5 Things you need to do as parents to make your child resilient and successful
In human society, not every individual is equal to the other. As a result, if you look carefully, you shall find that few individuals become the master of not only their profession but eventually their destiny as well. These few individuals are the ones we define as an 'Exceptional' talent. But, unfortunately, they are in the minority and belong to an elite group of 1% of the 1% of the world's most successful people. A few of them include entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and sports personalities like Michael Jordan and Serena Williams. Furthermore, there are few individuals you may not have heard of like, an individual who invented life-saving drugs or someone who won the Nobel Prize for contributing to development in society.
Studies have shown that these exceptional individuals were able to make an impact due to the influence of their parents. Here is then presenting to the readers of The School Planet the five things that the parents taught in these brilliant individuals to help them become successful.
Making the focus on strengths and weakness of an individual a priority:
It is a fact that every child is born with more advanced skills in some areas over others. For example, your kid may have spatial strengths, like the ability to think abstractly and in multiple dimensions. Or maybe they're gifted in math and can analyze problems logically or investigate issues scientifically.
And so, you as a parent must remain observant and help them focus on their strengths and build upon their innate talents.
For example, Norwegian chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen showed a unique ability to solve puzzles and advanced Lego structures at a very young age patiently. Carlsen's father thought these skills would lend themselves well to chess, and he took the initiative to introduce him to the game. Eventually, Carlsen showed so much promise that his parents started bringing him to chess tournaments.
So, as can be seen, the parents helped Carlsen develop his strength, which eventually brought him success.
Demonstration of the link between hard work and extraordinary outcomes:
The parents of exceptional individuals generally tend to lead by example by devoting years of their lives to getting better at their craft. But, more importantly, they make sure that their kids are paying attention.
For instance, in a blog written in 2020, Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates says about his father that "He was one of the hardest-working and most respected lawyers in Seattle, as well as a major civic leader in our region. He was informed and serious about learning."
In other words, Gates's father, through his actions, showed him that he had to work hard for accolades. So, be a proactive parent and show your kids that hard work does pay off, that nothing is "given," and that shortcuts won't help them attain their goals.
Establish a striving for excellence culture at home:
In 2017, a team of British researchers studied the differences between "elite" and "ultra-elite" athletes. (Of course, all NBA players are elite — but then there's Michael Jordan or LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, whose accomplishments stand out immensely compared to the others.)
The researchers found out that most ultra-elite athletes came from environments that advocated a culture of striving. They grew up in homes where pursuing excellence and pushing the boundaries were always expected, not merely desired.
So, as a parent, you need to set the standard of pursuing excellence at home.
Encourage self-confidence in your child:
Helping your kids build confidence makes a huge difference later on in their lives. It encourages them to dream big and prevents them from ever wanting to give up after setbacks.
The fact is that even as kids, the most exceptional individuals always believed that outstanding achievements were within their reach and not reserved solely for the people they saw on TV or read about in the news.
And so, as parents, you need to encourage self-confidence in your child instead of criticizing him/her and putting them down each time they fail at something, thereby creating doubts in their mind. In simple words, those kids with self-confidence and not self-doubts are more likely to perform at the highest level and adopt the mindset to help them rise to the top eventually.
Listen well to give answers to all questions your child asks:
Parents of the most accomplished people always make learning new things a priority. And because they teach their kids to embrace curiosity, they take very seriously to answer questions.
Most Nobel Laureates have recalled that their parents always patiently tried to answer questions they asked even much later in life. And when they did not have the answers, they showed them how to seek them out.
It is, therefore, essential that you listen carefully to what your child asks you so that you may be able to provide him/her with the right solution.
