Ep 18: Breaking the Pattern - How One Dad Rewired His Approach to Raising Kids

About this episode

Kevin Button shares his journey of evolving as a father and the importance of emotional awareness in parenting.

Two decades in, Kevin Button is still learning — and that's exactly what makes him a great dad. Kevin Button is a father of three spanning 21 years in age, and one of Tony Cooper's closest friends in fatherhood. In this conversation, Kevin gets brutally honest about who he was as a young father — ego-driven, reactive, and repeating patterns he never consciously chose — and how a quiet moment with his 3-year-old son completely broke him open. Kevin and Tony dig into the long game of raising kids: what changes between your first and third child, why the ego is the enemy of good fathering, and how becoming the dad you want to be is a daily, conscious act. They also talk about the rare gift of a trusted fatherhood community, the role of sports in building character, and why presence is the single greatest thing you can give a child. This is the kind of real, unfiltered fatherhood podcast conversation that sticks with you — whether you're 10 minutes into the dad journey or 20 years deep. Key Takeaways: Your first child takes the brunt of who you were before you did the work — and that's a call to action, not a reason for guilt. Emotion is a compass. When something doesn't feel right…

People in this episode

Host: Tony Cooper

Guest: Kevin Button

Topics covered

• fatherhood
• parenting
• ego
• community
• emotional growth
• sports

Keywords

• fatherhood
• parenting
• ego
• emotional growth
• community
• sports
• presence

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