MILKLESS

Max and Matt tackle one of the trickiest parts of parenting: what to do when your partner doesn’t quite nail a moment with the kids—and vice versa. From bedtime blowups to moments when one parent needs a “tap out,” they unpack how to handle these situations without throwing each other under the bus. They talk through the awkwardness of siding with your partner vs. comforting your kid, and how to navigate those moments without losin...

Max and Matt dive into the hilarious and humbling world of parenting quirks, especially the ones we're not proud of. From sarcastic “what's” to psychological warfare masked as calm questioning, they unpack the subtle ways dads sometimes offload their stress onto kids. The guys explore the fine line between gentle correction and straight-up shaming, reflect on the power of reframing discipline, and offer surprisingly touch...

Max and Matt dig into a conversation sparked by an article Matt’s dad (aka Skip) sent their way: “Stop Trying to Raise Successful Kids.” What unfolds is a vulnerable, hilarious, and deeply practical look at what we’re actually teaching our kids through our words, our reactions, and our silence. They explore how achievement culture subtly hijacks parenting, why kindness needs louder applause, and the power of modelling empathy over ...

Max and Matt sit down with their longtime friend Amanda Brinkman for an honest, hilarious, and eye-opening conversation about perimenopause—what it is, why it matters, and why so few people are actually talking about it. Amanda shares her personal experience navigating brain fog, rage surges, sleep disturbances, and the emotional chaos of midlife… all while raising a daughter who's hitting puberty herself. They unpack the medi...

Max and Matt get deep into what our emotions really are—and what we can do about them. They explore the mind-blowing science of how emotions aren't just reactions but predictions, shaped by past experience and cultural cues. Drawing from the work of Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, they unpack why your anxiety, stress, or anger might not mean what you think it means, and how we actually have way more agency than we give ourselves cre...

Max and Matt get honest about parenting on autopilot—when you're technically doing everything right but feel totally disconnected from your kids. They unpack the invisible exhaustion that builds up from work, stress, and just keeping the family machine running—and how easy it is to slip into a mode where you're reacting, not connecting. They talk about how small moments of presence (like a 15-second eye gaze!) can rewire ...

Max and Matt are back with Bettina Schultz-Jobe to dive deeper into the messy, emotional world of education choices. They unpack the tension between protecting kids and preparing them for the real world, the guilt around nontraditional schooling, and why no one path—public, private, homeschool, or micro-school—is a magic bullet. They get into how important it is for kids to build resilience without being bulldozed, why "fit&qu...

Max and Matt sit down with guest Bettina Schultz-Jobe to explore one of the hottest parenting questions out there: What should school actually look like? They dive into homeschooling, hybrid models, micro-schools, and the wild world of education alternatives beyond the standard public school path. Bettina shares her journey from therapist to school founder, what she’s learned about how kids learn best, and why some traditional scho...

Max and Matt get raw and real about every parent's worst nightmare — when playtime goes sideways and lands you in urgent care. Matt recounts the heart-wrenching experience of holding down his two-year-old daughter while she got stitches, and the emotional aftermath that rocked the whole family. They unpack the guilt, the helplessness, the fear, and the surprisingly powerful role of storytelling in helping kids (and parents) ma...

Max and Matt dive headfirst into the mental mush that is modern life and ask the big question: are we all getting dumber… or does it just feel that way? They unpack the "reverse Flynn effect" (yes, it’s a thing), why IQ scores might be slipping, and how tech, social media, and even GPS might be slowly draining our brains. But instead of panicking, they explore what we can actually do about it—especially as parents. From b...

Max and Matt open up about the weird limbo of life after college — when you’ve checked all the boxes but still feel totally unmoored. They talk about that creeping feeling of “Is this it?” even when things look fine on paper, the identity crisis that hits when your career path doesn’t match who you really are, and the invisible pressure to keep pushing forward even when you're not sure where you're going. From chasing pur...

Max and Matt get into the wild world of kids and competition—when it's fun, when it turns toxic, and when parents accidentally make it worse. They talk about the pressure kids feel to be “the best,” whether competition builds resilience or just stress, and how to help kids navigate winning, losing, and everything in between. From the awkwardness of letting your kid win (or not) to the questionable ethics of “participation trop...

Max and Matt take on the surprisingly tricky topic of self-image and how much parents shape the way their kids feel about how they look. They unpack the fine line between building confidence and accidentally creating little narcissists, why telling your kids they're beautiful might actually be a good thing, and how much of this is just about helping them avoid a future existential crisis in front of the mirror. They also wrest...

Max and Matt wrestle with the awkward tension of self-care, gratitude practices, and what it really means to put yourself first as a dad. They dive into the discomfort of talking about feelings, why terms like "self-care" and "gratitude practice" feel off-putting, and whether the resistance to these ideas is generational, cultural, or just straight-up nonsense. From the pressure to be a "good dad" whil...

Do parents really have a favorite child? The research says… maybe. This week, Max and Matt discuss a fascinating new study exploring favoritism among siblings, why it happens, who it happens to, and how it affects kids long-term. They break down what makes one child the "favorite", why firstborns often get special treatment, and how parents can unintentionally send signals that stick with kids for life.

They also share the...

Max and Matt dive into the wild world of sick kids: the endless fluids, missed days at daycare, and the looming question of how much sickness is too much. They talk about everything from preventing illness to navigating the tricky moments when it strikes, including handling fevers, the viral load theory, and whether it's okay to send your kid back to daycare with a little Tylenol. Max shares his unconventional (and controversi...

Max and Matt dive deep into the emotional complexities of work trips — how they feel before, during, and after leaving their families behind. The lead-up is filled with guilt and anxiety, and while the trip itself might offer a bit of relief, there’s no escaping the emotional rollercoaster of being away from the kids and the tension with partners. From the chaotic reentry period to the guilt of missing milestones, they talk through...

In this episode, Max and Matt tackle one of the trickiest challenges of parenting—striking the balance between giving your kids a great life and ensuring they develop gratitude. On the one hand, you want to give them everything you can; on the other, being deprived of something can be a powerful teacher of gratitude. But when you have the means to give your kids what they want, how do you navigate that tension without sounding like...

In this episode, Max and Matt dive into the complexities of self-criticism and why we’re so hard on ourselves. From feeling like we’re not doing enough to the constant nagging voice that says we’re failing, they break down the science behind those inner thoughts and how they can both push us to succeed and drive us crazy. The dads explore the brain’s Default Mode Network, the fine line between anxiety and excitement, and the parado...