Ep 30: Michael Prince On Community, Chaos, And Raising Three Kids

A chance seat on a flight from Denver turned into a decades-long friendship, and a crash course in fatherhood. This week I sit down with my longtime friend Michael Prince to talk about the early terror of parenting a firstborn, the night his son started choking on steak at the dinner table, and why staying calm matters more than having the right answer. We get into raising a daughter after two sons, building a family culture around community and hospitality, teaching teenagers responsibility instead of just rules, and the regrets that come with parenting on the job. Michael's honesty about what he'd do differently makes this one worth sharing with any dad figuring it out as he goes.If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/Key Takeaways:Staying calm in a crisis matters more than having the perfect response; overreacting fuels the fire.Parenting a firstborn often means learning through trial and error with no real playbook.Building community with other parents can be one of the most valuable supports of early fatherhood.Raising a daughter after sons requires learning new sensitivity and intentional one-on-one time.Teaching kids the "why" behind a task matters as much as giving them the easy solution.Discipline works best with clear boundaries paired with real communication, not control.Parenting doesn't end when kids move out; it just changes shape.Growing up with a highly accomplished parent can create a bar that's hard to know you've cleared.Family culture, whether it's music, hospitality, or hosting, gets passed down whether you plan it or not.Every parent carries regrets; what matters is staying self-aware enough to adjust.00:00 Cold open00:42 Meet Michael Prince01:18 How Tony and Michael met02:05 The flight that changed everything03:10 Becoming each other's sanity04:13 Babymoon gone sideways04:52 The terror of a firstborn06:02 Self-conscious in public with kids07:16 Learning to stay calm08:54 Burning the first batch09:21 Kervin's strong will11:18 The steak-choking story13:06 Adrenaline and instinct14:06 Growing up with a high-bar dad16:21 Living up to his father17:02 Parenting patterns we repeat19:51 Deciding to have a third20:35 Fear of the unknown gender21:15 What changed with a daughter22:24 Raising Josie differently23:08 Daddy-daughter dates27:37 Building a community, not just friends30:07 Teenage independence and curfews32:20 Parenting never really stops33:49 Teaching kids the hard way36:41 Setting red lines, not rules37:24 Teaching responsibility with alcohol40:05 Advice for hesitant dads41:17 Finding your way without a manual43:37 Final wisdom for new dads44:53 A message to Kervin