Bussin' With The Boys – "Best of For The Dads: 2025 Recap"

For The Dads Podcast Recap | December 31, 2025
Hosts: Will Compton and Derek (with Sherman and Chef in supporting roles)

Episode Overview

The final 2025 For The Dads episode is a lively, candid celebration of fatherhood's daily chaos. Will and Derek share their most relatable parenting fails and small victories, riff on the realities of marriage, offer solidarity to new dads, and laugh through listener call-ins. The boys reflect on the importance of teamwork (with partners and each other), taking responsibility, and reaching for small wins amid the relentless grind of raising young kids. The tone remains light, self-deprecating, and supportive, with plenty of banter, running jokes, and heartwarming shout-outs to the For The Dads community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Giving Back: The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital Fundraiser

[02:06–04:09]

• Will and Derek promote a holiday charity drive to support Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital in Nashville.
• Multiple ways to give: directly via the website (bwtb.com) or by purchasing merch (10% of net proceeds donated and matched by the podcast).
• Memorable Moment:

  "We're going to be hand delivering toys to those kids at the hospital here in the next couple weeks. That's going to be another fun opportunity." – Will [04:09]

2. Welcome to For The Dads: What the Show Is About

[04:27–06:01]

• The podcast is for dads (and moms!), focused on sharing unfiltered parenting stories and lessons from non-experts.
• Will and Derek encourage audience engagement: hotline (601-THEDADS), email, and active social media.
• Both hosts share their kids’ ages, highlighting the range of relevant parenting experiences.

3. The Daily Dad Battle: Morning Chaos at Home

[06:01–14:13]

• Both hosts share unvarnished play-by-play accounts of their typically hectic mornings—missed alarms, cranky kids, forgotten routines, and messy kitchens.
• Derek describes comforting his daughter Rue at 1:30 am and waking up late after his wife does a 6 am workout.

  “That's a prime example of, like, you needed that sleep. As much as you might be angry at yourself. Like, your body was like, yo, I need rest.” – Will [10:06]

• Parenting means managing small disasters (lunches, snacks, emotional meltdowns, spilled food).

  “Just say it out loud. Say, good, good, good.” – Derek [13:15]

  • Running joke of “good, good” as embracing chaos with acceptance.

4. Accountability, Missed Texts, and Teamwork Failures

[14:34–15:01]

• Banter about group “accountability” texts that never really materialize.

  “Chalk it up to me not texting you this morning that, yes, we need to be better as a team.” – Will [15:01]

5. The “No One’s Coming to Save You” Mentality

[17:49–23:16]

• Will recounts a solo-parenting night, his wife falling ill, taking over every “default mom” task (bottles, daycare prep, carpet cleaning after the dog gets locked in a room and pees everywhere).
• Dad hack: Using a baby wipe to stimulate a sleepy baby to finish her bottle [20:05].
• Reminder:

  “No one's coming to save you. And that's just a—a day at the office.” – Will [23:07]

• Both hosts reiterate: parenting is about showing up when your number's called, with no backup.

6. Community Engagement & Reader Comments

[23:18–29:48]

• The hosts read and riff on listener comments—stories about Disney chaos, sick kids, and outrageous parenting fails (including dogs eating kids’ poop).

  “Keep up the Good Work Pt 6. This show truly was a game changer for me.” – Eli McCarthy, listener [23:41]

• Shout-outs to fans like Layman (“Nanny called in sick today. Good.”), and new-dad shout-outs (including MLB bullpen catcher Tim Reams, asking for advice).

7. When Dad’s Number is Called – The 'Bullpen' Analogy

[28:08–36:42]

• Will gives advice to new dad Tim Reams: treat parenting like being a bullpen catcher—you have to be ready to step in when needed, with no drop-off.

  “There should be no drop off if you want to be a big leaguer. There's no drop off when your number gets called.” – Will [30:08]

• Emphasis on the reality of 'starter goes down,' next man up!
• Derek notes: As kids get mobile, chaos and dangers multiply (oven knobs, cabinets, water bowls on the floor).

8. Marriage Banter and the Art of Subtext

[37:13–45:17]

• The boys dissect the indirect communication styles between husbands and wives (subtweets, hints, not-so-subliminal requests).

  “That’s called an out-loud subtweet from your wife.” – Will [41:37]

  • Wives want you to just know; men want clear instructions.
  • Solution: Awareness, teamwork, taking hints—and sometimes just saying, “good, it’s my time.”

9. Learning and Growing as Dads

[45:23–66:50]

• Shout-outs to new dads, birthday celebrations (daughter turning two), and families about to welcome new babies.
• Extended bit about the never-ending need to help, take responsibilities in stride, and not avoid the less glamorous parenting tasks.
• The babysitter dilemma: How to find, vet, and onboard reliable childcare, and the emotional and logistical hurdles both parents encounter.

  “We need a Rolodex of one to two babysitters that you feel like you can trust and call and that, you know, you’re hoping that they would be available in a pinch.” – Will [61:49]

  • Debates over whose job it is to source a babysitter.

  “If you find a babysitter and you trust said babysitter? I trust you.” – Derek [64:27]

10. Community Voicemails & Dad Hacks

[79:14–91:25]

• Voicemails cover everything from how to make bath time meaningful (“what do I do with my 18-month-old during bath time?”) to Christmas tree baby-proofing strategies.

  “I'm picturing Tim just set the kid in the bathtub, and he's just kind of sitting there looking at her, just thinking, what do I do here?” – Derek [81:06]

  • Recommendations: playful interaction, singing, making bath time about bonding, not productivity.
  • Dad Hack: Waterproof bath books, slow-pouring water for sensory play.
• Christmas tree survival tips:
  • Try indestructible ornaments or a separate kid-friendly tree.
  • If all else fails, embrace the chaos: "Good, good, good."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Lines (w/ Timestamps)

• “That's a prime example of, like, you needed that sleep. Your body was like, yo, I need rest.” – Will [10:06]
• “No one's coming to save you. That's just a day at the office.” – Will [23:07]
• “All the chaos and meltdowns are worth the special memories and smiles on wifey and baby girl's face.” – Listener Eli McCarthy [23:41]
• “Nobody is coming to save you.” – Derek [24:45]
• “When your number gets called for bath time, 'cause it will be... you gotta be ready to go.” – Derek [38:41]
• “Our wives talk to us in indirect, subliminal messages. If you just tell me, I would know. If you just know, I don’t have to tell you.” – Derek [43:11]
• “The signs were there.” – Will [45:17]
• “There should be no drop off if you want to be a big leaguer. There’s no drop off when your number gets called.” – Will [30:08]
• “I trust you. If the babysitter walks in, like, I’m just trusting that we have a babysitter.” – Derek [64:27]
• “Let me own my job. Let me be great.” – Derek [70:51]
• “Just say it out loud. Say, good, good, good.” – Derek [13:15] (theme throughout episode)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Charity/Fundraiser Pitch: [02:06–04:09]
• Introduction to Show & Audience Engagement: [04:27–06:01]
• Morning Chaos Stories: [06:01–14:13] (hilarious parenting fails, relatable moments)
• “No One’s Coming to Save You” / Being the Backup Parent: [17:49–23:16]
• Listener Comment Section (Community Bonding): [23:18–29:48]
• Bullpen/Covering for Your Partner Analogy: [28:08–36:42]
• Subtext/Marriage Communication Banter: [37:13–45:17]
• Babysitter Dilemma & Picking up the Slack: [61:20–66:50]
• Dad / Bath Time Hack Voicemail: [79:14–85:54]
• Christmas Tree Baby-Proofing Voicemail: [86:09–90:35]
• Crack A Cold One (Toast to the Dads/Moms): [72:26–74:59]

Listener Voicemails – “For The Dads Hotline” Highlights

• Bath Time Tips for Toddlers:

  • “How do I make that extra special for her?” – Taylor from Idaho [79:14]
  • Hosts advise playful interaction, narrating, singing, and embracing the fun of small routines.

• Baby-Proofing the Christmas Tree:

  • Creative solutions: dog gate, secondary “kid” tree with indestructible ornaments, distraction tactics.
  • Ultimately, accept some chaos is inevitable:

    “I just kind of guide her. Go over there, look at that over there. Go get the ball.” – Derek [90:35]

Final Takeaways & Tone

• The episode is a love letter to the exhausted, outnumbered, and overwhelmed but determined dads (and moms) doing their best.
• Will and Derek are refreshingly vulnerable about their own shortcomings and vulnerabilities–there are no Instagram-perfect households here, just real life.
• Humor and the repeated “good, good” mantra serve as comic relief and coping strategy—a signal to accept imperfection and keep moving.
• The For The Dads community is strong and deeply engaged, with the hosts highlighting and amplifying their fans’ voices wherever possible.

Missed the episode?
You’ll walk away with these lessons:

• Your parenting fail isn’t uniquely catastrophic—everyone’s living the chaos.
• There’s always a practical or funny hack to try (or at least someone to commiserate with).
• When life hands you the “next man up” moment, it’s your time to shine—no one’s coming to save you, but together, you and the community can get through it.

Want to get featured? Drop a voicemail at 601-THEDADS or join the For The Dads community on socials!