What would it look like to parent on purpose? Montessori Dad Podcast with J.D. Murgolo is a respectful parenting podcast for fathers navigating the beautiful chaos of raising kids. Each episode explores Montessori principles, emotional intelligence, and conscious fatherhood — so you can show up for your kids in a way that actually feels like you.
Prepared Environment, Prepared Self: What a Messy Morning Taught Me
The kitchen was clean the night before.
That's where this episode starts, with the best version of yourself. The one who set the coffee maker and wiped the counter and thought: tomorrow will be different. And then the morning came.
This is a journal entry about the gap between the environment we prepare and the self we bring into it. About what it means to set everything up for a good morning and still arrive at the hallway slightly behind yourself. About a four-year-old who placed her rabbit on the counter with complete investment in the exact positioning of things — and was more present than I was.
In Montessori philosophy we talk about the prepared environment. I've been learning that the most important one isn't the room.
It's you.
The Montessori Dad is a Story House production. New episodes when they're ready. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
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From the Studio
This episode is part of Montessori Dad, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance.
Leave a voice message or reflection (https://www.speakpipe.com/FragileMoments)
The Letterbox
I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it.
Email me at: storytellingpods@gmail.com
Find the House
Have a seat on the porch with us: http://storyhousestudio.org/welcome (http://storyhousestudio.org/welcome)
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8 Jun 2026
Dear Future Self | Season 3 Finale — A Letter on Fatherhood, Growth & Letting Go
In the Season 3 finale of the Montessori Dad podcast, host J.D. Murgolo sets down the letters to his children and instead writes directly to his future self — a mindful reflection on personal growth, impermanence, and the quiet, ongoing work of becoming an intentional father.
This episode gathers the threads of the season: presence, grief, resilience, rhythm, boundaries, and the tender practice of letting go as an act of love.
A closing reflection on fatherhood not as mastery, but as ongoing formation.
Thank you for listening.
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From the Studio
This episode is part of Montessori Dad, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance.
Leave a voice message or reflection (https://www.speakpipe.com/FragileMoments)
The Letterbox
I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it.
Story House
370 Mallard Loop Dr.
Clayton, NC 27527
Find the House
The Prepared House newsletter: https://prepared-house.beehiiv.com (https://prepared-house.beehiiv.com/?_gl=1*grcnf5*_gcl_au*ODg4ODk4NzIuMTc3NjY5NjYzMC4yMDk3MTA5NzkzLjE3NzY2OTcyOTAuMTc3NjY5NzI5MA..*_ga*MTAzNTY2NjE4MC4xNzc2Njk2NjMw*_ga_E6Y4WLQ2EC*czE3NzY2OTY2MjkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY2OTczMTIkajQ5JGwwJGgxNTQ1MDYxNjg0)
Support this work: http://storyhousestudio.org/community (http://storyhousestudio.org/community)
Presence over persuasion. Consistency over frequency. http://storyhousestudio.org (http://storyhousestudio.org/)
25 May 2026
The Hands That Hold, and Let Go | Raising Independent Kids Through Montessori
There's a moment — and if you're a parent, you've felt it — when you realize your child no longer reaches for your hand the same way. They still reach. But differently. Steadier. Like they already know the ground beneath them.
In this entry, I reflect on the quiet grief that comes with watching children grow — the subtle shifts in how they fit in our arms, how they move through the world, and how independence slowly takes root. It's not loss. Montessori taught me that. It's security in action.
This episode is a meditation on impermanence, child autonomy, and what it really means to raise independent kids through a Montessori lens. Not by pushing them away. By preparing the ground so well that when they step forward, they trust it.
What we explore in this entry:
The quiet grief of watching your child grow up too fast — and why that feeling is worth sitting with
How Montessori independence isn't about doing it alone — it's about trusting the environment you've built
Letting go as an act of love, not detachment — for intentional dads navigating each new stage
Perspective, impermanence, and parenting toddlers (and kids of every age) with presence
How respectful parenting prepares kids for the world — without rushing them toward it
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From the Studio
This episode is part of Montessori Dad, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance.
Leave a voice message or reflection (#)
The Letterbox
I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it.
Story House
370 Mallard Loop Dr.
Clayton, NC 27527
Find the House
The Prepared House newsletter: https://prepared-house.beehiiv.com (https://prepared-house.beehiiv.com)
Support this work: http://storyhousestudio.org/community (http://storyhousestudio.org/community)
Presence over persuasion. Consistency over frequency. http://storyhousestudio.org (http://storyhousestudio.org)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
93
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
Contact Dads Cry Too
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Dads Cry Too
Who hosts Dads Cry Too?
Montessori Dad and Dads Cry Too and host host the show. Published by J.D. Murgolo | Story House Studio.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes monthly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Dads Cry Too take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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