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When should you talk to your kids about porn, sex, sexting, social media, and everything they can access online?

And how do you have those conversations without embarrassing them, shaming them, or accidentally introducing them to something they weren't even thinking about yet?

In Episode 59 of The Dad Compass Podcast, Dmitry and Patrick tackle one of the most uncomfortable parts of parenting: having real conversations with your kids about pornography, sex, smartphones, Snapchat, sexting, peer pressure, and growing up in a world where almost anything is one search away.

We get into the question of whether parents should get ahead of these conversations or wait until their child is ready, how age and maturity change the approach, and why simply telling kids “don’t do it” may not actually prepare them for what they’ll encounter.

We also talk about something even bigger:

Do you want your kid to call you when they screw up?

Because the way we respond to the uncomfortable conversations today may determine whether they come to us during the really difficult moments later.

Both of us grew up without fathers, which makes this conversation especially important to what The Dad Compass is about: figuring out how to give our kids guidance we didn’t always have ourselves. patrick-dmitry

In this episode we discuss:

• When parents should start talking about pornography
• How porn can affect expectations around sex and relationships
• Curiosity vs. compulsive behavior
• Talking to boys and girls about sex
• Kids getting smartphones too young
• Parental controls and internet access
• Sexting and permanent digital footprints
• Snapchat and social media
• Online predators
• Peer pressure
• Letting kids solve problems themselves
• Building the kind of relationship where your child actually calls you for help

The biggest takeaway isn't that parents need all the answers.

It's that avoiding difficult conversations doesn't make those situations disappear.

Our kids are going to get information somewhere.

We'd rather they know they can come to us.

👇 Parents — we want to hear from you:

What age should you start talking to kids about porn and sex?

Should parents check their teenager's phone?

And what's the parenting conversation nobody prepared you to have?

Leave it in the comments. It might become a future episode.

Subscribe to The Dad Compass Podcast for honest conversations about fatherhood, parenting, marriage, divorce, mental health, raising teenagers, and becoming the dads our kids need.

⚠️ This episode contains explicit language and mature discussions intended for parents.

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Welcome to Episode 59
01:04 – Kids, Porn & Early Exposure
02:34 – Should Parents Check Their Kid's Phone?
05:21 – Does Porn Change How Boys See Women?
09:30 – Curiosity vs. Compulsion
11:42 – How Do You Talk About Porn Without Shame?
14:38 – Do You Have the Conversation Before They’re Ready?
18:35 – How Should Parents Talk About Sex?
22:12 – What Age Should “The Talk” Start?
24:47 – Phones, Parental Controls & Protecting Kids Online
26:16 – Why Daughters May Need These Conversations Earlier
28:41 – Can Talking About It Create More Curiosity?
30:55 – Sexting & The Digital Footprint That Never Goes Away
32:03 – Peer Pressure Isn’t Just About Drugs
33:11 – Snapchat, Teenagers & Trust
37:10 – Are Our Kids More Mature Than We Were?
39:38 – When Your Kid Calls You During a Crisis
44:44 – Should Kids Have to Figure Things Out Themselves?
48:21 – Growing Up Without Fathers
50:43 – Are Kids Missing Real-World Life Experience?
53:34 – Somehow We Completely Derail 😂
55:17 – The Question of the Week
1:00:34 – The New Direction of The Dad Compass
1:02:14 – Help Us Choose the Next Conversation

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When did you first realize you weren’t 22 anymore?

In this episode of The Dad Compass Podcast, Dmitry and Patrick talk about getting older, struggling with weight and health, trying to stay active, and how fatherhood completely changes the reason you want to take care of yourself.

The conversation gets into the realities of being a dad: feeling guilty for taking time to work out, trying to model healthy habits for your kids, dealing with phones and social media, balancing work and family, and realizing just how quickly your children grow up.

We also talk about the pressure to be the “perfect dad,” why your actions matter more than the advice you give your kids, and the moments that remind you that you may be doing a better job than you think. One of the biggest themes of the episode is simple: your kids are watching what you do, not just listening to what you say.

Along the way, things go completely off the rails with gym soreness, cereal, old-school music, video games, getting older, questionable childhood decisions, and the kind of conversations only two dads can somehow turn into a 50-minute podcast.

If you’re a father trying to balance parenting, health, marriage, work, personal growth, and staying present with your kids, this episode is for you.

Like, subscribe, and comment:
When did YOU first realize you were getting old?

Compass On.

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**Your Kids Won’t Be Kids Forever | The Dad Compass**

One day, the noise in your house gets quieter.

The kids who constantly need you grow up. They graduate. They get jobs. They move out. And suddenly, all those ordinary moments you thought would always be there become memories.

In this episode of **The Dad Compass Podcast**, Dmitry and Patrick have an honest conversation about **fatherhood, parenting, kids growing up, and what happens when your children begin leaving home**.

Patrick talks about watching his older kids move into adulthood and how dramatically it changes the dynamic of the family. Dmitry looks ahead at his oldest son approaching adulthood and the strange combination of being proud of the person your child is becoming while knowing you're going to miss having them around every day.

We also talk about how parenting changes as **we** get older.

The way you parent your first child isn't necessarily the way you parent your third. You learn. You make mistakes. You become more patient. And eventually you realize that sometimes we spend so much time preparing our kids to become adults that we forget to appreciate them while they're still kids.

This episode isn't about being a perfect parent.

It's about **being present**.

Because your kids won't be kids forever.

We also somehow manage to talk about a 25-hour family road trip, moving houses, hot air balloons in New Mexico, terrible podcast decisions, parenting teenagers, adult children, and all the usual chaos that comes with being dads.

If you're a **dad, mom, stepdad, parent of teenagers, or a parent watching your kids grow up**, this conversation is for you.

👇 **JOIN THE CONVERSATION**

How has your relationship with your kids changed as they've gotten older?

And if your children have already moved out, what's something you wish you had appreciated more while they were still living at home?

Drop your story in the comments. We want The Dad Compass to be a place where parents can talk about the parts of **fatherhood and parenting** that don't always get talked about.

👍 Like the episode
💬 Leave us a comment
🔔 Subscribe for more real conversations about fatherhood, parenting, marriage, family, personal growth, and raising kids.

**The Dad Compass Podcast** is two dads having honest conversations about fatherhood, parenting struggles, raising children, relationships, mistakes, growth, and figuring life out one week at a time.

#TheDadCompass #Fatherhood #Parenting #DadPodcast #ParentingPodcast #KidsGrowingUp #ParentingTeenagers #Dads #Family #EmptyNest #FatherhoodPodcast #ParentingAdvice

00:00 Welcome Back to The Dad Compass
02:40 Dmitry’s First Real Vacation
04:10 Surviving a 25-Hour Family Road Trip
07:20 Patrick’s New Mexico Hot Air Balloon Adventure
13:40 Tinkertown Museum & Visiting the Kids
17:45 Moving Houses With Kids
23:40 Patrick Helps His Daughter Move Out
26:50 When the House Suddenly Gets Quiet
31:15 Advice for Parents When Kids Move Out
34:10 Watching Your Kids Become Adults
37:50 Preparing a Teenager for Independence
40:50 Will Your Kids Surprise You After They Move Out?
44:30 Teaching Kids Responsibility & Independence
47:15 Trusting the Process as a Parent
50:30 Your Kids Won’t Be Kids Forever
52:20 How Parenting Changes With Each Child
55:10 Parenting Differently as You Get Older
58:30 Sibling Relationships & Growing Up Together
1:01:40 What Our Parenting Teaches Our Kids
1:04:00 What The Dad Compass Is Really About
1:08:00 If Your Kid Switched Bodies With You
1:10:00 Weight Loss, Beer & Dad Life
1:12:30 Final Thoughts: Appreciate Your Kids While They’re Young