"You Can't Parent Without Hope" | Maggie Smith episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 19, 2025 · 14 MIN

"You Can't Parent Without Hope" | Maggie Smith

from The Daily Dad

"The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative estimate, though I keep this from my children," writes Maggie Smith in her viral poem Good Bones. Today, Maggie joins Ryan to talk about what it means to shield children from the world's harsh realities while still acknowledging its beauty and potential. They discuss how parents can balance hope with realism, the importance of instilling strong values, and the courage it takes to remain earnest and sincere in a cynical world.In 2016, Maggie Smith’s poem Good Bones became a viral sensation. It was named the “Official Poem of 2016” by the Public Radio International. Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful; My Thoughts Have Wings, a picture book illustrated by SCBWI Portfolio grand prize winner Leanne Hatch; the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change; as well as Good Bones, named one of the Best Five Poetry Books of 2017 by the Washington Post and winner of the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medal in Poetry.  Maggie’s latest book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life just released! You can grab signed copies of Dear Writer at The Painted Porch in addition to her books You Could Make This Place Beautiful and Keep MovingFollow Maggie Smith on Instagram @ MaggieSmithPoet 🎙️ Listen to Maggie's FULL interview | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube  PESTIE | Protect your home from bugs with Pestie. Go to pestie.com/dad for an extra 10% off your order! ✉️  Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com 📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative estimate, though I keep this from my children," writes Maggie Smith in her viral poem Good Bones. Today, Maggie joins Ryan to talk about what it means to shield children from the world's harsh realities while still acknowledging its beauty and potential. They discuss how parents can balance hope with realism, the importance of instilling strong values, and the courage it takes to remain earnest and sincere in a cynical world. In 2016, Maggie Smith’s poem Good Bones became a viral sensation. It was named the “Official Poem of 2016” by the Public Radio International. Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful; My Thoughts Have Wings, a picture book illustrated by SCBWI Portfolio grand prize winner Leanne Hatch; the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change; as well as Good Bones, named one of the Best Five Poetry Books of 2017 by the Washington Post and winner of the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medal in Poetry.    Maggie’s latest book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life just released! You can grab signed copies of Dear Writer at The Painted Porch in addition to her books You Could Make This Place Beautiful and Keep Moving Follow Maggie Smith on Instagram @ MaggieSmithPoet   🎙️ Listen to Maggie's FULL interview | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube    PESTIE | Protect your home from bugs with Pestie. Go to pestie.com/dad for an extra 10% off your order!   ✉️  Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com   📱 Follow Daily Dad: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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"You Can't Parent Without Hope" | Maggie Smith

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This episode was published on April 19, 2025.

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"The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative estimate, though I keep this from my children," writes Maggie Smith in her viral poem Good Bones. Today, Maggie joins Ryan to talk about what it means to shield children from...

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