Drew Scott shared reflections on fatherhood that have resonated with parents everywhere.
The Property Brothers star opened up about a "heartbreaking" wake-up call from his 4-year-old son Parker that forced him to rethink his work-life balance. According to E! Online, Scott shared the story in a June 23 Instagram video as part of his Blueprint For Life series.
Scott asked Parker for a hug when he came home, and his son ran away instead. Parker picked up a toy, held it to his ear, and mimicked a business call. He was imitating his dad's phone habit.
"It was heartbreaking for me because he just saw me on calls all the time," the 48-year-old said. "So that was a wake-up for me to not be on my phone when I'm around the kids. To show them that I'm actually present."
Scott, who shares Parker and 2-year-old daughter Piper with wife Linda Phan, has made changes since then. He leaves his phone alone during lunch breaks to attend Piper's music class.
"It's a small thing but for me to be present there, I can see it in Piper's face, she gets excited," he said. "If I was just to be in my busy work pace, I would skip that. Then all of a sudden I would look back years from now and think I missed these crucial points in my baby's life."
Scott offered advice to his followers: "Establish what your priorities are. It's going to feel pretty empty at the end of your career or at the end of your life if you look back and all you did was work."
The takeaway: put the phone down. Your family is watching.
