As dads and as parents, the news of the Cornell 7 that broke this week was deeply disturbing. For both Andy and Brian, picturing our own children one day being in a situation like the one that’s been all over news feeds has us feeling sick and disgusted.

We’re using today’s episode to talk about the responsibilities of dads and parents to help raise our children to never find themselves in a situation like the one that happened at a fraternity at Cornell in 2024.

We both have unique perspectives on this issue. Brian is a father of three girls, one of which is nearing high school age. He’s also from Ithaca, NY, where Cornell is located. And while Andy’s son is still several years away from understanding what happened, the education that shapes him starts now while he’s young. Andy also understands fraternity culture, having lived in a fraternity at Indiana University for two years during his undergraduate experience.

We also talk about taking time away from parenting to explore the world, developing our children’s vocabularies, parental shame and judgement, as well as being strong for your child when they’re experiencing something uncomfortable.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The weight of parenting and modeling respect

02:02 Sharing wins: Travel and outdoor activities with kids

05:02 The importance of modeling respect and empathy from a young age

11:07 Handling parent-shaming and teaching self-control in public

19:50 The Cornell 7 case: Lessons on entitlement and responsibility

34:14 The role of privilege and modeling behavior in preventing misconduct

45:00 The importance of teaching kids to say no and stand up for what's right

54:52 The impact of adult behavior on children's moral development

01:02:07 Closing thoughts: The power of modeling and positive influence