{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"The Intentional Dad Ep 7 - Creating a Safe Space for Honest Conversations","description":"In this episode of The Intentional Dad, hosts J. Fotsch and Jason Hynson welcome guest Brian Mattson from The Downtown Church for a heartfelt discussion on fostering trust and openness in family conversations. The dads explore how honesty, humility and consistency are crucial for building emotional safety at home\u2014especially when discussing hard topics or addressing mistakes both theirs and their children\u2019s. The conversation emphasizes the power of modeling honesty and vulnerability, especially when parents admit they\u2019re wrong. The trio shares personal stories about navigating difficult questions from their kids, handling lies with grace and keeping communication age-appropriate while still truthful. They stress that maintaining an open-door policy\u2014no matter the topic or time of day\u2014lays the foundation for long-term trust. Their message is clear: being an intentional dad means creating space for honest conversations even when it\u2019s uncomfortable. Episode Highlights [02:02] "Being able to say I was wrong\u2026 I went up and I apologized for the 10% I missed. Did he say, 'You're right, I was wrong'? No. But I wanted to keep that door open." [03:21] "The more times that door gets shut incrementally, that\u2019s going to be a big deal a decade later." [08:06] "If my daughter comes to me with real questions, that lets me know she\u2019s old enough for a real answer." [18:00] "You don\u2019t necessarily get in trouble for the act\u2026 but if we find out that you're not truthful with Mom and Dad, that\u2019s when we\u2019re upset." [21:11] "When he's been told he\u2019s done wrong\u2026 that just shatters him. So you have to be tender, especially when you do catch him in a lie." [24:17] "I don\u2019t believe in trickle-down economics but I believe in trickle-down emotions." Resources\ud83d\udce9 Sign up for the Good Dads Newsletter and never miss a podcast! \ud83c\udf10 Learn more at gooddads.com \ud83d\udce7 Questions or comments? Reach out to Good Dads at info@gooddads.com ","author_name":"Good Dads Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/www.gooddads.com\/","html":"