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.

There is a great story about a young Spartan woman who would one day become queen.

Despite her royal status, like all Spartans,

she was raised to be self-sufficient and without any frills or needless luxury. So imagine her

surprise when she witnessed a distinguished visitor to Sparta have his shoes put on by a servant.

Look, father, she said, the stranger has no hands. Out of the mouths of babes, right?

But the truth is, for some of us, it could just as easily be deduced that our kids have no hands

and no brains. We put on their clothes for them. We make their decisions. We clear the road in front of

them like a snowplow. We hover like a helicopter just in case nothing goes wrong. We do everything for them. And then we wonder why they're helpless. We wonder why they have trouble with anxiety or low self-esteem. Confidence is something you earn. It comes from self-sufficiency. It comes from experience. When we coddle and baby them, when we take

away their hands, we deprive them of these critical assets. And that's not right. And it's not fair.

Hey, you're listening to The Daily Dad podcast, one meditation a day inspired to help you do your most important job, which is be a great father.

These are meditations inspired by ancient wisdom, psychological research, and just great strategies from normal dads just like you.

Thanks for listening.