The Carpool Guys
The Carpool Guys Podcast is where three real Jewish dads- Asher Dworetsky, Jon Ackerman, and Dave "From Flatbush" Tannenbaum, buckle up for unfiltered conversations about fatherhood, marriage, midlife, and the beautiful chaos of raising a family in the Jewish community today.
These guys have made mistakes, learned lessons the hard way, and have just enough life experience to give out their not so expert advice. From career crossroads to screen time battles, from Shabbos table debates to parenting fails, from Israel and what it means to us as Jews to the everyday moments that make you laugh, cry, and question every decision you've ever made... The Carpool Guys go there.
Whether you're married or single, a parent or a kid who still needs one, navigating life or just trying to figure it all out... this is your podcast. Humor, heart, and meaning, every other week. No filter. No script. Just real talk from three guys who are very much still figuring it out too.
Buckle up. New episodes every other week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts!
The Carpool Guys
Why Won't Our Kids Just Put Down Their Phones and Screens!!!!!! (Let's Look In The Mirror 😬😳)
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📱 Phone Modeling Matters: Before We Blame Our Kids
This episode starts in serious territory and ends somewhere uncomfortably close to home.
Asher, Dave, and Jon open with a raw conversation about the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping story and the unsettling feeling of violence “not supposed to happen here.” The guys unpack media reactions, double standards, the NBA controversy surrounding Deni Avdija, and the uncomfortable cultural conversations that follow global events.
But then the episode pivots.
High school acceptance week hits close to home. The stress. The comparisons. The tension. The rejection. The identity questions. The transfer portal jokes.
And that leads to the real conversation of the night:
Kids. Phones. Parenting. And the uncomfortable truth that before we tell our kids what to do… we might need to look at ourselves first.
When do you give a child a smartphone?
Are we raising anxious kids or modeling anxious behavior?
Are we frustrated with their screen time… while scrolling ourselves?
This episode becomes less about controlling kids — and more about owning the behavior we model.
It’s funny. It’s honest. It’s a little uncomfortable.
Which means it’s probably important.
If you’re navigating parenting in the age of smartphones, social pressure, high school decisions, and digital overload — this one’s for you.
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⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps
00:58 – The Nancy Guthrie Story
A serious warm-up conversation about kidnapping, media attention, and why stories like this shake us.
05:36 – NBA Controversy & Deni Avdija
Spike Lee, social media reactions, and the absurdity of singling out an Israeli athlete.
09:47 – High School Acceptance Week
Jon introduces the emotional rollercoaster of acceptance day.
10:34 – The Stress Our Kids Feel
Comparisons, curiosity, rejection, and how kids process it differently.
12:57 – Starting Fresh vs. Needing Anchors
Dave’s experience going somewhere alone — and why every child is wired differently.
16:19 – The Pivot: Kids & Cell Phones
When do you give a child a phone? And why is this so complicated?
17:00+ – The Bigger Question: What Are We Modeling?
Before we lecture our kids about screen time… what are we doing?
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