The Rebel Child: Nurturing the Three Early Signs of Potential for Success and Achieving the Mindset of the Successful.

A spirit of adventure, daring to break the rules

In general, a noticeable trait in children is their non-adherence to rules.

For instance, taking apart toys, climbing trees, drawing on walls, and even secretly changing test scores.

In reality, none of these behaviors would comfort parents, but from the child’s perspective, it is an innate desire to explore the world.

Stanford University once tracked 500 children and discovered that those who displayed a strong desire to explore at a young age were 2.3 times more likely to succeed as adults. This is because the brain establishes stronger dopamine reward pathways during adventures and explorations.

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To put it simply, children are more curious about unknown fields and have a better risk tolerance.

Take the founder of Tesla, Musk, as an example. When he was young, he was often scolded for taking apart electrical appliances. According to his mother, he would always try to reassemble them and even improve their functionality. This cautious breakthrough in the rules helped him achieve greater success in his journey of innovation.

Therefore, children with this trait tend to have more opportunities to embrace the new, even if they do not exhibit any outstanding qualities at the moment.

But with perseverance, they can become better and more successful in the long run.

Defiance of authority

Many Vietnamese parents often expect their children to be well-behaved and obedient at home.

Parents use this trait to assert their authority over their children.

However, children always ask, “Why should I listen to my parents?” and their obedience has different levels of critical thinking.

According to a study by Harvard University on adolescents, children with moderate levels of rebelliousness tend to become managers after the age of 25.

The researchers explained that this is because, from an early age, these children are trained to develop a questioning mindset for verification rather than blindly following others.

For example, Zuckerberg is a typical case. In high school, he hacked into his school’s database to prove that there was a security flaw in the system. He also once publicly questioned his teacher in class, asking, “If the knowledge in the books is correct, why does the world need to change?”

Behind this type of “management disobedience” is a proactive mindset and a challenge to the status quo. These qualities often help children explore and come up with great initiatives in the future.

Defiance of authority.

Children who are “insensitive” at the right times

Some children do not cry when criticized but start smiling again after a short while.

Others just go ahead and demand whatever they want, like “social bullies.”

Perhaps these behaviors will make parents feel embarrassed and ashamed to some degree.

In reality, this label of “insensitivity” is actually a prototype of high emotional intelligence. This is because there is an essential element in interpersonal communication – insensitivity.

A study by the University of London found that children with moderate levels of insensitivity had a 47% lower rate of depression as adults and advanced 30% faster in their careers than their peers.

The reason for this is that children become “insensitive” to negative and malicious comments around them.

In simple terms, children do not pay attention to external factors but instead focus on their goals.

If we look back at history, successful people do not spend their entire lives doing just one thing.

Take Yu Minhong, the founder of New Oriental, as an example. He could be described as an “indestructible cockroach.” He failed his university entrance exams three times and was ridiculed by his friends as a “country bumpkin” in the early days of his startup. But later, he successfully counterattacked with his “thick-skinned” spirit.

Instead of worrying about their children being “too wild,” parents should recognize their personalities and provide appropriate guidance.

He once said, “Successful people trade appearance for inner strength.”

Therefore, insensitivity is sometimes an expression of the hidden strength within children. And these qualities can help them lead better lives.

In reality, if parents complain and scold, it may backfire. On the other hand, proper guidance will benefit their future.

– For adventurous children, parents should set safe boundaries.

– For children who do not yet comply with discipline, allow them to argue and provide reasonable explanations.

– For “insensitive” children, teach them to self-reflect and correct themselves.

According to Montessori education, behind every “problem child” lies unrecognized talent. Therefore, instead of worrying about their children being “too wild,” parents should recognize their personalities and provide appropriate guidance.