Henry Winkler, a celebrated American actor, comedian, producer, and director, became famous in the 1970s for his role as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on “Happy Days.” However, his childhood was far from bright. Winkler struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia and faced little sympathy from teachers and parents. Despite these challenges, he discovered a passion for acting, eventually earning an MFA from Yale School of Drama. After moving to Los Angeles, Winkler landed his iconic role in “Happy Days.” He married Stacey Weitzman, and together they raised two children and Stacey’s son from a previous marriage. Determined to provide a different upbringing than his own, Winkler aimed to give his children a normal childhood.

Henry Winkler on His Childhood

“I made a decision when I was 10 — and I thought about it every day — that I was going to be a different parent from my parents,” Winkler said. “One of the most important things in being a parent is seeing your child in front of you as who they are — not who you want them to be. If you do that, it solves about two million problems right off the bat.”

Winkler’s parents migrated to New York from Germany just before World War II. He grew up with undiagnosed learning disabilities and faced harsh criticism from his parents, who called him stupid and dumb, nicknaming him “Dumm Hund.”

“I was grounded for most of my high school career. They thought if I stayed at my desk for six weeks at a time, I would get it and they could put an end to the silliness of my laziness.”

Despite admiring his parents for escaping Nazi Germany, Winkler described them as “emotionally destructive” and said, “I never felt heard.”

Understanding Dyslexia

Henry’s stepson, Jed, was diagnosed with dyslexia, and at age 31, Winkler received the same diagnosis. “I went, ‘Oh my goodness. I have something with a name.’ That was when I first got it.” Later, Winkler’s other children were also diagnosed with dyslexia. “Fortunately, we found out early, but if you don’t catch it early, a child’s self-image plummets, as mine did.”

A Unique Approach to Parenting

“I know this now about being a parent,” Winkler says. “Our job is to keep [our children] as safe as we can, and to encourage as much as we can for them to meet their destiny.” He emphasizes that each child is an individual. “Each child is like baking a muffin. You know, you put a toothpick in to see if it’s done. Each child, they do it their own way.”

Despite his fame, Winkler kept his children away from the spotlight, ensuring their home life was as normal and consistent as possible. He enforced rules and boundaries, including a ban on show business, and emphasized communication and listening to his children.

Inspiring Children Through Books

Winkler has co-written two book series for children with author Lin Oliver: “Ghost Buddy” and “Hank Zipzer: The Mostly True Confessions of the World’s Best Underachiever.” These books, designed with short chapters to make reading easier, aim to help children feel accomplished and less overwhelmed.

While Winkler does not claim to be an authority on parenting, he says, “I am an authority on wanting every child to know that they have greatness inside them. I’m on a mission that I didn’t even know I was on. I want every child to know that just because school is difficult for them, it has nothing to do with how brilliant they are.”

A Legacy of Advocacy

Henry Winkler considers these books his greatest achievement, aside from his children and grandchildren. They earned him an award from Queen Elizabeth in 2011, and he was named an Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of his work with children with learning disabilities and special educational needs.

Having dyslexia is a challenge for any actor, but Winkler overcame this obstacle and continues to inspire children. “A learning challenge doesn’t have to stop you. Every child who writes me a letter about Hank Zipzer, I write back. In every letter I include, ‘Your learning challenge will not stop you from meeting your dream. Only you will stop yourself from meeting your dream.’”