44 Mark X Cronin on his son’s Down Syndrome & Spreading Happiness

“Stay humble and accept the humility that comes as a parent. There is so much we want to do for our children and there is so much we try to do, and in the end, they have their lives that they will lead and there is only so much we can do.”  Mark Cronin, on DADicated.com Mark lives in Long Island and has been married for 38 years. He has 3 boys, Patrick (29), James (26), and John (24), who has down syndrome. Mark and John are the co-founders of John’s Crazy Socks, which was John’s idea. They sell crazy socks and employ dozens of employees with special needs. Their mission? To spread happiness! The most powerful takeaways for me as a dad were: I truly found Mark inspiring because he is humble and real. Be positive, no matter what. I’ll think twice before I “soften” things for my kids who might struggle with something. If your children tell you they want something, be sure they understand what it takes to achieve it “You want to set goals that people have to reach to attain. If they’re too easy, it is uninteresting, and if it is too far out there, you're going to quit, but if they make you stretch, and get outside your comfort zone and reach for something, that is the sweet spot, for all of us and for our kids.” Mark Cronin on DADicated.com GUEST (guest): Mark Cronin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mxcronin/ JohnsCrazySocks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/ JohnsCrazySocks on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnsCrazySocks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnscrazysocks/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnscrazysocks/ Links: Hope Story: https://hopestory.org/ Brittany's Baskets of Hope: https://www.brittanysbasketsofhope.org Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/ Philipp Hartmann (host): Web: www.philipp-hartmann.de LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipphartmann2 #dads #downsyndrome #family #crazysocks #fatherhood #specialneedsdads #specialneedsfamily