Cristiano Ronaldo was paid $3.23M for his IG marketing posts in 2023. Why? What he says sticks with a lot of people, including kids. He’s not the only one influencing young people. In this episode of the All Pro Dad Podcast, host Ted Lowe is joined by BJ Foster and Bobby Lewis to talk about what influences kids the most.
Why This Matters
Kids aged 12–18 are considered the most vulnerable when it comes to being influenced.
Key Takeaways
- Kids have many influences including primary, secondary, internal, situational, and emerging
- The early years are crucial: According to the University of Minnesota, around 80% of brain development happens in a child’s first 1,000 days of life. What they see, hear, and touch during those formative years leaves a lasting imprint on their minds.
Action Steps for Dads
Children are largely a product of their environment, habits, and relationships, all of which dads help shape. What can we do as dads to control what influences kids the most?
1. Identify generally BAD influences, like violence, substance abuse, and inappropriate content. Don’t be afraid to speak out against these influences and cut them out.
2. Promote generally GOOD influences, like trusted coaches, faith leaders, and teachers. These are things and people who share your values.
Important Episode Timestamps
00:00 – 00:55 | Introduction: Dad Detective Mode
00:55 – 02:38 | Kids Are Sponges
02:38 – 05:15 | The 3 Main Sources of Influence
05:15 – 08:03 | Social Media’s Sneaky Grip
08:03 – 10:25 | Friends: Mirrors and Multipliers
10:25 – 13:02 | What’s Normal at Your House?
13:02 – 14:58 | Are You Accidentally Reinforcing the Wrong Stuff?
14:58 – 17:31 | Check Your Own Input
17:31 – 20:08 | Be the Strongest Voice They Hear
20:08 – 22:02 | Pro Move of the Week:
Consider who and what you are allowing to speak into your child’s life and trim whoever or whatever doesn’t align with your family values.
All Pro Dad Resources:
Is It OK for Kids to Be Influencers?
5 Uncommon Ways to Influence Your Kids
Connect with Us:
EXTRAS:
Follow us: Instagram | Facebook | X (Twitter)
Join 200,000+ other dads by subscribing to the All Pro Dad Play of the Day.
Get daily fatherhood ideas, insight, and inspiration straight to your inbox.
This episode's blog can also be viewed here on AllProDad.com.
Like the All Pro Dad gear and mugs? Get your own in the All Pro Dad store.
Get great content for moms at iMOM.com
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com