known Better” moments), our personal fatherhood journeys, and the biggest surprises we’ve experienced as fathers.

We also dive into a deeper conversation about:

• How becoming a dad changes the way you see God as Father
• Why you can’t give what you haven’t received as a parent
• The importance of being safe, seen, secure, and soothed (attachment theory and parenting)
• The unhealthy places dads often go for comfort, identity, and relief
• Practical ways to let God “father” you in everyday life

This is a fatherhood podcast focused on faith, fatherhood, spiritual growth, and family leadership—for dads who want to be present, intentional, and grounded in their faith.

Key Reminder:
Don’t try to be a better dad. Try to be a present son.

Weekly Reflection:
What does letting God father me look like in this season?
How can I go to Him first to feel safe, secure, seen, and soothed?

Episode Mentions:

• Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms – Justin Whitmel Earley - https://a.co/d/0fnff08l
• The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind – Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson - https://a.co/d/0fef3Kx9

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send questions and feedback to relativelyfunctionaldads@gmail.com

Music Provided By: Derek McClardy - Spotify