The Two Doting Dads share what it was like to write a children’s book

Since April 2023, Matthew Johnson (Matty J) and Ashton Wicks (Ash) have been sharing the highs and lows of parenting on their podcast, Two Doting Dads. With forty-eight episodes that touch on the hilarity and occasional horror of being a dad, the podcast has become a favourite of parents around the world. With over a thousand ratings on Spotify and glowing reviews, it’s clear that listeners relate to the show.

Inspired by the community they’ve built, Matty J and Ash decided to write a children’s book. Hoping to entertain kids and parents alike, they wrote Two Doting Dads: The Quest for Free Time. Following two best-friend dads who just want a break (and a tasty beverage), the book charts a course through the never-ending obstacles of parenthood. From potty training to toddler tantrums, there’s a lot they have to sort out before they can relax.

We caught up with Matty J and Ash to learn more about the inspiration behind the book – and get some insight into the authors’ own parenting experiences. 

What inspired you to write the book?

Matty J: We did it for the other parents. We wanted other parents to realise they're not the only ones struggling to leave the house.

Did the idea come from your podcast, or have you been considering writing a children’s book for a while?

MJ: People always tell us that they love the relatability of the podcast, and we wanted to tie that into a kids’ book for parents who love their kids but are exhausted at the same time.

Parenting sometimes feels like you’re in a silo, like you're in your own little world. But other parents out there are all experiencing the same things.

Reading to my children is one of the toughest jobs because it's the very last step of the day and at that point, most of the time, I’ve got no energy left. I’m just tapped. And it can be great when the kids pick a good book I like reading, but sometimes they choose a bad one, making it so much harder. So, we wanted to create a book that the parents enjoy reading, but kids also enjoy hearing.

So the book is meant to entertain both parents and kids?

Ash: Definitely.

We wanted to share the universal feeling of being exhausted, but we also wanted to get across that even though raising young kids can be chaos, we wouldn't have it any other way.

Was the book inspired by your real lives?

MJ: Oh, yeah! But we did exaggerate a little bit.

Ash: What?! I’ve never exaggerated in my life.

But okay. . . yeah. As Matt said, we exaggerated some things to entertain kids. Some of the scenarios are a bit far-fetched, but you know, parenting can be like that.

Sometimes, you stub your toe mid-parenting (which I've done – we’ve all done it!) and you think, ‘This is it, I'm going to die. I'm going to die from stubbing my toe.’ Because you do believe it's possible at that moment.

What has the publishing process been like?

MJ: It’s new territory for us because. You know we've been making content for a while.

Ash: But we talk for a living, we don't write for a living. It's a bit nerve-racking.

MJ: Yeah, it has been a challenge, but it's exciting to be playing in a new space. I never in a million years thought I could call myself a published author.

Ash: My mum's an avid reader, and when I told her I was going to be an author, she nearly fell off her chair. It’s just crazy. It's great.

What's been the best part of the process?

Ash: Showing my kids what they look like as a cartoon character. You can't beat it.

MJ: It’s funny how we’ve been writing a kids’ book, but the kids only got to see it at the end of the creative process. I read it to my kids when it was just a PDF on my computer screen, and they were really into it – even before there were illustrations.

Obviously, they're biased because I'm their dad, but the first day the illustrations were there, I think I read it to Marlie about twelve times back-to-back.

Ash: I haven't read it to my kids yet, because I'm saving it for when I've got the physical book. But they've seen the illustrations, which is weird.

They must think that it's just a normal part of life, to have a kids’ book written about you.

I can’t wait for them to have a physical book they can open, point to the pictures, and say, ‘That’s me.’

MJ: The next big step will be bringing it to Book Week at daycare and kindy.

They won't even need to dress up.

Ash: The real reason why we wrote a book! Every Book Week moving forward, for the rest of the years, we’ll never have to make a costume. They can just go as themselves.

What are each of your top tips for nailing dadhood?

Ash: Get them to bed early. You can’t go wrong with getting them to bed early.

They're cranky? Get them to bed early.

Having a good time? Get them to bed early.

MJ: My number one tip is to throw the rule book out the window.

Both my kids are so wildly different, and both respond in such different ways to how I try to parent them and discipline them. You've got to be so fluid.

Every child is going to be different. And if you try and live by a certain set of rules, you're going to have a tough time.

Probably my biggest parenting mistake was trying to parent Lola like I parent Marlie. It was not working.

Do either of you have tips for getting over writer’s block?

MJ: When we’re working on something creative, Ash and I work better together, in the same room fleshing out ideas.  I don't work well when it’s just me and a laptop.

Ash: I get so distracted, I kind of need Matt to bring me back to Earth.

When I'm in a room alone, I force it way more than when we’re just messing around. Together, we have so many ideas and some things never eventuate, but I still feel like they're all good ideas.

MJ: So safety in numbers is the way to get out of writer’s block.

Do you have a message for your readers?

Ash: Enjoy the book. Enjoy it with your kids. Enjoy it and give yourself a break.