This week on Parenting Shrink Wrapped, we’re honoring Father’s Day with a raw, real, and refreshingly unfiltered conversation about fatherhood and grief. Our guests—two dads who aren’t afraid to admit they don’t have it all figured out. They open up about the messy, meaningful, and often emotional journey of raising kids.
Our guests are Dr. Charles Parmele (a pediatrician and Annapolis legend) and Bryan Levy (founder of the Bowen Foundation and local dad-about-town). They call themselves “good hooligans.” And trust us—that’s not a dig. It’s a philosophy.
Here’s what they taught us about fatherhood and grief:
✅ You don’t need to be perfect to be present.
Forget the pressure to optimize your kid or have all the answers. Most dads (and moms) are winging it, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s connection.
✅ Partnership in parenting is about equity, not symmetry.
Equal isn’t always 50/50. These dads talk about how they divide the load in their relationships based on strengths, respect, and a whole lot of Saturday morning “check-ins.”
✅ Grief belongs in the conversation.
Bryan shares how his family navigates Father’s Day after losing his son in a tragic accident. His takeaway: bring it up. Say the name. Celebrate the memory. “We don’t forget just because you don’t mention it.”
✅ Masculinity and vulnerability are not opposites.
These guys break down why old-school definitions of manhood just don’t cut it anymore—and how real strength means asking for help, owning your mistakes, and redefining what it means to be a dad.
✅ Dads need connection, too.
While moms tend to talk to one another about parenting challenges, dads often isolate. That’s why Bryan and Chip (Charles) created a podcast of their own, Good Hooligans, to make room for these critical conversations.
🎧 Listen to the full episode: Being a Good Hooligan: A Father’s Day Special
Whether you’re a dad yourself, co-parenting with one, or raising future men—this episode is full of wisdom, warmth, and laugh-out-loud moments.
Want a community of your own?
Join the Teen Savvy Parent Hub—an online space where parents of teens and tweens can stop winging it, start connecting, and get the support they need.
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