Courtesy of Craig Melvin/Instagram
Craig Melvin Reveals Which ‘Today’ Cohost Gave Him Parenting Advice After Feeling ‘Guilty’
Craig Melvin has his Today costars to thank for dishing out some incredible parenting advice over the years.
Craig, 44, appeared on Southern Living’s “Biscuits & Jam” podcast to dish on his new children’s book, I’m Proud of You, on Tuesday, May 7. The broadcaster shared how he turned to colleague Carson Daly to learn how to navigate his busy career and raise his two kids, Delano and Sybil, with his wife, Lindsay Czarniak.
“Years ago, we were on a shoot and I was sort of lamenting the fact that at that particular point, I was traveling a lot more than I do now,” Craig reflected. “And I was missing stuff. I was missing soccer games. I was missing ballet and gymnastics meets and all that stuff. I was feeling sort of guilty about it.”
“And, you know, Carson’s got four children, and he said to me, ‘You gotta focus on quality over quantity. And you’ve gotta accept the fact that you’re not gonna be able to be there as often as your wife because you’re working, and the work is important, and you gotta make peace with it, or you’re gonna be guilty for 18 years at least. Focus on quality over quantity,’” he recalled.
Craig took that advice to heart and has never forgotten it. Now, the dad of two has made it his mission to be there for his children whenever possible.
“So when I am there, I’m not just physically present, I am emotionally present,” he said. “I try to make sure my children know that. I’ve also blocked out certain days and activities where, unless something terrible is happening in the world, I’m there.”
Craig revealed that he has coached Delano’s basketball team for the last three seasons.
“It’s a mediocre squad, probably a result of the coaching more than anything,” he joked. “But anyway, he enjoys it. I enjoy coaching. I’ve done it for the last three years, and I’ve got a buddy in town, and he’s my assistant coach. And he basically promised me that if I had to travel last minute or do something that he would step in, which he’s done, I block out Wednesday evenings during basketball season so I can always be at practice.”
The South Carolina native reflected on some other useful advice he got on Today‘s Dad’s Got This series that has also stuck with him.
“I try to be physically present as much as humanly possible … as kids get older, a lot of the things that we think they care about, they don’t really care about,” Craig shared. “And they don’t really remember a lot of the stuff that we think that it’s gonna stay with them forever. They remember, like, looking out from that stage, seeing mom, seeing dad during their play. They remember being at that basketball game and dad was the coach, they remember that.”
