Good Inside with Dr. Becky

The New Fatherhood: “You Either Sort It Out or Pass It On”

73 snips
May 12, 2026
Kevin Maguire, writer and father behind The New Fatherhood, explores modern dadhood and emotional transformation. He discusses why presence and play now matter, the identity shift at birth, struggles with vulnerability and anger, paternal postpartum depression, and the courage it takes to stop passing on old patterns.
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INSIGHT

Old Fatherhood Was Protect Provide Preside

  • The old fatherhood was defined by three Ps: protect, provide, preside.
  • Kevin Maguire explains preside included disciplinarian distance where dads monitored rather than participated, shaping inherited norms.
INSIGHT

Presence Replaces Passive Presiding

  • Presence is the defining feature of the new fatherhood and requires active involvement rather than passive presiding.
  • Kevin says being present for birth changed men's view of parenting and started a broader transformation.
ADVICE

Untangle Identity From Your Job

  • Untangle your identity from your job to make space for fatherhood changes.
  • Kevin coaches dads to question who they are beyond work after paternity leave when everything at the office feels different.
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