30 Days Left to Live: What Fathers Want Their Kids to Know EP29

If you found out you only had 30 days left to live, what would you do? How would you spend your final days with your kids, your partner, and your family?

In this raw and unfiltered episode of The Dad Compass Podcast, Dmitry V and Patrick O go deep into fatherhood, mortality, and legacy. We ask the hard questions every dad secretly thinks about:

How would you tell your kids you’re dying?

What lessons would you want to leave behind?

Do you spend time chasing a cure… or making memories?

Should you tell your kids early, or let them just feel the joy of those last days?

What do you want your kids to remember most — your words, your hugs, or the way you lived?

Along the way, we open up about discipline, integrity, not being “a shitty person,” valuing your time, and how our kids teach us as much as we teach them. This one is real, heavy, and absolutely worth your time.

👉 Whether you’re a dad, a parent, or just someone reflecting on life’s shortness, this conversation will hit you hard.

📌 Chapters

00:00 – Cold Open & UFC banter
01:25 – Topic intro: 30 days left to live
03:08 – What fathers would want to instill in kids
05:31 – Processing the shock of knowing your time is short
07:23 – Coping, alcohol, and stress escapes
08:50 – Would you tell your kids, or just spend time?
10:30 – The one lesson Patrick would leave: “Don’t be a shitty person”
13:19 – Dmitry’s lesson: “Value your time”
16:38 – Family vacations vs honesty with kids
18:45 – What if there was a chance for a cure?
20:37 – Do people change when they’re given a deadline?
23:54 – Dmitry’s raw honesty about facing death
29:22 – Parenting frustrations (school & inhaler story)
31:25 – Kids standing up for others & being kind
33:25 – Facing death today: what would you do?
36:27 – The power of one last hug, kiss, or look
38:24 – Should your spouse remarry after you’re gone?
41:38 – How do you want your kids to deal with your death?
45:11 – Making the funeral a celebration (or wild party)
49:39 – Reflecting on time, priorities, and what really matters
52:08 – Question Time: finding a dead body (dark humor closer