End-of-summer dad life gets real: food poisoning in Mexico, a lost wedding ring, family vacation chaos and the moments with our kids we never want to forget.

The whole Dad Livin' crew is back together to close out summer and compare the wins, fails and family memories that defined it. We rate our summers without being allowed to pick a seven, revisit a brutal Mexico birthday trip, explain how a wedding ring disappeared at Lake of the Ozarks and ask whether traveling with kids should really count as a vacation.

The conversation also gets real about parenting through grief, watching our kids grow more independent and recognizing the small moments that become the memories we keep. Doug shares the Missouri Botanical Garden picnic that felt like a perfect family night, plus the bedtime kiss from Adalyn that went "straight into his heart."

Then it is time to settle the important end-of-summer debates:
- Pool, lake or beach?
- Road trip or flying?
- Is a family vacation actually a vacation?
- Does summer end when school starts or on Labor Day?
- Your turn: When does summer officially end: the first day of school or - - Labor Day? Pick one and defend it in the comments.

This episode contains candid language and a sincere conversation about grief.

Chapters:
0:00 The Whole Dad Livin' Crew Is Back
1:10 Summer Is Over and School Is Back
2:38 Rate Your Summer, but You Cannot Pick Seven
3:55 The Summer Vacation Tally
5:31 Grief, Family Support and a Difficult Summer
7:48 The Summer Fail Hall of Shame
8:10 Food Poisoning at a 40th Birthday in Mexico
11:07 Losing a Wedding Ring at Lake of the Ozarks
12:43 Night Shifts, Travel and Summer Exhaustion
15:24 The Family Memories We Did Not Plan
17:10 Watching Our Kids Grow Up
19:29 Gulf Shores and Learning to Be Present
23:01 The Perfect Night at Missouri Botanical Garden
26:00 The Funniest and Sweetest Things Our Kids Said
27:15 Adalyn's Goodnight Kiss Goes Straight to Dad's Heart
30:36 Is The Sandlot a Fourth of July Movie?
32:21 Settle It: The End-of-Summer Debates
32:47 Pool, Lake or Beach?
33:35 Road Trip or Flying?
34:03 Is a Family Vacation Actually a Vacation?
38:46 When Does Summer Officially End?
41:10 Final Summer Verdicts

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Kids ice hockey is the hardest youth sport to break into. Here's what every hockey parent needs to know before puck drop.

On this episode of Dad Livin', Doug and Mike Deutman — a youth hockey coach and referee for the Meramec Sharks — break down everything a first-time hockey parent needs to know about getting a kid into ice hockey: the gear, the cost, the ice time, and why they still think hockey is the greatest youth sport ever built.

What we cover:
🏒 Why kids ice hockey demands more than any other youth sport — skating, stick skill, finesse, and toughness combined (yes, we get into the PK Subban take that started this whole conversation)
⛸️ The #1 rule for new youth hockey parents: skating skills come before stick skills, every time
😤 The frustration curve every hockey family goes through — and the exact moment it "clicks" (real stories about our own kids, Gus and Shane)
🏒 Why putting a stick in your kid's hands too early can backfire, and what to do in the garage instead
⏰ Is 10, 11, or 12 too late to start playing hockey? (Spoiler: no — and we explain why)
🥅 Our own first hockey memories — skating lessons with grandma, early morning drives to Herculaneum, and what those car rides actually taught us about connecting with our kids
🏆 Growing up on street hockey in St. Louis, mailing away for Mario Lemieux and Eric Lindros autographs, and what it was like watching the Stanley Cup come through town
🚀 Why a young Mario Lemieux or Eric Lindros wouldn't stand a chance against Connor McDavid today — and what that says about how far youth training has come
⚽ Why we still tell our kids to play other sports, even though we think hockey is the best one out there

0:00 The Dad Living Philosophy
0:30 Varsity Squad Takes the Mic
2:04 The Ice Hockey Deep Dive
3:39 From D1 Dreams to Officiating
7:05 Why Hockey Reigns Supreme
10:53 Childhood Memories and Cul-de-sac Dreams
20:10 Guiding Your Child Through the Rink
27:39 Breaking Down the Cost of Play

If you're a parent thinking about signing your kid up for youth hockey — or you're already in it and wondering if it's worth the 6am practices — this episode is for you.

Drop a comment: What's your kid's sport, and what's the one thing you wish someone told you before you started?

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Summer dad guilt hits hard when work is busy, kids are home, and you feel like you’re missing the moments that matter — that’s what today’s Coffee Talk is all about.

Welcome back to Dad Livin’, coming to you from an early Saturday morning coffee session in St. Louis, no garage beers this time, just coffee and real talk.

In this episode we dig into:

• The reality of summer dad guilt and working dad schedules — from “Dad, I miss you” phone calls to kids saying “I just want you” while you’re trying to work from home.
• How we’re juggling late movie nights, summer camps, pool days and Brenner (breakfast for dinner) while trying not to feel like we’re failing as dads.
• What we actually let the kids watch: Indiana Jones, Superman, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, and the awkward parenting moments when PG-13 trailers go way too far.
• Why routines and workouts fall apart in the summer — ballpark food, frozen custard runs, and kids calling out our dad bods — plus how we’re trying to reset without the shame spiral.onlinemediamasters
• The small wins that make the chaos worth it: Jordan Walker’s Home Run Derby run, FIFA World Cup family watch parties, golf camp progress, and Sandlot-style baseball pool parties.

If you’re a dad working full-time, wrestling with dad guilt, and trying to stay present in the middle of summer schedules, this Coffee Talk episode will feel way too familiar.

Drop a comment:- What’s the most dad thing you did this week?- What’s one kid quote that absolutely wrecked you?

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