In this episode, I sit down with Jason Reid — founder of Tell My Story Foundation, producer of the documentary films Tell My Story, What I Wish My Parents Knew, and Shift, author of seven books, Iron Man athlete, and a father who lost his 14-year-old son Ryan to suicide in 2018 while on vacation with his wife.

Jason was back for the second time on Dad Edge, and this conversation went somewhere neither of us expected. We open with AI — why the easy button is robbing kids of the growth that comes from struggle, and why an AI chatbot girlfriend who only says nice things is the most dangerous mental health threat facing kids right now.

We get into the warning signs parents miss, why the most at-risk kids often look like the quarterback or the cheerleader, and the clouds analogy that reframes everything about how you try to help a struggling kid. Jason is direct: stop trying to fix it. Ask about the clouds. Listen longer. And when they're ready to talk, they'll talk on their terms — almost always side by side, never face to face.

We also get into one of the most unconventional but practical parenting conversations this show has ever had: how to teach your kids to fight back with their words. Not their fists. Their words. It's called verbal self-defense — and it may be the most underrated gift a father can give his kid.

And then there's Shift — Jason's newest documentary about kids who protect their mental health by having a passion that's entirely their own. The message is simple and urgent: your kid needs an anchor. Help them find it before they need it most.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:04] Why AI is the new mental health boogeyman — and why the chatbot girlfriend is the most dangerous thing on a kid's phone right now

[4:15] You rob yourself of growth when you take the easy path — Jason's songwriting process and why the journey is the whole point

[7:34] AI will make you smarter or dumber — it's entirely about how you use it

[11:14] Introducing Jason Reid — founder of Tell My Story Foundation, back for the second time on Dad Edge

[12:02] What happened to Ryan — a 14-year-old son lost to suicide in 2018 while Jason and his wife were on vacation

[15:58] The choice Jason made — stay married, stay working, stay focused, and turn the pain into purpose

[16:20] Tell My Story on Amazon Prime, What I Wish My Parents Knew in schools, and Shift — three films born from one loss

[18:31] The warning signs parents miss — and why stopping the shower is often the first one to look for

[19:53] The most at-risk kids look like the quarterback and the cheerleader — not the dark quiet kid in the corner

[20:59] The clouds analogy — why telling your kid the sky is blue makes them stop talking

[21:51] Ask about the clouds. Ask how they look, how they feel, whether they come and go. Don't give advice first.

[23:30] Don't rush to your kid tonight and say "we need to talk about your mental health" — they will shut you out

[24:14] Kids talk on their terms — when it's inconvenient for you, side by side, never face to face

[26:40] Extend the talk — take the long way home, go for ice cream, keep moving so they keep talking

[30:55] Larry's experience being bullied — and what he battles as a dad when his kid faces the same thing

[32:28] Jason's counter-cultural advice: a bully will continue until your kid punches back — verbally or physically

[34:49] Teach your kids verbal self-defense — find the bully's insecurity and make it funny in front of everyone

[37:04] Brad Williams the dwarf comedian — and the greatest gift his dad gave him

[40:21] Coach them on their comeback lines before it happens again — because it will happen again

[45:30] Why kids today are under more pressure than any generation before — war, climate change, college costs, social media

[50:45] Shift — what the film is about and why every kid needs a passion that has nothing to do with school or friends

[53:20] Jason's Iron Man races — came in last every time and didn't care, because it was his thing

[54:14] What did you love doing as a kid that you stopped? — and why that question could change everything

[57:14] Larry and his 18-year-old learning guitar together — and why struggling alongside your kid is the whole point

Five Key Takeaways

An AI chatbot that only says nice things to your kid is not a friend — it's a dangerous distortion of reality. The real world is going to push back, and kids raised on pure affirmation won't be ready for it.
Don't tell a struggling kid the sky is blue. Ask them about the clouds. Ask how they look, how they feel, whether they come and go. You fix things in this space by listening, not advising.
Kids will talk on their terms — side by side, in the car, on a walk, when it's inconvenient for you. When they start talking, extend the moment. Don't race home.
Teach your kids verbal self-defense. A bully who gets laughed at stops. A bully whose insecurity gets named in front of everyone goes finds a different target. This is a skill you can practice at home.
Every kid needs an anchor — a passion that's entirely theirs, not school, not friends, not a screen. Help them find it before the dark season hits, because the kids who have it are the ones who make it through.

Links & Resources

Tell My Story Foundation: https://www.tellmystory.org/
Tell My Story documentary on Amazon Prime: Search "Tell My Story" on Amazon Prime
Shift documentary — available through schools: https://tellmystory.org
Songs for the Drive Home album: Available on Spotify and Apple Music — search "Songs for the Drive Home"
Tell My Story conversation card deck: Available at https://www.tellmystory.org/cardgame
Jason Reid's previous Dad Edge episode (June 2023): https://thedadedge.com
Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1478): https://thedadedge.com/1478

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: your kid needs an anchor — and they need you to help them find it before they need it most.

Jason Reid lost his son Ryan in 2018. He didn't see it coming. And he spent the next seven years turning that loss into the most important work of his life — so other parents don't have to stand where he stood.

Ask about the clouds. Take the long way home. Teach them to fight back with words. And help them find their thing.

Because the kids who have something to wake up for are the ones who make it through.

Go out and live legendary.