Raising Men is a podcast about parenting, masculinity, and the lifelong journey of raising sons—and ourselves—to be men of courage, character, and purpose. Hosted by Shaun Dawson, each episode features real conversations with parents, leaders, and thinkers redefining what it means to raising men in today’s world.
Ancient Wisdom for Modern Boys with Dr. Samuel Latimer
In this episode of Raising Men, host Shaun Dawson sits down with Dr. Samuel Latimer, a clinical and social psychologist and founder of Fostering Growth and Cooperation. Together they ask what ancient wisdom can teach modern parents about raising boys who feel needed. Dr. Samuel draws on traditional societies like the Maya, who bring toddlers into household chores from the very start. Shaun shares how teaching his son golf only worked once he stopped coaching and started playing alongside him. They talk through co-sleeping, picky eating, and why natural consequences often teach more than taking away a phone. The thread through all of it is simple. Boys grow strong when they have a real job in the family today. Big plans for later can wait. You'll walk away with practical ways to invite your son into the work of your home, and a fresh look at which modern habits are worth questioning.
Key Takeaways
Give your son a real job in the house now. Dr. Samuel sees young men leaving for college who can't manage laundry or dishes, and he traces it to boys who were never needed at home.
Say yes when the little ones grab the broom. Two, three and four year olds want to help, and the Maya treat that urge as worth years of patience, even when the job gets done badly.
Correct less than you think you should. Shaun's golf outings with his son only clicked once he stopped instructing and simply played beside him, letting him learn by watching and trying.
Let natural consequences do some of the teaching. Taking away a phone is a manufactured consequence. Roaches in a kitchen nobody cleaned is a natural one, and kids connect to what is happening right now.
Ask whether a modern rule is wisdom or just habit. Shaun and his wife questioned why their son had to sleep alone, learned co-sleeping is the historical norm, and he still grew up remarkably independent.
"We expect too much independence of our toddlers and little ones, but too much dependence of our teenagers." - Dr. Samuel Latimer
"No, we need you. You are a valuable part of this household, and we need you." - Dr. Samuel Latimer
"Carry it because you're needed. You are needed right now to bring this in the door." - Dr. Samuel Latimer
Chapters
00:00:00 Welcome and Meet Dr. Latimer
00:00:40 When a Sick Kid Interrupts
00:01:51 A Father's Day Episode Unravels
00:03:27 Ancient Parenting Lessons for Today
00:05:56 Boys Who Can't Do Basics
00:07:04 How the Maya Teach Chores
00:13:39 Fad Diet Toys and Apps
00:15:55 Learning Golf Side by Side
00:21:56 Natural Consequences and Kitchen Roaches
00:24:50 Co-Sleeping and Raising Independent Kids
00:31:41 Why Picky Eating Is Modern
00:35:27 You Matter to This Family
Links and Websites
Fostering Growth and Cooperation (Dr. Samuel's practice, membership, and family and couples therapy): https://www.fosteringgrowthandcooperation.com (https://www.fosteringgrowthandcooperation.com)
Reclaiming the Generational Rearview Mirror with Ted Dawson: https://raising.men/episodes/reclaiming-the-generational-rearview-mirror-with-ted-dawson (https://raising.men/episodes/reclaiming-the-generational-rearview-mirror-with-ted-dawson)
16 Oct 2026
Benign Authority and Showing Up for the Small Moments with Geoff Owen
In this episode of Raising Men, host Shaun Dawson sits down with Geoff Owen, founder of Aligned Parenting and author of The Parenting Assumption, to test-drive his new AI parenting agent. Built on Biologically Aligned Parenting, the agent gives parents somewhere to turn when a hard moment hits at 11 o'clock at night. Shaun brings a real one. His four-year-old daughter is warm and close when it's just the two of them, then pushes him away the moment her mom is home. Geoff reads that behavior as a signal about what she needs from her environment. He explains benign authority, the steady place a parent stands no matter what a child says. Shaun also owns a moment he missed on the morning they recorded, when his daughter asked for breakfast and he answered from his office. You'll learn why rudeness doesn't always need correcting, and why answering promptly matters so much.
Key Takeaways
Read difficult behavior as a signal. Geoff asks what's missing from the child's environment, and what you can supply so the behavior stops being necessary.
Stand in benign authority. That's Geoff's term for the calm, settled place a parent stands no matter what a child says or does, and your child depends on you to hold it.
You don't have to answer every rude moment. Keep providing the right environment and carry on, and over time the behavior starts to settle.
It isn't your child's job to confirm you're a good parent. If a four-year-old's words wound you, ask why you've handed her that power.
When your child calls and the task can wait, stop and go to them. "In a minute" doesn't make sense to a young child, and being close beats shouting down the stairs.
"It's not her job to confirm your ability and success as a parent." - Geoff Owen
"When a child's rude to you, you've got to do something about it. When actually you don't." - Geoff Owen
"The things that we want from our children, they've already got. It's all there, just like the seed." - Geoff Owen
Chapters
00:00:00 Introducing Geoff Owen's AI Agent
00:02:05 Testing a Sample Parent Prompt
00:04:20 Behavior as a Signal Explained
00:06:02 Shaun's Daughter Pushes Him Away
00:09:39 What the AI Agent Recommends
00:12:55 Handling It as a Team
00:14:13 Stepping Into Your Benign Authority
00:19:47 When Your Child's Words Hurt
00:21:31 Obedience or Cooperativeness from Children
00:22:39 The Seed and the Oak
00:28:42 A Missed Morning Breakfast Moment
00:32:41 Honoring the Five Innate Expectations
Books, Links and Frameworks Mentioned
Links and Websites
Geoff Owen's parenting agent: https://geoffreyowen.com/ask (https://geoffreyowen.com/ask)
Biologically Aligned Parenting with Geoff Owen: https://raising.men/episodes/biologically-aligned-parenting-with-geoff-owen (https://raising.men/episodes/biologically-aligned-parenting-with-geoff-owen)
12 Oct 2026
When Boys Drift Before they Collapse with Ryan Riley
In this episode of Raising Men, host Shaun Dawson sits down with Ryan Riley, an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and author of the Books for Boys character and leadership series. Ryan explains how boys drift before they collapse, and how parents can catch emotional withdrawal early. He defines drift simply: change outpacing our awareness. Shaun and Ryan talk about why so many dads struggle to find connection, and why pushing an 18-year-old out the door can set him up to fail. Ryan is a father of five, and he shares the hard lesson of a family crisis he didn't see coming. He walks through his model of moving from daddy to mentor to peer, and explains why being your teenager's friend backfires. There's also a $300 toilet paper story you won't forget. You'll walk away with practical ways to stay present, make small corrections early and be the anchor your son can count on.
Key Takeaways
Ryan defines drift as change outpacing your awareness. Drift is neutral in itself. It only becomes dangerous when it goes on long enough that you're left reacting instead of choosing.
Parent the way you drive a car, with a light hand on the wheel. Small, steady corrections keep things smooth, while noticing late leads to the panicked overcorrection that causes the crash.
Be an anchor. An anchor sits in the mud at the bottom and doesn't move, and your son needs to know you're that constant presence when he needs you.
Move from daddy to mentor, and later to peer, rather than to friend. A mentor is someone your son calls for help, listens to for advice, and who lets him make mistakes without judging him.
Set your son up for success long before he turns 18. A standing promise like "call me, no questions asked" only works in a crisis if you said it a thousand times before he needed it.
"I define drift as when change outpaces our awareness." - Ryan Riley
"You can't begin setting your kids up for success right when they're ready to go out of the house. It has to begin early." - Ryan Riley
"The worst thing you can do is move from daddy to friend." - Ryan Riley
Chapters
00:00:00 Why Parents Miss the Turn
00:00:37 Welcome and Meet Ryan Riley
00:02:37 Why Dads Struggle to Connect
00:06:06 The Myth of Leaving Home
00:12:22 Defining Drift as Outpaced Awareness
00:14:04 Parenting Like Steering a Car
00:19:12 Why Boys Need an Anchor
00:25:23 Daddy, Mentor, and Peer Roles
00:32:47 Why Parents Shouldn't Be Friends
00:34:00 The $300 Toilet Paper Lesson
00:37:36 Teach Principles and Let Go
00:42:14 Teaching the Love Before Rules
Books, Links and Frameworks Mentioned
When Boys Drift Before They Collapse, Ryan Riley's TEDx talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FimtYmzQqc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FimtYmzQqc)
Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/ryan.riley.fh (https://www.instagram.com/ryan.riley.fh)
Books for Boys: https://booksforboys.club/ (https://booksforboys.club/)
Inside a recent episode
How A Father's Self-Ownership Shapes A Son's Strength with Ralph Brewer
Published 4 May 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And you had a front row seat for it. Well, I guess this is just how couples act. And then you marry somebody just like mom. And you're like, oh, man, here we go again. And like clockwork, you get divorced just like mom and dad did or whatever it may be. And we're just repeating these same patterns all over and over again. So I think it behooves a lot of guys to first take an honest step back, and you may do this via therapy. I'm not a therapist, but a therapist may sit down with you and just say, let's really sit down and think about what's going on with you. Where do you think this comes from? […]
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