Raising Arrows
Raising Arrows is a podcast for the dad who's about to have his whole world flipped upside down — and the one who already has.
Hosted by Connor Sykes and Scott Stewart — two young fathers, husbands, and Christ-followers deep in the trenches of early fatherhood. Whether you just found out she's pregnant, you're holding your newborn wondering what the hell you got yourself into, or you're chasing a toddler who has zero regard for your energy levels — this show is for you.
We're not parenting experts. We're not talking from the other side of it. We're in it right now, and we're bringing you the raw, real conversations about what it looks like to step up as a husband, lead your home, stay close to God, and actually enjoy the wildest season of your life.
The stuff nobody told us. The stuff we wish someone had. That's what this show is.
"Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth." — Psalm 127:4
New episodes weekly.
Episodes
22 episodes
Who Are You Now?
Somewhere around month three, Hailey looked over at Connor in bed and said, "I don't even know what you've done this past month." That sentence cracked something open. In this episode, Connor Sykes and Pastor Scott Stewart get honest about the ...
Provider vs Present | Raising Arrows
Connor once asked his dad a question it took him thirty years to ask: what did you miss because of work? The answer involved a championship Little League game, a canceled meeting in Latin America, and a regret that never fully went away....
The Long Game of Fatherhood
The Long Game of FatherhoodHere's a question no exhausted dad wants to sit with: are you parenting your two-year-old, or are you parenting your twenty-two-year-old?In the season finale, Connor and Scott close out Season 2 by zoomi...
The Faith of the Father | Raising Arrows
Connor almost called it "the Book of Jonathan." There is no Book of Jonathan. But there is a moment, pre-Beau, when Connor wasn't the one leading his family to church — Haley was. This week, Connor and Pastor Scott sit down with a statistic tha...
Stewarding, Not Scheduling: Raising Kids Without the Resume
Is your calendar raising your kids more than you are?In this episode, Connor and Pastor Scott welcome a special guest to the table — Mark Martinez, husband to Jenna and father of three daughters, Kate, Belle, and Claire. Mark opens up ab...
Discipline vs. Punishment: What Hebrews 12:11 Actually Teaches Us About Correcting Our Kids
Every dad has a moment where the discipline voice turns into the punishment voice, and you don't even notice the switch until it's already happened. In this episode, Connor and Scott get honest about the difference between correcti...
Setting the Standard for Your Daughter | Raising Arrows
There is a study Connor heard in college that he never forgot — and once you hear it, you won't either. Your daughter is most likely to marry a man who treats her the way her father treated her mother. That single truth is either one of the mos...
Anger and Parenting: Slow to Speak | Raising Arrows
There is not a parent alive who hasn't felt it. The slow burn turning into a flash of heat. The voice that comes out louder than you meant. The moment after you lose your cool with your kid where you just... sit there.Anger is one of the...
Becoming the Family Spiritual Leader | Raising Arrows
Nobody told Connor he was supposed to lead.He was the one following Hailey to church while she went alone every Sunday. He was the one sitting at home, convinced he didn't need it. And then, somewhere between her consistency and his grow...
The Screen Addicted Parent | Raising Arrows
You've probably already told your kid to put down the iPad today. But when's the last time someone told you to put down your phone?That's the conversation Connor and Scott are having in this episode — and they're starting with themselves...
The Male Friendship Recession | Raising Arrows
One in four men have six close friends. That's it. In 1990, it was one in two. We're more isolated than we've ever been, and if you're a new dad, the isolation just got worse.In this episode, we talk about why male friendship isn't optio...
Wisdom vs. Opportunity: A Pastor's Answer to Every Struggling Dad's Prayer | Raising Arrows
Three Questions Every New Dad Should Ask God (And What Actually Happens When You Do)What do you pray for when you become a father? Not the surface stuff—the real questions that keep you awake at 2am. In this episode, Connor sits down wit...
When Toddlers Push Every Button You Have
You yelled at your toddler over something stupid. Now you're sitting on the bathroom floor feeling like the worst dad alive.This episode is for you.Connor and Scott tackle the thing nobody talks about: anger in fatherhood. Not you...
The Silent Struggle: Paternal Depression
One in four dads experience paternal postpartum depression. One in four. So if you're in a room with three other dads, statistically one of you is walking through it right now — and probably hasn't told anyone.In this episode, Connor get...
The Mental Load and the Project Manager Wife
"Just tell me what to do." Five words every married dad has said — and five words that drive your wife crazy. In this episode, Connor and Scott get honest about the gap between wanting to help and actually owning your household. Connor shares t...
The $300,000 Question
It now costs over $300,000 to raise a child in America. Let that satisfying number sit for a second. In this episode, Connor and Pastor Scott tackle the financial pressure that keeps new dads up at night — sometimes even more than the baby does...
Surviving the 'Roommate Phase' in Marriage
Two-thirds of couples say their relationship satisfaction tanks after having a baby. Two-thirds. So if you and your wife feel more like co-workers running a daycare than the people who fell in love — you're not broken, you're normal. But normal...
The Identity Crisis No One Warns You About
No one satisfies you before the baby arrives and says, "Hey — the guy you've been for the last 25 years? He's gone now." But that's exactly what happens. In this episode, Connor and Pastor Scott get brutally honest about the identity crisis tha...
The Myth of the Perfect Dad
You're spending more time with your kids than your dad ever spent with you — and somehow the guilt is worse than ever.Connor and Pastor Scott tackle the myth of the perfect dad head-on: where it comes from, why social media is lying to y...
Why the First 3 Years Matter
Why the First 3 Years Matter More Than Most Dads Realize Think your toddler won't remember these early years? Science says otherwise — and it's not even close.In this episode, Connor and Scott break down three re...
Episode 1: Welcome to Raising Arrows
Welcome to Raising Arrows.We're Connor and Scott — two young dads, husbands, and Christ-followers figuring out fatherhood in real time. In this first episode, we introduce ourselves, our families, and why we felt called to start t...