We think of the Stoics as philosophers, which of course they were. But they were human beings, too—sons, daughters, husbands, wives, and parents.
Marcus Aurelius had 13 children. Seneca had one (and one of his best essays is written to his mother). Cato had a son and a daughter (Porcia, one of the great female Stoics of history). So it should definitely not surprise us that the Stoics had many great insights for parents.
Seneca warns parents not to indulge a child’s every desire (as Agrippina spoiled Nero) and that instead, “the good parent, out of love for the child, acts as a trainer, endlessly manufacturing trials for the child” so they can learn to overcome struggle and discover their hidden potential. Marcus made sure to eat dinner with his family every night he could, then liked to tuck his children into bed afterwards. As he kissed them goodnight, he did something he says he learned from Epictetus, “whisper to yourself, ‘he may be dead in the morning,’” so cherish this moment together while you can. And Musonius Rufus emphasized the importance of parents teaching children by example: “Don’t expect to tell others what they should do, when they know that you do what you shouldn’t.”
It was reading wisdom like this that inspired the launch of the Daily Dad newsletter—because as Seneca wrote, a Stoic acquires knowledge not in order to possess it for themselves, but to share it with others. It’s these daily parenting reminders, like the ones from the Stoics above, that show us—as much as things may change, as uncertain as the world can and always will be—parenting remains one of those beautiful experiences that links all of us in an unbroken chain.
It’s also the most important job any of us can have. A job that demands you show up every day—as even Marcus did, despite being emperor of Rome—but also a job in which, no matter where we are on our journey, we could all use a little help.
That was the idea behind The Daily Dad book—to give parents access to this timeless advice one piece at a time, one day at a time. The book has been celebrated by Scott Galloway, Emily Oster, and Matthew McConaughey, with the award-winning actor urging parents to “make this book a morning ritual.”
The power of The Daily Dad book resides in picking it up daily and consistently engaging with the material—because even though the pages stay the same, your kids will change, the world will change, and you will change.
And like we did with The Daily Stoic, we wanted to create a premium leather edition of The Daily Dad, designed to stand the test of time, so parents can return to the wisdom inside through the years and help their children as much as they can before their kids inevitably leave home and set off on their own.
Get a copy in your preferred format today!
“Parenting can be hard. We all want to do right by our kids, but it’s easy to get lost in the moment. This book is a simple way to ground us, to force a reflection on the choices we’re making and the ones we want to make. And it’s not just for dads.” —Emily Oster
