We Talk Faith And Family Across Generations

We opened with an April Fools joke, but the conversation turns honest fast because Good Friday does that. When Easter weekend shows up, it brings back the visuals and the feelings: pastel suits, packed churches, egg hunts, and family members pulling up even if they have not been getting along. We talk about why Resurrection Sunday still hits deeper than the clothes and candy, and how faith and family traditions can anchor you when everything else feels loud. 

We also break down the “then versus now” gap between generations. Pops remembers life with no streaming, no smartphones, and bedtime that actually meant bedtime. Son grew up with a foot in both worlds and now faces the real challenge: how do you create those same core memories for your own kid in 2026? We get into what to keep, what to update, and why being intentional matters more than trying to recreate a perfect past. 

From there we talk parenting and co-parenting in a practical way, including how different church backgrounds can shape what you want for your child. We focus on the bigger target: helping kids build a relationship with God, learn healthy values, and feel steady across homes. We close with food, laughter, and a reminder to put differences aside because time with family is never guaranteed. 

Listen now, then subscribe, share it with someone who needs a reset, and leave a review. What Easter tradition or family rule do you want to pass down?

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Welcome to another episode of Pops and Son Conversations. It is your favorite silver fox, Rob Malloy.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

And it's me, son, aka. Mr. Check three times. You already know.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Alright, guys. So look, uh, today is our very, very last episode of Pops and Sun Conversations. We thank you guys for your support. April Fools. Hey, we had to get y'all. Look, we had to get y'all. So uh hey Jay, man, how you feeling?

SPEAKER_00 1:47

I feel good, Pops. How you feeling?

Good Friday Memories And Easter Fits

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Man, I feel good. I feel good. I'm excited about uh the new month. We are in April. So much to talk about, so many different things going on. Uh, but but let's focus today a little bit about because it's it's uh Good Friday, right? It's good Friday all across the world. So let's let's kind of focus on some things that you know I think parents and children, you know, remember or try to remember or try to create, especially around this time. And uh so I think it'll be important that we we do one of those type of episodes. You feel me?

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Yeah, yeah, I agree with you. Uh Good Friday definitely brings back some memories, you know what I mean? Some uh some pastel colors are popping up in my brain right now.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Hey, hey, look, I remember um when it came to you know the the resurrection Sunday or the Easter Sunday, that type of thing. But I tell you what, man, the parents did not have a problem spending money on clothes that weekend. That's a fact. Like if you if you knew when you was gonna get some new gear, some new apparel, if you will, you can count on Easter, Easter weekend to get you a new suit. Now it may be oversized. All right, so you know, it may be a little long on the arms, but you're gonna get you a new suit, you're gonna get you a new vest, you know, uh a tie, a bow tie, probably. But like you said, man, the pastel colors are on the way.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Oh yeah, crispy. Real crispy for the holidays. That's what I remember. But, you know, on top of that, just um, I remember family too. You know, just being around the fam.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

Right.

Church Life And Family Dinner Then

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Um, of course, you know, you got the egg hunts and all that, all that good stuff. Right. But um, yeah, so yeah, I mean, you know, I I definitely think that's a good spot, good spot to start. Um, what do you what do you think, Pops? Just like as far as like where you want to go with it.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Let's do, you know, since we have the opportunity to talk about two different generations, let's kind of talk about then versus now. Obviously, I can date back a little further than you, and but it's still important because, you know, um present day, you know, with grandsons and and you know, uh things going on, we can definitely address it. So, yeah, so let's let's do uh you know then and now and I'll kind of jump things off. You know, my my parents, uh mainly moms, you know, has always been in the church, involved in the church. You know, we was the generation of we were at church, you know, uh six out of seven days out the week.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

And um felt some type of way, but since you're not an adult and you're under folks' roof, you're going to comply. So that was that's kind of how things things happen. Um, but again, when it came to you know the Easter weekend and things like that, it was actually kind of fun because you had a chance, like you said, Easter egg hunts and you get the jelly beans and the chocolate, chocolate rabbits and stuff like that. Man, just so many things. But you know, uh mom has always been celebrating the true reason for the season. So, you know, uh obviously Resurrection Sunday is is what we celebrated. And it was one of those times, Jay, where we were able to, you know, get together. Like if folks didn't get along throughout the year, Easter Sunday, we're gonna have dinner together. So, you know, kids gonna have themselves together, if there's aunties and uncles, you know, involved and grandma and stuff like that. That's how it was going down. So it was one of those things where you kind of set aside your differences and you you truly celebrate and take full advantage of some family ties and some family times. So that's kind of how it went, you know, nothing super spectacular. You know, we was we was lived a very modest life, you know, my brother being the oldest, two sisters, and me being the youngest. You know, we were just thankful, man. You know, that that's the era we just we just want to go outside, we just want to play until the uh street lights come on, right, and and have a good time, and then go in the house and you know, um take a shower or bath and eat dinner, man, and get some sleep. Like I think that my era as a child probably got the most sleep. I know that's a weird comparison, man, but but we went to bed, we truly went to bed, Jay, 7 30, 8 o'clock. Wow. I mean, you gotta understand we had no distractions either, though.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

So I was just thinking that too.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

Yeah, yeah. So, you know, no cell phones involved, you know, no streaming apps, nothing, nothing like that, man. So we we we took it easy. We took it. Plus, we were tired from riding bikes and running through the woods and you know, doing some stuff, climbing fences, stuff we probably didn't have a whole lot of business doing, but but we made very uh we made do with the time that we had. And uh, you know, so that's kind of how it how it progressed. Now, obviously, as a as a parent, you know, I really never got into too many of those things when it came to celebrating certain holidays and things like that. But, you know, church was a big thing. Make for for some reason making sure that I went to church, you know, feeling like that I'm that I'm honoring God, uh, was something that I did make sure of. And even to the point to where I may not have gone to church a whole lot, whether being with somebody or whether being single, um, I I wanted to make sure that I reverence God on Easter Sunday. And then you have to admit too, Easter Sunday is packed.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Sometimes the churches have have to uh you know how um you know how like shows and stuff have to add a new show.

SPEAKER_00 8:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

Sometimes the church had to add a new service, man.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

Right. So for you, you know, so how was it? Give me uh a quick synopsis of, you know, you growing up, you know, um with your mom and now actually being a parent, having a son, and and how you looked at that whole scenario as far as you know, celebrating the holiday.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

You know, it's very interesting. Um I I I share a lot of the similar experiences with you. I don't think it's too far off. Um, I do remember, you know, the Sundays, you know, worshiping, worshiping God, getting together with the family, you know, all like you said, putting your differences aside, like all the families is coming by. Um we would mainly go to my aunt. Uh my aunt slash granny. It's kind of funny because when I was growing up, I would call her granny because I didn't get the concept, but she's really my, she's like my aunt, but I call her Granny, so I still call her Granny. But um anyway, we would go to her spot, um, and that's where the family would meet up. You know, that's we would do the Easter egg hunts there. Yeah. You know, you would be there all day. Like you'd be there all day. And then you know at some point in time there's gonna be a separation because the grown-ups are gonna go do what they do, and then the kids are gonna go and do, you know, whatever we were doing. And I'm in my age, my generation still got to experience a lot of that. Like we weren't fully tech'd out, you know, so to speak. That we were like we didn't have tablets. We had I mean, we didn't really have phones either. Like the touch screen, the smartphones and stuff came a lot later. So I did get to, you know, experience being outside, you know, riding bikes, scooters, and scooters were crazy. I don't know why, but like those razor scooters from my generation was crazy. Like everybody had a scooter. Um, but yeah, so you know, my memory, I I have a lot of those memories. Um now the contrast in me being on the adult side of it and you know, kind of figuring out, you know, how to create those same memories for my son, it's it's a little different. And one of the interesting things about it with um me and my son's mom is that um, you know, she grew up Baptist and I grew up uh Lutheran, which I mean a lot of people haven't even heard of Lutherans, but it's a lot, it's it's a lot different. Uh the denomination just has some different traditions, you know what I mean? So we kind of had to navigate how like how did we want to um, you know, bring up Parker. And you know, it's we're still navigating that. You know what I'm saying? Like it's still six, yeah, right. It's still navigating. But um, I do know, uh, like you said, the for me, the key thing is just making sure he has an understanding um and a tradition of you know creating that relationship with God and having that time to to acknowledge, um, acknowledge God. So I kind of try to focus more on that, less than, you know, which uh you know denomination or or you know where he should specifically follow. I just want him to have that that connection and understand um you know his source and and and you know how to how to conduct himself under the under the uh eyes of God and so forth.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Um but you know, for uh for me, also those traditions like the Easter egg hunts and all that good stuff, but remembering, you know, the real reason behind it too. So I'm still navigating, but uh, you know, I I I think it's um it's been going good so far.

The Easter Table And Favorite Foods

SPEAKER_01 12:13

That's good. Yeah, I I see that um, you know, you put the effort there to make sure that Parker has you know the memories, um, but you know, most importantly that he has a better understanding. I mean, he's still fairly, fairly young, so you know, these kids they just want to make sure they have some type of toy, some type of representation of whatever that that holiday or celebration is. But more importantly, food. So we gotta talk about food real quick. I missed it, but you know, uh, I think that the Easter Sunday, resurrection Sunday is probably one of the best times to get some good food. That's right. Because the the other holidays, if those celebrate them, it's really, really traditional. You know, they may have the turkey, they may have the ham, depending on what's going on, um, may have some chicken and you know, certain things. But I think that the Easter Sunday spreads are probably the most diverse, the most diverse cuisines, because uh the desserts are gonna be unlimited, right? You're gonna have the chocolate cake, lemon cake, you're gonna have uh jelly beans, cupcakes, and uh putting and all you're gonna have the whole spread, but I think that that families get really, really creative when it comes to the main entrees. So you may have lasagna for for uh Easter Sunday, you may have you know chicken alfredo, uh and just you know, roasted duck, just all kinds of things that uh would make the mouth water and would feed a lot of people. So uh was there any meals that really stood out around that time for you?

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Um I don't know. I I remember a lot of uh Devil Deads was crazy. Yeah, the Devil Deads was going crazy for sure.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

Yeah, yeah. Straight everybody gassed up, literally.

SPEAKER_00 14:12

Yeah, that's a fact. Uh yeah, the food, but then you know, the ham, of course, the ham. And I'm all I've always been like uh a greens guy. Love me some good greens, don't matter what it is, turnip greens, collard greens, I need them. So that was always on day. Um, and you know, I was never really the sweets or the desserts person, so I think I'm not really big on the on the on the sweets um and the cake and stuff, but uh it was definitely there for sure.

Co-Parenting Needs One Game Plan

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Yeah, it was definitely unlimited um desserts and whatnot. Look, uh why, because you know, we wanted to make sure that we just kind of jumped in and jumped out. Because we know it's Good Friday. A lot of you guys are uh probably, you know, driving somewhere, getting stuff from the cleaners or last minute stuff. So uh a couple things I do want to make sure that we address before we we uh jump out of here. Uh and one of the things, Jay, and I know that you'll be able to give a lot of great feedback for um those out there that are co-parenting, um, talk a little bit about the importance of you know both the parents being on the same page when it comes to discipline, when it comes to reward, um, or is that more so you do what you do over there, I do what I do over here. So talk a little bit about uh that type of co-parenting dynamic.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Yeah, so it's key. Like it is, it is major, major, it's super important that uh both parents have a working understanding of the direction, you know, that they want to raise the kid and also keep an update on it. Yeah. You know, it's it's gonna be you you want to set a precedent, but then you also want to go back and maybe if you have to change some things just based on what you notice in the child. You know, so um, you know, there can be, of course, there can be some confusion because there's always gonna nobody's gonna agree 100% on everything. You know, maybe I want to uh teach him a certain thing or or have him value a certain principle that she doesn't see um all the value in, and vice versa. Like, you know, there's different degrees of what you think you should focus on when you're raising a kid, but the most important thing is just to stay in communication about how you feel. Even if you don't think that, you know, you are gonna 100% agree on it, at least put it on the table and be honest about it. Because as we know, everything is gonna affect the child at the end of the day, even if you feel like they don't know or they're not seeing it. Um I know for one, uh discipline. Um, as far as like uh discipline, I I pretty much, you know, that's that's my domain. You know, I I pretty much got got free reign over the discipline. She doesn't really, you know, want to have a lot to do with that, which is fine with me. Like I don't I don't mind being stern with him. And also it's just a little bit more natural. He listens to me and and he has a, I'm not saying, you know, mom doesn't have authority, but there's just a difference of when, you know, I say something and I try to uh make sure he gets a grasp of what to do and what not to do. Um and then, you know, she has her her strong points as well, you know. So uh, but we always talk, like we we we talk all the time, whether it's about school, um, whether it's about you know what he's gonna do for the summer or what he's gonna do for break, what he should be eating. Like all we we have these conversations. I mean, it's you know, it's it's really all we talk about. So I think that's really, really healthy, and I think that's the best way to do it. Just just keep open, open communication because if you can you don't want to confuse the child, you know what I'm saying? You telling him one thing, and then he he goes back with mom and mom is telling him something now. He's he's he doesn't know how to to process it. Um so yeah, just just like so many other things, just make sure y'all stay on the same page about things. I think that's the the biggest key.

Make It A Family Day

SPEAKER_01 18:37

That's good, and that's powerful. And, you know, I think you guys do an amazing job. And really, you also have to think about you know how many children are involved, um, who are major influences on the child. So you kind of have to regulate that. Yeah. And uh, you know, especially when when they're younger and very uh impressionable. So I think you guys do a great job, man. Thankfully, thankfully for you all, it's it's both of your first child. So I think that's a factor too, uh, because now you don't have to compare and contrast on the discipline and uh the activities of other kids, and then you got to do the comparison thing. So that's a if if you have to be in that type of situation of co-parenting, I think that that would be an ideal one where you guys can um have that same solid foundation and continue to build on it. And uh yeah, so thank you for sharing that, Jay. That's that's that's pretty dope. I do want to make sure that uh, you know, we wish everybody a happy Easter, Resurrection Sunday, you know, whatever you whatever you celebrate. And if you don't celebrate any of that, just take full advantage of it being uh a family day, you know. Um put all your your differences aside and make sure that you just appreciate each other because there's no guarantees that you're gonna be here or have access to a person. So um, you know, make sure that you keep that in mind. So, Jamie, I think uh I think that's a wrap, man, for uh the uh the start of April. We're we're gonna have to um dive in on some other topics that that we have unfinished. So maybe uh next episode we can readdress that. But for the meantime, hey, you guys enjoy your weekend. Uh if you need to catch up on the Pops and Sun Conversations episodes, then go ahead and do that. Other than that, man, have an amazing weekend. Signing off your favorite silver fox, Rob Malloy.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

And son, Mr. Check Three Times. We out of here, y'all.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

We gone. Pops and sun conversation. We'll see you next episode.