Why Your Kids Need Your Gifts at Home
The Work That Really Matters Is at HomeInside this issue
On My MindThis week, I welcomed back filmmaker and storyteller Sean Waldron to continue a conversation that could have easily gone another two hours. Last week we talked about creativity, purpose, and fatherhood. This week we went even deeper. Sean said something early on that stopped me. “Your work is not a place that you go to.”  It is so easy to let our job swallow our identity. To let our worth hinge on performance. To let our value rise and fall with the next review or paycheck. But then he said this: “Your purpose is at home with the people that you care about because that is the future.”  That line hit me in the chest. This entire episode is a reminder that the most meaningful work we do rarely shows up on a resume. It happens in the quiet moments. On the floor with a four-year-old. In the ways we break old patterns. In the courage it takes to show up differently than how we were raised. Sean described entering his son’s imagination to connect. “What would it mean for somebody to come down to our level and validate what we are doing and thinking and feeling,” he said.  That is the work. And it starts with presence, honesty, and small acts of attention. How to Enter Your Child’s World at Any AgeWhy it MattersConnection is not created by big gestures. It is created by attention. Sean talked about filming with his son as a way to “enter his world.” For his son, that moment was more than creativity. It was validation. And validation is something kids need at every stage. Why it Works Kids never stop wanting to feel seen. The form changes. The need does not. For young kids, their world is imagination. For older kids, it is curiosity. For teens, it is identity. When you join them where they already are, you strengthen the bond in a way that lectures and advice never can. How to Try It (For Every Age)For toddlers and young kids
For kids ages 7 to 12
For teenagers
Pro TipConnection grows when you let them set the tone. Your job is not to direct the moment. It is to enter it. The Morning Protection PlanSean learned something from a CEO that he now lives by. “Protect your morning.” Because the morning is the garden. What you feed grows.  Why it Matters When you start with intention, you carry that steadiness into everything else. Sean told me that this rhythm gives him more “comfort, peace, ease, breath throughout the rest of the day.”  Why it Works You show up better to everything when your mind receives nourishment before it receives demands. How to Use It Choose one thing that grounds you. Choose one thing that moves your creative work forward. Then give each a small, focused block. Sean uses 30 minutes. You can start with 10 minutes if that’s easier for you. His structure:
Pro TipSet a timer and stop when it ends. Stopping is what makes the practice sustainable. Continuing is a bonus. Time to Sprint: Your 15 Minute Creative StartWhy it MattersSean’s advice for dads who want to build something meaningful while raising a family is simple. “Show up and do the work.”  Not to finish. Not to perfect. Just to move. Why it WorksMotion creates clarity. Clarity creates energy. Energy creates momentum. As Sean put it, “Something comes from the wrestling.” Even if the work barely moves, you do.  How to Do ItSet a 15 minute timer. Pick one meaningful thing. Move it forward in the smallest way possible. No polishing. No multitasking. No planning your whole project. Just movement. Pro TipIf you get stuck, ask Sean’s question: What am I really trying to say here? Write the answer plainly. Your MoveWhere in your life is perfection slowing you down instead of lighting your way forward? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response. Connect with SeanSean Waldron is the filmmaker and storyteller behind ROAR, a project helping dads rediscover purpose, healing, and creative connection. He is also creating Silly Cannonballs, a documentary exploring fatherhood, shame, healing, and the desire to give your kids what you never had. ROAR Dads and Silly Cannonballs Give him a follow and let him know what part of the episode hit home for you. On the Show This WeekContinue the ConversationThis week, Sean returned for part two of our conversation to talk about entering your child’s imagination, healing from your own childhood, building creative work through small daily blocks, and why the most important work you do is the work you do at home. Check it Out🎧 Sean Waldron on Creativity, Healing, and the Work That Starts at Home Listen on your favorite podcast platform The Last LaughAlways be careful what you ask for… |
