HGTV personality Drew Scott is reflecting on a painful parenting moment that he says forced him to take a closer look at how he spends his time at home.
The 48-year-old Property Brothers star shared the experience on Instagram, explaining that a small interaction with his four-year-old son, Parker, became what he described as a “heartbreaking wake-up call.”
In a video posted to his followers, Scott began by addressing other busy parents, saying: “I don’t know who needs to hear this but if you run a mile a minute, which I tend to, I think you might relate to this story.”
He recalled arriving home one day and trying to greet his son with affection. “I came home one day, and I saw Parker, and I’m like, ‘Hey Parker, give me a hug.’ And he sort of ran away,” Scott said.
What happened next hit him even harder. Scott, who also shares two-year-old daughter Piper with his wife, explained that Parker picked up one of his toys, held it to his ear and began pretending to take a call. “He actually started walking around and going, ‘I’m on a business call,’” he said.
The moment made Scott realize that his young son was copying behavior he had seen far too often.
“It was heartbreaking for me because he just saw me on calls all the time,” Scott admitted, acknowledging how deeply the imitation affected him.
The exchange, he said, prompted him to set a clearer boundary between work and family life. “So that was a wake-up for me to not be on my phone when I’m around the kids,” Scott shared.
HGTV star Drew Scott (left, alongside brother Jonathan) has candidly opened up about his recent ‘heartbreaking wake-up call’
The Property Brothers host, 48, welcomed son Parker, four, and daughter Piper, two, with wife Linda Phan
‘To show them that I’m actually present, I’m listening to their questions, I’m answering, I’m playing with them.’
The TV personality, who presents home renovation shows alongside brother Jonathan Scott, said that he then vowed to change his habits at home.
‘It’s a small thing, but for me to be present there, I can see it in Piper’s face, she gets excited. And for me, it’s heartwarming, and I love it.
‘But if I were just to be in my busy, busy work pace, I would do calls over my lunch and I would skip that.
‘Then all of a sudden I would look back years from now and think I missed these crucial points in my baby’s life.’
Concluding the message to his 2.7 million followers, he poignantly said: ‘It’s going to feel pretty empty at the end of your career or at the end of your life if you look back and all you did was work.
‘And don’t be that person checking your phone when you’re hanging out with family.’
Real estate broker Scott met podcast producer Linda Phan in 2010 before getting engaged in 2016.
Real estate broker Scott met podcast producer Phan in 2010 before getting engaged in 2016
Their wedding was documented in the 2018 TLC special Property Brothers: Linda and Drew Say I Do.
Scott and Phan welcomed their first child – son Parker – in May 2022. Their family grew again with the birth of daughter Piper in May 2024 with both kids welcomed via IVF after battling fertility issues.
Scott’s heartfelt message comes just months after Phan’s mother passed away.
At the time, he took to social media with a touching tribute that read: ‘My heart is broken. We have lost one of the most beautiful, kind and selfless people this planet has ever seen.
‘Linda’s mom is truly one of a kind and was taken from us far too soon.
‘Thank you Habu for bringing so much light to our lives. Your laugh was infectious and I will always remember our late nights playing your favorite game.’
Scott continued: ‘I feel helpless in trying to comfort Linda and her family but know memories of all the beautiful times with Habu will live on with us forever.
‘You were always there for us and all 10 grandkids. The hardest thing for me is to know we won’t have you here to see Parker and Piper grow into strong and compassionate adults like you. I love you. I miss you.’
