Parenting may be one of life’s most rewarding journeys, but it’s also among the most challenging — and Australian producer Sam Jockel believes many families are hungry for something more real than picture-perfect advice.

Jockel, founder and CEO of ParentTV, recently released SEEN, a feature-length documentary that has already reached more than 40,000 parents across Australia through community screenings at schools, libraries, and child-care centres. The film takes a vulnerable, often raw look at modern parenting, encouraging adults to shift their perspective from fixing their children’s behaviour to understanding their own.

“Behaviour is communication,” Jockel said. “When children act out, they’re showing us they’re not okay. What they need isn’t punishment; it’s time and attention from a parent who’s willing to sit beside them and try to understand what’s going on.”

Jockel knows that message isn’t easy to hear. But as she explained, SEEN is less about guilt and more about compassion for both parents and their children.

“We just want to help parents understand how important they are in the lives of their children in a really compassionate way,” she said. “Sometimes we forget that our kids are just mirroring us — and that’s hard to face, but it’s also where transformation begins.”

The documentary follows four everyday parents, including two sports dads — one of them a well-known Australian rugby league player — as they share moments of reckoning, healing, and growth. One father describes realizing that “it’s not true that men shouldn’t cry,” while another admits, “I was all about power and control… but that’s all I knew.” Through interviews with psychologists, educators, and neuroscientists, SEEN links those confessions to broader insights about childhood development and emotional connection.

Jockel described the film’s success as both unexpected and humbling.

“When we first released it, I braced for impact,” she said with a laugh. “But instead it’s been received as this breath of fresh air — something real and nourishing in a world full of quick fixes and candy-coated content.”

That honesty may be what sets SEEN apart. Watching the film, it’s hard not to reflect on your own experiences. At one point, a mother admits to throwing her parenting book out the window when its methods didn’t match her son’s reactions — a moment that feels instantly relatable. Another father recalls his toddler’s frightened face during an angry outburst, calling it the lowest point of his life. By the end, those same parents describe learning to pause, breathe, and see behaviour as a message, not defiance.

As Jockel put it, “The truth will set you free, but it’s hard. Often it’s the hardest thing to swallow. Yet if we’re brave enough to face it, that’s where things can really change.”

Her online platform, ParentTV, complements the film with more than 2,000 short videos from psychologists, pediatricians, occupational therapists, and other experts in a sort of “Netflix for parenting videos.” The goal, she said, is to give parents a trusted “one-stop shop” of credible guidance that’s also free of advertising and agendas.

“There’s so much noise online, and you never know who’s trying to sell you something,” Jockel said. “ParentTV was built so parents can learn directly from credible people who have actually worked in their fields.”

For families who finish SEEN and are wondering what to do next, Jockel points to SeenTheResources.com, a companion website offering podcasts, reflection tools, and follow-up materials. “People often watch and go, ‘What now?’ So we created resources to help them keep going — to move forward with compassion and curiosity.”

Ultimately, SEEN invites parents to look inward — not to dwell on mistakes, but to build stronger, more connected families.

“Be gentle with yourself,” Jockel shared. “It’s brave to face these things. Every parent deserves compassion too because that’s where real change happens.”

SEEN will screen locally for one night only on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at Cineplex Cinemas Normanview in Regina (formerly Cineplex Cinemas Regina). The event is promoted by Stacy Muller and offers general admission seating. Tickets are $15.50 each, plus a $1.50 booking fee, available through Tickets.Demand.Film/event/13432.

To learn more, visit SeenTheFilm.com and SeenTheResources.com. For more information on ParentTV, visit ParentTV.com.

Aaron Walker

Reporter

Moose Jaw Express