The Intentional Dad Ep 7 - Creating a Safe Space for Honest Conversations

In this episode of The Intentional Dad, hosts J. Fotsch and Jason Hynson welcome guest Brian Mattson from The Downtown Church for a heartfelt discussion on fostering trust and openness in family conversations. The dads explore how honesty, humility and consistency are crucial for building emotional safety at home—especially when discussing hard topics or addressing mistakes both theirs and their children’s.

The conversation emphasizes the power of modeling honesty and vulnerability, especially when parents admit they’re wrong. The trio shares personal stories about navigating difficult questions from their kids, handling lies with grace and keeping communication age-appropriate while still truthful. They stress that maintaining an open-door policy—no matter the topic or time of day—lays the foundation for long-term trust. Their message is clear: being an intentional dad means creating space for honest conversations even when it’s uncomfortable.

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Episode Highlights

[02:02]
"Being able to say I was wrong… I went up and I apologized for the 10% I missed. Did he say, 'You're right, I was wrong'? No. But I wanted to keep that door open."

[03:21]
"The more times that door gets shut incrementally, that’s going to be a big deal a decade later."

[08:06]
"If my daughter comes to me with real questions, that lets me know she’s old enough for a real answer."

[18:00]
"You don’t necessarily get in trouble for the act… but if we find out that you're not truthful with Mom and Dad, that’s when we’re upset."

[21:11]
"When he's been told he’s done wrong… that just shatters him. So you have to be tender, especially when you do catch him in a lie."

[24:17]
"I don’t believe in trickle-down economics but I believe in trickle-down emotions."

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