In this totally unscripted episode of The Dad Compass, Dmitry and Patrick dive into the real parenting moments no one wants to think about — but every parent eventually faces. From teens at dangerous parties to kids losing memory in the middle of the night, from bullying situations to dating boundaries and underage drinking… this episode tackles the heavy stuff with honesty, humor, and raw transparency.

We explore questions like:
• What do you do when your kid is at a party where someone overdoses?
• How do you react if your child suddenly doesn’t recognize you?
• What’s the right move when a teen is part of a three-on-one fight?
• How do you set boundaries for dating, closed doors, or couch cuddling?
• What’s the line between discipline, accountability, and empathy?
• And how do we teach our kids about consequences without destroying trust?

This episode is packed with real stories from our own fatherhood experiences — the fear, the frustration, the confusion, the humor — all wrapped in the kind of conversation dads rarely get to have.

If you’re a parent navigating the messy middle of raising kids, this one’s for you.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:01 – Welcome to The Dad Compass
00:24 – Scenario 1: Teen at a party where an overdose happens
01:26 – How we’d react and handle the aftermath
02:50 – What if the overdose victim is your kid’s close friend?
03:24 – Trust, confrontation, and tough conversations
05:17 – Drug testing, assumptions, and parental instincts
06:54 – Sharing our own pasts to teach kids
07:59 – Where we stand on weed vs. hard drugs today
10:04 – Colorado cannabis cup stories
11:40 – Real story: Dmitry’s stepson waking up with no memory of him
12:16 – Handling fear, confusion, and helplessness as a parent
14:49 – How that night unfolded emotionally
17:52 – Emergency room vs waiting it out
19:32 – Scenario 3: When your kid is part of a 3-on-1 assault
21:22 – Accountability, consequences, and empathy
23:25 – What discipline actually does (and doesn’t) solve
25:13 – When the roles reverse: if your kid gets jumped
26:32 – Where our emotions would take us
29:22 – Scenario 4: Teens cuddling or fooling around at home
30:40 – Basement rules vs bedroom rules
31:32 – Would we intimidate the other kid?
33:57 – What if it's your daughter’s long-term boyfriend?
36:36 – Setting standards for sons AND daughters
38:51 – Emotional risks for girls and the social fallout
40:32 – Teaching boys to be respectful men
42:27 – Scenario 5: Teen drinking and driving
44:14 – How we’d handle it after the fact
46:40 – The real consequences we’ve seen in life
48:29 – Stoves, lessons, and the hard realities
49:59 – Drinking curiosity & the old-school “smoke the whole pack” analogy
50:19 – Final thoughts and viewer question
51:16 – Patrick’s Dad Compass moment
53:58 – Dmitry’s Dad Compass moment
57:18 – Final question: What celebrity ghost would haunt you?
59:35 – Wrap-up and sign-off

📝 SHOW NOTES

Topics Covered:

Teen parties, peer pressure, and drug culture

Overdoses and real-life consequences

Trust + confrontation dynamics with older kids

Night terrors, memory loss, and parental fear

Bullying, fighting, and violent incidents

Dating rules and boundaries for teens

Gender differences in emotional risk

Teaching boys respect & emotional intelligence

Underage drinking, DUIs, and real consequences

Parenting through anger, empathy, and fear

Fatherhood stories from our week

Celebrity ghost fun question to close