Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast, where we provide one lesson every single day to help you with your most important job, being a parent.

I'm Ryan Holiday, and I draw these lessons from ancient philosophy, modern psychology, practical

wisdom, and insights from parents just like you all over the world. Thank you for listening,

and we hope this helps. Do it while you can. We all feel a little self-conscious about it.

Our kids don't behave as well as we'd like.

They make a mess.

They make an incredible amount of noise.

Perhaps this is why we keep them at home,

why we're always apologizing,

preparing people in advance for the hurricane

that may or may not come through.

Maybe some of us fear being overshadowed by our kids

are judged for having them with us,

that it will undermine our image as professionals. Abraham Lincoln's law partner, William Herndon,

often complained about Lincoln's brats, which Lincoln insisted on bringing with him to work from time to

time. They pulled books off the shelf. They rifled through papers. He suspected they were peeing on the rug, too.

But you know what? Lincoln brought them anyway. He wanted his kids to see him work, as we've said a

parent must do. He wanted to spend time with them, and this was a way to do it, and he refused to be

embarrassed. He did his best to contain them, sure, but he also accepted that this is what kids do

and have always done. And it's good that Lincoln took this time. He would bury two of his boys.

He himself would be killed at age 56. None of us know how long we have. None of us should allow

fear of what other people think or the potential spectacle of a tantrum or an incident deprive us

...