Bussin' With The Boys: For The Dads — Will Compton Talks How Crucial Communication Is & Thanksgiving Traditions | November 19, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "For The Dads," presented by Bussin’ With The Boys and hosted by NFL veterans Will Compton and friends, dives deeply into the daily realities, struggles, and joys of fatherhood. The main themes revolve around the importance of communication within relationships (especially with partners), the hard (and often hilarious) truths of being a dad, building and participating in the online dad community (Papa Team 6), and Thanksgiving/holiday traditions and preparations.

The tone is conversational, authentic, and frequently laced with humor as the guys openly discuss their wins, losses, insecurities, and “in-the-trenches” moments as both dads and partners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Real Dad-Life Moments & Community Building

• Car Seat Fails & Diaper Dilemmas (01:55—04:09):
  • Will jokes about repeatedly forgetting the car seat base and his wife’s gentle reminders:

    “Hey, did you forget the car seat base, sweetheart? You gotta remind me in the mornings.” (02:45, Will)

  • Sherm admits to forgetting diaper changes before daycare:

    “I’m just dropping off a poop grenade to the daycare workers.” (03:38, Sherm)

  • Both find solidarity in the dad community, sharing “we’ve all blown it” stories.
• Community Structure & Roles (05:17—10:17):
  • Introduction of community tiers: Papa Team 6 (PT6) — for dads; Semen Team 6 — future dads; Funkles — fun uncles; Goon Berets — young wild cards.
  • The playful breakdown of which staff member falls into which category; Matt is dubbed an archetype Goon Beret.

Notable Quote

“We’re not the only ones who forget to change diapers or leave the car seat in the car. Dads are in the comments, putting other dads on game, telling funny stories. It’s refreshing—we know we’re all going through this together.” (04:51, Will)

2. The Importance of Communication in Relationships

• Slumps and Accountability (14:05—18:52):
  • Both hosts confess to being in parenting “slumps,” struggling to find time for themselves (workouts, routines), and propose starting an early-morning accountability text chain.
  • Openly encourage listeners to join in and support each other online.
• Partner Check-Ins & Emotional Transparency (36:07—43:46):
  • Sherm describes a vulnerable conversation with his wife Jill about feeling isolated, needing support, and being a better team.
  • Will shares a recent moment where his wife called him out for being distracted (on his phone), leading to a productive post-bedtime conversation about “presence” and resetting as partners.
• Therapy Wisdom (received by Derek):

  “The best advice I’ve ever gotten was from my therapist… You know, like, you know that’s a joke, right? I didn’t get anything for ‘winning’ the little debate with my wife. All I won was anger.” (50:11, Derek, recapping therapy lesson)

Notable Quotes

• “You gotta have a side quest in your life, that you enjoy, that feeds you personally. Right now, when I'm down in the dumps, I’ll latch onto more TV.” (35:00, Will)
• “If you’re not taking care of yourself, how are you going to take care of everybody else? You’ll do it, but you have zero energy for yourself—eventually it comes to a boiling point.” (35:42, Will)
• “These days, with kids and work and life, you get in these seasons where you end up more roommates than anything else… One thing I’d encourage is, after the conversation, make sure you get a date night or just something on the books.” (40:24, Will)

3. Sharing Listener Comments and Dad “Hacks”

• Support & Laughs from Listeners (11:14—23:10):
  • Hosts read and react to heartfelt and humorous comments from their Papa Team 6 community; shout outs to dads in mental health slumps, dads with teething babies, and first-time listeners.
  • “Dad hacks”: Frame your kid’s art in a way you can swap out new pieces (21:10); throw an art show at home for your child’s artwork.

4. Honest Talk About Fatherhood, Presence, and Traditions

• Grimm Fairy Tales & Life Lessons for Kids (55:35—66:51):
  • Will discusses moving from picture books to classic Grimm Fairy Tales with his daughter, Rue. The stories prompt challenging questions about good and evil, death, and morality, which he navigates with humor and honesty.
  • They riff on redirecting kids’ questions back to them to engage their imaginations.

Notable Moments

• “Should we really be talking about death and cutting open wolves’ stomachs at bedtime? Look, we bought the book, so I guess this is okay!” (65:29, Will)

5. Thanksgiving and Holiday Traditions

• Scheduling, Hosting, and the Power of ‘Having the Kids’ (82:05—89:27):
  • For families with young children, “having the kids” bestows leverage over holiday plans (location, hosting). Will and Sherm discuss balancing obligations to both sides of the family and making their own traditions.
  • “You have all the leverage. You got the kids. You call the shots—parents gotta bend the knee!” (85:06, Will)
• Turkey Debate & Dad Cooking Challenges (95:10—103:05):
  • The group debates the best way to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey: smoked, fried, traditional baked, or “Incan underground oven.”
  • Chef Jack is handed the family turkey-making torch for the first time—amid much teasing.

6. Call-Ins & Listener Emails: Trenches, Triumphs, and Tears

• Listener Calls (114:19—125:14):

  • Stories from dads in the trenches of newborn sleep deprivation, “code brown” potty training disasters, and the surprising joy (and mess) of bath-time.
  • Recurring theme: “Fatherhood is literally the best thing in the world, but it’s also literally shitty sometimes.”

• Emails from Milk Team 6 (Partners/Wives) (125:42—139:10):

  • Warm, often emotional messages from wives praising their partners, reminding the guys (and listeners) that their daily efforts are seen, loved, and deeply appreciated.
  • Touching stories include a husband recovering from a life-saving stem cell transplant and a wife awed by his strength.

Notable Quotes

• “Life is not going to get easier. It’s always going to get harder as you get older.” (156:34, Sherm)
• “Your oldest teaches you how to be a dad. Your youngest teaches you how to slow down. Both, without knowing it, are raising a better version of you.” (149:35, Will)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Community:

  “We’re all in the trenches together, bro.” (18:52, Will)

• On Self-Care:

  “I feel so selfish saying I need to pour into me more—but if I don’t, at some point it’s going to come to a boiling point.” (35:08, Sherm)

• On Communication and Conflict:

  “How do you get from the opposite side of the table to sitting next to your partner, solving the bigger problem? You gotta ask yourself ‘why?’ about five times.” (51:49, Will)

• On Being a Team:

  “This is my life partner—if anyone’s gonna have my back, it’s her, and we just needed a reset to remember to pour into each other.” (38:58, Sherm)

• On Parenting Milestones:

  “These aren’t the years you get through—these are the years you’ll miss, and the version of you they remember, you’re building right now.” (149:35, Will)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dad Fails & Community Introduction: 01:55–11:14
• Listener Comments & Support: 11:14–23:10
• Physical & Parenting Slumps: 13:50–19:18
• Community Ranks & Roles: 05:17–10:17
• Communication with Partners, Emotional Health: 36:07–47:32
• Parenting Reflections, Bedtime Presence: 43:46–55:35
• Grimm Fairy Tales and Kids’ Questions: 55:35–66:51
• Holiday Leverage & Thanksgiving Prep: 82:05–103:05
• Listener Voicemails & Emails: 114:19–139:10
• Lessons of the Week (Gratitude & Perspective): 148:58–157:06

Host & Guest Banter — Original Tone Preserved

The guys maintain their signature quick-witted, playful banter throughout, poking fun at themselves and each other, but don’t shy away from vulnerability and sincere reflection. The authenticity of their struggles (in parenting, self-care, and relationships) make the conversation especially resonant.

Concluding Lessons

Will’s Lesson:
“You don’t realize how fast the early years move until your second kid turns one. These aren’t the years you get through, they’re the years you’ll miss... Your oldest teaches you how to be a dad; your youngest teaches you how to slow down.” (149:33–151:02, Will)

Sherm’s Lesson (via Jill):
"Sit back and really find the things in your life that you are thankful for... Life is good. Remind yourself how good your life truly is, because you used to beg for the things you have now." (153:19–156:00, Sherm, via Jill)

Final Words

The episode is an honest celebration of both the chaos and the beauty of family life, the power of community, and the critical need for empathetic, intentional communication with loved ones—even when it’s messy. The guys encourage fellow dads to show up, stay present, have those hard conversations, let yourself laugh at life’s absurdities, and cherish even the “trenches” while they last.

Closing:
"Being a dad’s pretty cool, dude. Being a mom is pretty badass, too. Love you guys, Papa Team Six out." (158:59, Will & Sherm)

Papa Team 6, stand up! Keep the comments, emails, and voicemails coming. You’re not alone—everyone’s in the trenches together.

For full community engagement, merch, dad-to-dad support, and future episode participation, follow @forthedadspod on all platforms.