Earlier this week I asked a question here about my son’s behavior, and I wanted to reflect on it now that I’ve had some space. What I’m realizing is that it isn’t just “bad behavior.” It’s a storm of things coming together. His actions, his emotional regulation, the way excitement can tip him past the point of self-control, our expectations as parents, and the explanation we hear a lot: “I wasn’t thinking.” And here’s where I’m landing. “I wasn’t thinking” can be an explanation, but it can’t be the end of the conversation. It isn’t an excuse. At first, it feels like progress just getting to that awareness. Okay, we know this happens when you’re overstimulated or overly excited. But the next step matters. The next step is asking why the situation got there in the first place. Why were you in that position? Why were you close enough, involved enough, unchecked enough for this to happen? Those questions are harder to answer, especially when shame shows up. I can see that in him. He feels bad. But I’d rather him sit with a little discomfort around honesty now, if it helps him build awareness and do better next time. This hits close to home for me. I was diagnosed with ADHD young. I’ve been medicated, unmedicated, all of it. I don’t love making it a defining identity, even though I recognize it shapes how my brain works. I actually believe it can be a strength when you build the right systems around it. What I’ve always struggled with is when it’s used as an excuse instead of an explanation. Saying “I can’t do this because I have ADHD” feels very different to me than saying “This takes me longer, and here’s how my process works.” One avoids responsibility. The other owns it. I see the same tension with my son. I understand “I wasn’t thinking.” I’ve been there. I still end up there sometimes. But I don’t want him to stop there. I want him to learn how to recognize patterns, put guardrails in place, and be better than I was at that age. That’s where discipline gets complicated. I don’t believe consequences alone teach someone like us how to regulate or reflect. But I also believe consequences have to exist, because life will hand them out regardless.

How do you handle disciplining your kids? I know there’s a wide age range in this group but if there a certain point, we all need to tell our kids had a behave. Anybody have any tricks for keeping their cool in these situations?

...I don’t fully know what’s next. I don’t know exactly what this group is going to become. I don’t know what the “final form” looks like yet. And it would be easy to label that as being lost. But honestly? I don’t feel lost in a bad way. I feel like I’m choosing my next move. One thing I do know, across improv, business, work, and fatherhood, is that everything keeps coming back to the same question: What game am I playing right now? As fathers, I think we get tripped up when we’re juggling multiple games at once and forget to name which one matters most in the moment. Provider. Partner. Leader. Playmate. Student. Builder. Sometimes we’re exhausted not because we’re failing but because we’re switching games without realizing it. This past week drove that home for me. Big wins at work. Real learning moments as a dad. Some situations that required instinct, restraint, and humility. The kind of stuff you don’t get a manual for. And that’s part of why I’m grateful this space exists; even if it’s still evolving. Sometimes it’s a place to think things through. Sometimes it’s a place to rant. Sometimes it’s just a place to drop a dumb meme and breathe for a second. I don’t have all the answers yet but I am here. And I want this to be a space where you feel like you can be too. Which brings me to something I want your help with. A group can exist and be “nice”… but for it to really matter, there has to be something you’re moving toward. Some kind of transformation, engagement, or intrigue that makes you want to show up, not out of obligation, but because it actually helps. So I’ll ask you directly: What would need to change in your life for this group to be worth participating in? What do you want more clarity on? What game are you trying to play better right now? Drop a comment. One sentence is enough. I’m listening because I want to build this with you, not just for you.