***The following is a conversation KATC’s Scott Brazda had with his children, 19-year old Sophia and 12-year old Nick, about his strengths and weaknesses as a father. Scott considered the evaluation as… therapeutic.***
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
“We were supposed to give the answers or the truth?"
(SCOTT TO HIS CHILDREN)
"I want you to be honest but make me look good."
(NICK BRAZDA)
"You are a very quick-witted dad I think."
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"You were always a hands-on, kneel down on the floor and pick-up-the-dolls kind of guy."
(NICK BRAZDA)
"You're the normal 'dad joke' kind of person, you have a lot of terrible jokes."
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"I think you taught me the importance of storytelling when I was really, really young."
‘Am I tough disciplinarian?’ asks Scott.
(NICK BRAZDA)
(silence) (silence) I don't know, like I've never been scared of you."
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"…(long silence).. you know the answer to that."
(NICK BRAZDA)
"You can discipline, but I'm not gonna be like freaked out by it."
‘Where do I have room for improvement as a dad?’ asks Scott.
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"...Well….. I mean you're not infallible, wouldn't you agree?"
(NICK BRAZDA)
"When they get to be like 11 or 12, kind of give them some space.”
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"...Mmm..maybe a little more of a leash could do you good sometimes?"
(NICK BRAZDA)
"Just kind of like let them be, but also at the same time, be there for them when they do need you."
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"Not that you're a helicopter parent, but you care a lot."
"If you could change one thing about me as a father, what would you change?’ asks Scott.
(NICK BRAZDA)
"... Your sense of style."
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"Your main core three singers are like John Denver, Dan Fogelberg and Gordon Lightfoot and they're all like these mountaineering men with guitars sing like this (Sophia sings deeply in a folk singer 1970s kind of way) about mysterious women who've broken their hearts."
(NICK BRAZDA)
"When I'm on Facetime with someone, you'll walk into my room and start shooting me with the nerf gun, and it gets aggravating sometimes."
'Am I a good role model as a parent?’ Scott asks.
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"Absolutely. I intend to emulate a lot of what you do in my future parenting skills."
(NICK BRAZDA)
"Like people doing good things; you do good things with a lot of other people."
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"You're really good at giving time and attention even when you don't have it."
(NICK BRAZDA)
"The ability to talk to anyone, basically getting to and saying anything to anyone."
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"Even when I wasn't good at sports or showed any interest you really supported theater fully, so you're really good at being supportive."
'A to F-- how would you grade the 12 years as your father?’ Scott asks.
(NICK BRAZDA)
"B-."
(SOPHIA BRAZDA)
"I would give you an 'A-plus' I would (your brother gave me a B-minus) yeh well he's had half the time I've had with you"
“When you get older, you become a lot more forgiving.”
