Dad's job
The Instigator
Make the world look worth exploring.
Kids don’t go looking for a world they’ve never seen. Somebody has to open the door, hand over the gear and say: “Let’s go.” This is the job of making wonder happen on purpose, then letting them take it from there.
How The Instigator opens in the book
There’s a special kind of quiet in a house where everyone has a screen and nobody needs anything. I found it extremely agreeable. A cup of coffee, a comfortable chair, no arguments, and nobody asking a question that might require me to find a socket wrench or drive somewhere. Everyone is content, or at least occupied, and you can get an alarming amount of nothing done.
…
From the book
4 true stories in The Instigator.
- The Retake
- The Test Dummies
- The Screw
- The Odometer
Find out what happened in the book.
Preorder on Amazon →Sh!t we wish we'd known
#10 Let Their Interest Be Enough
Give them something to make, then notice what holds their attention. Don’t turn every curiosity into a talent evaluation
- #11
- #12
- #13
3 more for The Instigator. We're not giving away all 44 on a website. Feb 16, 2027.
Be The Instigator this weekend.
Things to try with your kid, from strongerKIDS.org.
Backyard Circus
Acts, tickets, popcorn, the works. Charge a quarter. Donate the take.
Backyard Obstacle Course
Lawn chairs, rope, boards. Build it. Time yourself. Add a blindfold after.
Backyard Picnic
Kid designs the menu, makes the food, sets up outside. No table.
One dad. Eight jobs.
The trick is knowing which one your kid needs right now.
On sale February 16, 2027 ·
Dads Who Give a Sh!t
44 Things We Wish We'd Known While Raising Kids
Drew Klonsky and Brent Hieggelke · Skyhorse Publishing
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