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5 Golden Principles to Help Your Child Excel Beyond Their Peers: Essential Knowledge for Every Parent

Raising a child is a challenging and difficult journey. How do you help your child excel and surpass their peers? The secret lies in 5 golden principles that every parent should know!

Administrator

22 March, 2024

Put Confidence Above Self-Esteem

Both terms “confidence” and “self-esteem” can be used interchangeably. However, in nurturing a successful child, one factor is more important, as shared by American psychologist Michele Borba to CNBC in 2022.

Self-esteem reflects how you perceive yourself holistically. In contrast, confidence measures your trust in your personal abilities in specific situations. Although these two concepts are related, research shows that confidence is a more necessary factor for long-term success.

Confidence helps reinforce a child’s belief that their skills and efforts can bring about positive results, such as achieving high grades or excelling in sports.

Michele Borba emphasizes that parents can boost confidence in children by allowing them to experience both the feeling of success and failure, and encourage them to solve problems themselves. This will help children learn how to bounce back from issues and have faith in their own ability to succeed.

Parents can boost confidence in children by letting them experience both the feeling of success and failure

Learn to Self-Control

Studies have shown that the ability to self-control positively influences a person’s future success. According to a long-term study by scientists at the University of Otago, New Zealand, when children learn to eliminate distractions, regulate their emotions, and control their behaviors, they tend to have higher EQ and IQ scores.

When children begin to understand the concept of time, parents should educate them about the importance of managing time wisely to focus on activities that help personal development.

Increase Empowerment for Children

In an interview with CNBC, child psychology expert Tovah Klein said that the ability to make decisions is a key factor in helping children develop into successful individuals in the future.

Parents should encourage children to make their own decisions regarding preparing study materials or choosing after-school activities. Parents’ trust in children’s autonomy contributes to their development.

Learn to Accept Imperfections

Esther Wojcicki, a successful author and education expert, has successfully raised three children, including a doctor and two CEOs. However, Wojcicki never demanded her children to reach perfection.

Wojcicki emphasizes the importance of allowing children to experience failure, learn how to correct their own mistakes, and encourage them to be confident, viewing failure as part of the learning process.

Studies have shown that pursuing perfection is not necessarily conducive to a child’s future success. In fact, perfectionism can lead to mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem in children.

Financial Education from an Early Age

Financial education for children, from earning money to smart spending and saving, is an important foundation for their future.

A 2023 report from the National Financial Educators Council revealed that the majority of students in the US do not have early exposure to financial education in schools, which can lead to financial issues later on.

Margot Machol Bisnow, an expert on raising successful children, through interviews with parents of 70 high achievers for her book published in 2022, discovered that financial education is a common topic that they all focus on.

Bisnow said, “The parents I interviewed didn’t pressure their children to pursue high-income professions, but they taught them about money in different ways.”

Alexa von Tobel, a Harvard graduate, investor, and founder of the financial advisory company LearnVest, also suggested, “Discussing the prices of household items is a practical way to talk about money with children.”

Therefore, equipping children with financial knowledge from an early age can be the key to enhancing their future success.

Frequently asked questions

Parents can encourage confidence by letting children experience both success and failure. This teaches them to solve problems independently and fosters resilience. According to psychologist Michele Borba, allowing children to navigate these experiences helps them develop faith in their ability to succeed.

Studies show that self-control positively influences future success. Children who learn to eliminate distractions, regulate emotions, and control behaviors tend to have higher EQ and IQ scores. Teaching children about time management and focusing on personal development activities is essential.

Child psychology expert Tovah Klein emphasizes that decision-making is key to a child’s future success. Parents should encourage children to make their own choices, such as preparing study materials or choosing extracurricular activities. This fosters autonomy and contributes to their development.

No, successful educator Esther Wojcicki, who raised a doctor and two CEOs, never demanded perfection from her children. Instead, she allowed them to experience failure and learn from their mistakes. Studies show that perfectionism can lead to mental health issues, and pursuing imperfection is not conducive to future success.

Financial education, including earning, spending, and saving money, is crucial for a child’s future. A report by the National Financial Educators Council found that most US students lack early exposure to financial education, which can lead to later financial issues. Margot Machol Bisnow, an expert on raising successful children, and Alexa von Tobel, a financial advisor, both emphasize the importance of teaching children about money from a young age.