Good Inside with Dr. Becky

The New Fatherhood: “You Either Sort It Out or Pass It On”

Episode Summary

Writer Kevin Maguire on masculinity, parenting, emotions, and the courage it takes to break generational patterns.

Episode Notes

For generations, fathers were taught that their job was simple: protect, provide, preside.

But what happens when those old rules no longer fit?

In this conversation, Dr. Becky talks with writer and father Kevin Maguire ("The New Fatherhood") about the emotional transformation happening inside modern fatherhood — and why so many dads are trying to parent differently than they were parented themselves.

They explore:

• why presence matters more than ever in parenting
• the hidden identity shift that happens when men become fathers
• why play can feel surprisingly hard for dads
• anger, emotional regulation, and repair
• the pressure men feel to disconnect from vulnerability
• paternal postpartum depression and why so few people talk about it
• how healing ourselves changes the way we show up for our kids

This is an honest conversation about masculinity, parenting, emotions, and the courage it takes to break generational patterns.

Kevin's new book is called The New Fatherhood: Why Everything They Told You About Being A Dad Is Wrong, and How Embracing It Will Transform Your Life.

Thank you to our partners for making this episode possible:

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• Oso & Me: Use the code OSOGOOD15 for 15% off clothes newborn through age ten