The Parent Chat with Dylan Dreyer

Episode: Ashley Graham – Raising Men Their Partners Will Thank Her For
Date: April 2, 2026

Episode Overview

This candid, laughter-filled episode of "The Parent Chat with Dylan Dreyer" features supermodel, entrepreneur, and fellow boy mom Ashley Graham. Together, Dylan and Ashley swap stories and strategies for raising three boys each, diving into the unique energy, chaos, and responsibility that comes with being a mom to sons. The duo explores everything from household messes and sibling dynamics to instilling emotional intelligence, kindness, and practical life skills. Their conversation is as heartfelt as it is humorous, offering real-life insights and plenty of relatable moments for parents everywhere.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Chaos of Parenting Boys

• Dylan sets the tone with an anecdote about her sons constructing a makeshift bobsled to slide down their home’s steep stairs—with a helping hand from grandma (01:14).

• Both commiserate over the perpetual mess, near-constant physical antics, and the resilience that comes from managing chaos.

  “What else do you learn your lesson? And that’s what today's episode is all about. Just parenting boys.” – Dylan Dreyer (02:50)

2. On Raising Boys to Become Great Men

• Both moms express their determination to raise future men who are emotionally intelligent, respectful, and helpful around the house.

• Ashley shares her "North Star": to have her future daughters-in-law thank her for raising good men.

  “My biggest goal is… thank you for making an amazing man that is my husband. And I thought, oh, my God, that's what I want. I want their wives to come to me and say thank you.” – Ashley Graham (04:45)

• Teaching practical life skills: Both moms talk about making sure their sons do chores like laundry and help out with the kitchen, knowing it’ll serve them (and others) later.

3. Sibling Dynamics and Birth Order

• Dylan and Ashley discuss the particular pressures and expectations placed on their eldest sons, with both admitting the oldest often ends up shouldering more responsibility.

  “You’re the oldest. That’s just your lot in life.” – Dylan Dreyer (06:50)

• Ashley, mother of twins, hasn’t revealed their birth order but finds the expected eldest/youngest behavior emerges anyway. The dynamic naturally falls into place.

4. Creating (Semi-) Order Out of Chaos

• The art of encouraging boys to clean up after themselves, manage bathroom hygiene, and take care of their spaces comes up—punctuated by hilarious stories of dried pee and neglected laundry (05:04).

5. Embracing the Energy and Mess

• Both guests agree they’ve become adept at tuning out the noise and activity, measuring peace by the absence of blood and broken bones.

  "As long as the kitchen is put together and there's no blood and bones, I'm totally fine. I don't hear it. It's almost like I don't see it.” – Ashley Graham (13:44)

• Ashley remarks that the only time to worry is when it’s suddenly quiet: that usually means trouble.

6. Handling Tears, Fights, and Emotions

• Injuries and emotional blow-ups are routine. Both moms work on teaching their boys to solve their issues independently—with a few ground rules (no head shots in roughhousing).

• Dylan notes how surprisingly emotional her boys can be, and both are intent on fostering healthy emotional expression—without coddling.

  “There’s no room for babying. Especially these little boys that we want to raise into exceptional men.” – Ashley Graham (15:47)

  “They have such a soft spot in their hearts.” – Dylan Dreyer (16:16)

7. Emotional Coaching

• Ashley praises her husband’s example of talking through feelings, stressing the importance of modeling emotional literacy at home (16:43).

• Dylan shares her struggles in drawing emotions out of each child, especially her youngest, and the worry of inadvertently shortchanging one of them.

  “Don’t ask me. I am over here just like winging it. I’m like, there’s the spaghetti. Throw it on the wall. Oh, that one works.” – Ashley Graham (18:46)

8. Parental Self-Care & Mom Guilt

• Both admit to emotional “mini-breakdowns” at the end of long days, balancing the drive to “do it all” with the reality that perfect balance is impossible.

  “The word balance really doesn’t exist. It’s more about consistency in the things that matter most and the order of things.” – Ashley Graham (21:41)

• Dylan notes that self-care is rough in the current phase of life but accepts that this is “just the point in my life that I'm at.” (21:48)

9. Personalized Parenting and Favorite Rituals

• The importance of one-on-one time: Ashley and her husband try to take each child out individually for “dates,” strengthening parent-son bonds (23:17).
• When discussing parenting “wins,” Ashley highlights focusing on simple, meaningful birthday celebrations over extravagant parties (28:20).

10. Vision for the Future – The Kind of Men They Hope to Raise

• Both emphasize raising men who are kind, confident, emotionally articulate, and a positive force in the world.

• Dylan swells with pride over her son’s “kindness award”—more valuable than academic grades.

  “I want to raise men who love themselves, but also know how to love others just as much, if not more.… For us, our biggest thing in our house is kindness.” – Ashley Graham (29:09)

  “I feel such a responsibility.… I can make them into three incredible men if I do it right.” – Dylan Dreyer (30:17)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Oldest Child's Fate
  “You’re the oldest. That’s just your lot in life.” – Dylan Dreyer (06:50)

• Ashley’s Wish for Her Sons’ Partners
  “I want their wives to come to me and say thank you.” – Ashley Graham (04:45)

• Handling Boy Energy
  “When I'm home, I'm like, crocs. Hair is not brushed, like, no makeup, like, lucky I have a bra. And the boys are like, let's wrestle.” – Ashley Graham (10:19)

• On Embracing the Mess
  “The toothpaste thing is disgusting. There needs to be a new toothpaste invented…” – Dylan Dreyer (27:52)

• Recapping Boy Mom Life
  “There is something so refreshing about just talking to another boy mom. Commiserating in some spots, but also that awe factor. I think boys are so amazing, and it's just so much fun.” – Dylan Dreyer (30:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Story: Cardboard bobsled incident – 01:14
• Introducing Ashley Graham – 03:48
• On teaching boys life skills and manners – 04:25
• Sibling roles and birth order – 06:33
• Chaos, noise, and tuning it out – 13:44
• Managing injuries, emotions, and fights – 15:04
• How they process and encourage emotions – 16:43
• The elusive “work-life balance” and self-care – 21:41
• One-on-one time with each child – 23:17
• Quickfire parenting “game” – Who gets out the door fastest, snacks, mess, etc. – 24:29
• Parenting win: birthday celebrations – 28:20
• Closing reflections: Raising kind, emotionally intelligent men – 29:09

Final Takeaways

This episode offers a refreshingly honest, funny, and heartfelt conversation about the wild world of raising boys. Dylan and Ashley’s willingness to “wing it,” laugh at the mess, and intentionally guide their sons toward adulthood—with a focus on kindness, resilience, and emotional intelligence—will resonate with parents in all walks of life. Their camaraderie and stories remind listeners that, while no one has it all figured out, sharing the journey makes parenting richer and more rewarding.