It’s absurd how much better Dylan Harper is than De’Aaron Fox.

No pool. But definitely hook up a N64 with four controllers. No Odd Job.

Babies are the best. I can't believe I ever bought any of the anti-natalist propaganda when I was young. You'll never be ready. Have the baby anyway. Then have many more.

Great read from Alex Sasse, @BenSasse's eldest daughter.

If you want to "raise a D1 athlete" here's what works: 1. Stop trying to raise a D1 athlete Support your kid. Let them play whatever they want to play. Drive them to practice But it's got to come from them. They've got to want it. You can't force it. 2. Have great genetics

My Dad is always out like a light in less than 2 minutes. When I asked him how, he just shrugged and said, “I guess I’m right with the Lord.”

"If I told you there was one free thing you could do every Sunday that would make your kids happier, healthier, smarter, and closer to you, you'd think I was selling something." Take your kids to church regularly. I don't care if you believe. The data is so lopsided that skipping it is the parenting equivalent of refusing vegetables because you don't like the taste. Grades. Religious teens get As at almost twice the rate of nonreligious teens. In a class of 100, that's 24 A-students instead of 14. Church gives a kid the same academic boost as being born rich instead of poor. College. Working-class religious kids earn bachelor's degrees at double the rate of their nonreligious peers. Middle-class kids do it at 1.5x the rate. For families without a trust fund, this is one of the most powerful forms of upward mobility social scientists have measured. Character. Religious teens are far less likely to lie, cheat, or do things they hope their parents never find out about. They're more likely to care about racial equality, the elderly, and the poor. They reject the idea that morality is whatever works for you in the moment. That kind of kid doesn't happen by accident. It's built. Closeness. 60% of parents of religious teens say they feel "extremely close" to their kid, compared to 50% of nonreligious parents. The kids report the same thing back. They get along better with their parents, talk about hard stuff, and actually want to spend time with their family. Despair. Religious teens are dramatically less likely to be depressed, anxious, lonely, or feel that life is meaningless. 90% of devoted religious teens never binge drink, compared to 41% of the disengaged. Economists named the modern epidemic "deaths of despair." Regular church attendance is one of the strongest known buffers against it. Parents are spending fortunes trying to solve teen mental health. The most evidence-backed intervention is free. Purpose. Religious young adults report higher purpose, gratitude, life satisfaction, and resilience. These are the exact traits every parent says they want their kid to have. Here's why it works. Affluent families already surround their kids with networks of stable, accomplished adults through neighborhoods, schools, and parents' colleagues. Working and middle-class families usually don't. A congregation is often the last institution in American life that puts your kid in weekly contact with dozens of stable, employed, sober adults who know their name. It used to be called "a village." Now it barely exists outside of churches. "But I don't believe." Your kid doesn't need your theology. They need you to show up. "But church is boring." So is sitting through a kindergarten music recital. Parenting is the deliberate choice to be bored on purpose for someone you love. There's a church within 15 minutes of nearly every American home. You don't need money, connections, or credentials to walk in. Nothing else in this country will surround your kid with engaged adults, teach them moral seriousness, and give them a stable weekly rhythm at zero cost. You already drive them to practices that produce far less. The free thing on Sunday produces more, on more dimensions, than almost anything else you do as a parent. You don't have to believe anything. You just have to take them.

New newsletter: MODERN FATHERHOOD WOULD BE UNRECOGNIZABLE TO A 1950'S DAD Compared to their Boomer parents, childcare time among Millennial dads has more than doubled. Compared to their Silent Generation grandparents, it’s nearly quadrupled. You will be hard-pressed to find any part of day-to-day modern life that has changed more in the last half-century than the way today’s parents—and fathers, in particular—spend their time. The new American dad is more present and more exhausted—but also, more satisfied with life. What's behind this half-century transformation? Today's piece combines history, economic analysis, and gorgeous charts galore from @AzizSunderji

Ben Sasse, man. I'm just in awe...

Literally just having a delusional golden retriever mindset measurably changes outcomes and physiology. Sleep badly? Convince yourself you're well rested. Stressful day? Convince yourself it's fuel. Failed? Convince yourself it's useful data.

I’m not sure how yet, but putting 9 adults in the field in T-ball is contributing to the downfall of society. We had 2 when I was growing up, tops.

The greatest blessing a man can receive in life is to have a great father And whether or not he has such a father, the greatest gift he can give to his own children is to be one for them In comparison to that, nothing else matters very much

Parents - put your phones out of sight when you’re with your kids. I really mean this. Especially at home. Treat it like a landline and “hang it up” in one place. (Wife and I have a little holder for them in the kitchen) When you need to check it, go over to where it’s placed and look at it, then walk away. Do not carry it around like a digital pacifier. Be present without it in sight. I guarantee this will make a huge impact on their childhood experience.

A great spouse doubles every win and halves every defeat. Marry well, people.

You don’t always notice it in the moment… but your kids are learning how to live by watching how you handle a random Monday.

I spend a lot of time thinking about how to be more present with my kids… while also trying to build something meaningful for them. Those two things don’t always fit together cleanly.

The fastest way to improve your life isn’t adding more. It’s removing the things that are draining your time, energy, and attention.

You spend all day working to build a better life for your family… then get home and realize what they really wanted was just more of you.

Do real, hard things. It's an antidote for emptiness and existential distress.

High-agency people seem to have this weird immunity to embarrassment. Getting rejected? Not embarrassing, that’s just data collection. Looking naive? Not embarrassing, that’s just information asymmetry you’re fixing. Breaking minor social rules? Not embarrassing, most rules are just Schelling points anyway. What would be embarrassing to them is not trying. That’s the thing they can’t live with.