The Daily Dad

Help Them Become Who They Are

Jan 11, 2024

Bruce Springsteen’s parenting approach shines a light on the essence of supporting children in discovering their own paths. His children's diverse pursuits—ranging from Olympic equestrian sports to firefighting—illustrate the importance of letting kids explore their passions. Drawing from his own transformative moments as a child, Springsteen emphasizes that parents can foster individuality by exposing their kids to a variety of experiences. It’s about encouraging uniqueness rather than adhering to societal norms!

03:11

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Quick takeaways

Encourage children to pursue their dreams and provide opportunities for them to explore different interests.

Believe in and support our children in their pursuits, showing up for them in challenging situations and offering unwavering support.

Deep dives

Supporting their interests and dreams

Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patty have successfully helped their children, including an Olympic level equestrian and a New Jersey firefighter, become who they are and realize their potential. They encouraged their children to pursue their dreams and provided them with opportunities to explore different interests. Springsteen's own experience, as a child being inspired by Elvis Presley, may have influenced his parenting approach. As fathers, our role is not to shape our children into replicas of ourselves or force them to become superstars, but to support and expose them to various opportunities that align with their interests and passions.

Supporting Children in Finding Their Own Path

3min

Bruce Springsteen has three children: Evan, Jessica, and Sam. One of them is an Olympic-level equestrian (which can not have been a cheap or easy interest to encourage, nor always a fun one to watch). His son, Sam, recently became a New Jersey firefighter (a scary thought for any parent). Clearly, Bruce and his wife Patti have figured out how to help their children become who they are, and to realize their potential.

“I wanted them to see people that did a lot of other things,” Bruce once said in an interview, “be around people who would shape them and they would have a lot of options.” Perhaps his inclination to encourage them to pursue their dreams comes from his own experience. In his autobiography, Springsteen takes us back to when he was 7 years old and watched the controversial rockstar Elvis Presley’s appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. When Elvis walked off the stage, “I sat there transfixed in front of the television set, my mind on fire. I had the same two arms, two legs, two eyes; I looked hideous but I’d figure that part out… so what was missing? THE GUITAR! The next day I convinced my mom to take me to Diehl’s Music on South Street in Freehold. There, with no money to spend, we rented a guitar.”

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The Daily Dad

Help Them Become Who They Are

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Supporting their interests and dreams

Believe in them and offer support

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts