They see you disheveled and groggy. They see you busy and preoccupied. They see you argue with your spouse. They see you burned out after a long week. They see regular old, normal you.

But what about some of those peak career moments? When you sold your company. When you were invited to that special reception at the fancy place downtown. The first day of shooting for your new screenplay. When you were interviewed for that big morning show. When that raise finally came through.

No, they don’t see that. Because those are the kinds of things you get babysitters for. Because those are the kinds of things that come in over email or happen at the office while they are at school, sitting in a classroom bored of their mind. These are the things that happen after they go to bed. These are the things that you’re not supposed to bring kids to, that you’re not sure if they’ll like.

We talk in The Daily Dad book about how you have to let kids see you work. One story we tell is about Bruce Springsteen whose impression of and understanding of his mother was changed completely after he saw her in her element, crushing it at her job one day. Your kids love the regular, normal, at home you, of course. But they should also get the chance to see the professional you, the successful you, the crushing it you.

Let them see your big moments. Drag them out of bed, out of the house to see them. Bribe them to see them. Get them excited to see them. Let them be impressed, let them be proud. It will stick with them.