Rewriting the Rules | Shannon Carpenter on Owning Stay-At-Home Fatherhood
There are countless reasons why a parent might choose to step away from their career to stay home and raise their kids—financial considerations, personal values, or simply wanting to be more present during those formative years. But even in 2026, most people still assume it’ll be Mom who makes that move. Enter Shannon Carpenter: a stay-at-home dad of three who traded investigating elder abuse for state agencies for full-time parenting almost 20 years ago, and has never looked back. Shannon is the author of The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Dad (Penguin Random House), a humorous, heartfelt guide for dads navigating the world of primary caregiving. He opens up about fighting isolation, bucking stereotypes, and how he has redefined success and identity in his life. Listen to the end for Kisses & Disses!
Modern Dadhood | Unpacking Fatherhood + Parenting for Dads (and Moms!) · Adam Flaherty, Caspar Babypants, Chris Ballew, Spencer Albee, Shannon Carpenter, Marc Checket
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Show Notes
There are countless reasons why a parent might choose to step away from their career to stay home and raise their kids—financial considerations, personal values, or simply wanting to be more present during those formative years. But even in 2026, most people still assume it’ll be Mom who makes that move. Enter Shannon Carpenter: a stay-at-home dad of three who traded investigating elder abuse for state agencies for full-time parenting almost 20 years ago, and has never looked back. Shannon is the author of The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Dad (Penguin Random House), a humorous, heartfelt guide for dads navigating the world of primary caregiving. He opens up about fighting isolation, bucking stereotypes, and how he has redefined success and identity in his life. Listen to the end for Kisses & Disses!
Topics include:
• The decision-making process behind becoming a stay-at-home dad and challenging traditional gender norms.
• Navigating isolation, building community, and the importance of friendships for at-home fathers.
• Strategies for connecting with teenagers and adapting parenting styles for different phases and individual children.
• Mental health for dads: separating personal identity from the parenting role and prioritizing self-care.
• Societal perceptions of stay-at-home dads and ongoing barriers to equality in caregiving roles.
• The impact of workplace policies, cultural changes, and paid family leave on modern fatherhood.
• Writing "The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Dad" and advocating for actionable, practical advice for fathers.
• And more!
LINKS
Shannon Carpenter (homepage)
The Ultimate Stay At Home Dad (Bookshop.org)
Shannon Carpenter (Instagram)
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)
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