Front Row Dads with Jon Vroman

Dr. Kelly Flanagan is a clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience, a Front Row Dad since 2020, and the author of several books including Lovable and True Companions. His newest book, The Road Less Triggered, is about the moment your heart closes — and what to do about it before you set your relationships back.
In this conversation, Kelly and Jon get into why having the right communication tools doesn't matter if you shut down in the moments that matter most. They explore defensiveness, boundaries, the difference between reacting and responding, and what it actually looks like to keep your heart open when everything in your body is telling you to close it.
If you've ever known better and still lost it with your wife or kids — this one's going to land.
📕 Grab The Road Less Triggered + $348 in pre-order bonuses: roadlesstriggered.com
📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: frontrowdads.com/books

Download the free Money Meeting Implementation Guide — everything Dave walks through in this episode so you can start with your kids this week: https://frontrowdads.com/moneymeeting
Two Front Row Dad VIP members. One big disagreement. Eric Farewell thinks allowances are a mistake. Dave Powders swears by them. In this episode, they hash it out — and what comes out of it is a practical framework any dad can use to raise financially confident kids.
Dave breaks down the exact system he's used since his oldest was 8 (she's now 12 and asking about maxing out her Roth IRA), while Eric shares why he pays his kids $25–$75/hour and makes them cover their own expenses — including half their dance lessons and even dental bills.
In this episode you'll learn:
The 5-jar system for splitting allowance money (play, save to spend, wealth, education, give)

Why biweekly "money meetings" build financial literacy most schools never teach

How to use a simple ledger to teach kids budgeting before they're teenagers

The difference between allowance and commissions — and why it matters less than you think

How one 12-year-old is funding her Roth IRA through her crochet business

Why letting your kids make money mistakes young saves them from costly ones later

Whether you're team allowance or team commission, this episode will change the way you talk to your kids about money.
📚 Want more? Grab the top book recommendations from our community of 300 dads — including the reads that changed how we think about money and family — at https://frontrowdads.com/podcast-books

This conversation was originally shared inside the Front Row Dads community — just for members. But it was too important to keep behind closed doors.
Ali Jafarian sits down with Philip McKernan — world-class speaker, coach to pro athletes and top executives, and the man leading a retreat for FRD fathers at a 500-year-old castle in Ireland this June. Philip also led two powerful sessions at FRD Live 2025.
They dig into the hidden guilt driving so much of our parenting, why doing the opposite of your own father still isn't authentic, and whether who you are — not what you do — is actually enough for your kids.
Philip says something you won't forget: if you can't find value in just sitting with your child doing nothing, it doesn't matter what you do for the next 25 years.

Bryan Post has spent 30 years working with families in crisis. He's a father of seven, a former foster and adopted child himself, and the author of 20 books — including From Fear to Love, which has sold over a million copies.
In this conversation, Bryan breaks down why most of what we call "bad behavior" in our kids is actually stress — and why the most powerful thing a dad can do isn't fix, coach, or correct. It's slow down and breathe.
What you'll learn: 
— How a parent's energy directly shapes a child's anxiety 
— Why love-based parenting isn't permissive (it's actually harder) 
— The difference between coaching your kid and connecting with them 
— How to hold space when your child is melting down without losing yourself 
— Why Bryan says grief is the most overlooked tool in a father's life
If you're a dad who wants to lead with love instead of fear, this one's for you.
📕 Bryan's book: feartolovebook.com
🔗 Free course for men: courage-iq.com

Alison Armstrong has been studying men since 1991. What started as a personal mission to stop bringing out the worst in them turned into over three decades of research, workshops, and books that have changed how thousands of people understand relationships, masculinity, and what really drives human behavior.
In this episode, she sits down with Jon Vroman and goes deep on what none of that research prepared her for — what it looks like when these dynamics show up between fathers and their children.
What you'll learn:
The 6 Dominant Drivers — building, knowing, sharing, growing, expressing, and enjoying — and how to spot yours

Why your dominant driver is visible to everyone except you

How a dad's drive to build can unintentionally crush a child whose driver is joy

The "hidden why" behind everything you do — and why it lives in your blind spot

Why Alison banned her husband from Disneyland (and what that taught her about overprotective fathers)

What her stepson meant when he said "Greg was the man" — and why Greg may never have known

The shame conversation every father needs to hear: why penance is easy but forgiveness takes courage

Jon also shares an unscripted moment from his son's birthday that brings everything Alison teaches into sharp, personal focus.
Learn more about Alison's work at alisonarmstrong.com