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How Craig Melvin's 10-Year-Old Son, Delano, Inspired His Heartfelt New Project
The TODAY co-host's new book is the best ode to his little one.
There's no prouder papa than TODAY co-host Craig Melvin.
The broadcaster was inspired to write his new children's book, I'm Proud Of You, (released May 7) after witnessing a special moment when his son, Delano, conquered his fear of heights.The heartfelt book depicts a father acknowledging his son's unique qualities and accomplishments.
“A few years ago, I found myself marveling at Delano on the high dive,” the father of two told Good Housekeeping. “He was trying to conquer his fear and jump off for the first time. When he did it, I saw how proud he was and how proud my wife and I were, and I thought, 'we should document this.'”
Melvin shares Delano, 10, and Sybil, 7, with his wife, sports broadcaster Lindsay Czarniak. It's his family, Melvin continued, that is his pride and joy. "If you asked me [what I'm most proud of] before children, I would have given you four or five professional accomplishments because my job is awesome. But I’m immensely proud of the family that my wife and I are building. I’m proud of my extended family and the relationship I’ve been able to forge with my father late in life."
How Melvin explained the project to Delano
To celebrate the release of the illustrated story, Melvin was interviewed by his son, and it quickly became clear that Delano inherited his father's reporting talent. Smart, adorable, and able to stay on topic, Delano is a co-host in the making.
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"I wanted to write a book that celebrated fatherhood, that celebrated you, celebrated your sister, that celebrated being a parent," Melvin explained during their chat. "I wanted to write something that you would enjoy, that you would be proud of." The elder Melvin added that it's not just the "big stuff" that kids, and their parents, should celebrate. "I remember when you tied your shoes the first time. I remember when you made your first basket. I wanted to write something that celebrated the small things."
Craig is a total family guy
To celebrate their son hitting double digits in March, Melvin and Czarniak shared some sweet family photos on Instagram and wrote about how much they don't just love their kids, but also genuinely like them as people.
"In the blink of an eye our little boy went from the baby who made us parents to the fun loving, caring 10 year old kid we adore. I think one of the coolest things is when you find yourself just really enjoying the time you get to spend together as they grow, experiencing the things they love and seeing it all through their eyes," they wrote alongside pictures from Delano's b-day.
He's way into dinosaurs, so of course a Jurassic World cake was the perfect way to celebrate!
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