Remember those things your dad did that you didn’t like? How about what you enjoyed? Have you repeated them now that you’re a parent? Or did you make a change? In this episode of the All Pro Dad Podcast, host Ted Lowe is joined by BJ Foster and Bobby Lewis to discuss our parenting habits, what they mean to our children, and think through the things about us our kids will emulate or eliminate.

Why This Matters

Every interaction with your kids is shaping the kind of parent they’ll become someday.

Key Takeaways

• -Children naturally imitate far more of our parenting than we realize, both the good and the bad.
• -Harshness, absence, and constant pressure often become the behaviors kids intentionally reject later in life.
• -Listening well, showing up consistently, and apologizing when we’re wrong create a legacy worth repeating.
  
  

Practical Tips for Dads

1. 1. Identify one parenting habit your kids may someday want to eliminate—and begin replacing it with a healthier response.
2. 2. Prioritize presence by showing up consistently for everyday moments, not just major milestones.
3. 3. Model humility by listening carefully and apologizing when you’ve handled a situation poorly.
   
   

Important Episode Timestamps

[00:00] What Are Your Kids Going to Copy From You and What Will They Cut?
Ted frames an honest conversation about the habits, traditions, and behaviors dads are passing down right now.

[00:30] Why Bobby Started Thinking About What He Copied From His Own Dad
Bobby connects Sunday roast beef at grandma’s house to his own family rhythms today, realizing he’s replicated far more of his upbringing than he ever thought.

[02:11] What the Guys Have Emulated From Their Dads
The dads share the things they consciously carried forward from their fathers.

[04:44] What the Guys Have Eliminated From Their Dads
Bobby opens up about his biological dad walking out when he was five and the decision he made in first grade never to break his own family apart, while Ted reflects on unconsciously repeating his dad’s habit of driving away when frustrated.

[09:55] Why We End Up Doing the Very Things We Swore We Never Would
Ted shares a Michigan State study showing children copy adult actions with up to 90% accuracy, and the guys get honest about catching themselves repeating patterns they promised themselves they’d leave behind.

[14:07] Things Dads Are Doing Right Now That They Hope Their Kids Will Eliminate
The dads walk through the behaviors they most want to cut and why each one quietly chips away at the relationship.

[18:41] Presence Over Perfection is the Goal
Physical presence without emotional presence is its own form of absence, and why small intentional moments matter more than dads often realize.

[22:31] Things Dads Are Doing Right Now That They Hope Their Kids Will Copy
The dads urge others to listen well, prioritize presence, and model the kind of engaged fatherhood that kids will carry into their own families someday.

[27:57] Why Dads Who Apologize Have Better Relationships
Apologizing quickly and genuinely is one of the most powerful things a dad can model and research backs it up.

[32:05] This Week’s Pro Move: Identify One Thing You Want to Eliminate as a Dad
Intentionally replace a parenting habit this week that you think your kids may eventually eliminate. Replace it with a habit you’d be proud for them to emulate.

Sponsor:
The All Pro Dad Podcast is proudly brought to you by Family First, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping parents with resources to strengthen their families. Learn more at FamilyFirst.net.