ATTACHMENT
DADDYING
GENTLE
PARENTING
FROM A
FATHER’S
PERSPECTIVE
Story by ELAINE KAPOGINES
Photography by TRENT SLUITER
It’s not hard to imagine Shaun Shadd striding up the corporate ladder.
Well-dressed, well-spoken and oozing charisma, Shaun could easily
pass for a high-powered Bay Street lawyer/banker/management
consultant. A few words with him and it’s obvious he’s very smart and
driven — and his million-dollar smile doesn’t hurt either.
But instead of residing in a shiny boardroom on this
Wednesday morning, Shaun is stringing plastic beads
and making popcorn in the kitchen of his Waterloo
home. His quiet patience is a calming contrast to the
energy pouring out of four-year-old Zion and the “I
love to screech for no reason” enthusiasm of one-anda-half-year-old Soul.
Shaun is a dad first and foremost. He and his wife
Melissa have created a life for themselves where
they put their children first. Shaun is a partner in
MediaAmped, a Kitchener-based online marketing
company, and Melissa is the co-host of Rogers TV’s
theholisticparent.ca
Diapers & Lipgloss. “The whole point of having my
own business was so that I could be my own boss,
and I can spend most of the time with my family,”
Shaun beams.
And his presence has created an obvious connection
with his kids. He exudes parental confidence and
there’s a palpable mutual respect between child and
parent. A few loving words brings Zion back from the
brink of a preschooler’s boredom-induced meltdown.
A quick toss in the air and some snuggles turns Soul’s
attention-seeking whines into fits of toddler giggles.
Melissa is close by with words of encouragement.
Winter 2015 THE HOLISTIC PARENT
19