One of the dreams most parents have when they bring their babies home from the hospital is that they will grow up to be happy and successful people who go after their dreams and make them come true.
Some kids are born with a natural sense of how to reach for the stars, but other kids need a little push in the right direction. You can’t force your kids to be successful, but you can do things throughout their childhood that encourage them to want that for themselves. These are steps you can take from a very young age all the way through the teen years and into the early adult phase of your child’s life. They aren’t hard and will help your child reach his or her full potential, which will make both of your lives happy and fulfilled. Here’s how to get the job done.
1. Chores Are A Must
Good parents will tell you that children who are successful have chores and personal accountability from a young age. Even toddlers can pitch in and help out around the house, albeit with small tasks. Kids who aren’t required to do chores are living a life where it’s easy for them to begin to expect that everything is done for them. By not expecting children to do chores, they grow up without any sense of being responsible for their own duties and figuring out how to get them done. Kids who do chores understand that each member of the family has a job to do and that everyone must work together for a family unit to run smoothly.
2. They Have Good Social Skills
Kids who will grow into successful adults are those who get the chance to learn how to function in society. This includes teaching children to use good manners around everyone they encounter, showing them the importance of helping others, understanding the feelings of others and the opportunity to interact with people of all ages and races. They will learn that all people are equal and know how to associate in social settings in such a way that they are able to get into college, get a job and form lasting relationships in adulthood.
3. Set High Expectations
There is a balance here that parents need to figure out. High expectations ensure that kids are reaching their full potential, but expectations that are too high will set a child up for failure, which is degrading and hard to handle. Consistent failures could leave a child unwilling to keep trying because they won’t want to keep falling short. Studies show that parents who expect their kids to go to college someday help them to set their path to reach that goal and it’s never something they question. Kids want to live up to their parents’ expectations, so making them high, but achievable is a good way to turn them into successful adults.
4. Working Moms Play A Role
There is infinite amounts of research on the benefits of mothers staying home with their kids, but there is also evidence that supports the idea that moms who work can help their kids become successful as they get older and become adults. The effects are especially significant for girls whose mothers work. In fact, the research shows that when daughters see their mothers working, they work harder and make more money than girls raised by stay at home moms. The bottom line is that a parent’s work ethic plays a definite role in how successful kids become.
5. Relationships Need To Be Healthy
When kids grow up in safe, secure homes, they have the time and mental capacity to devote to things that will help them become successful. On the other hand, children who grow up in abusive homes or homes with a lot of fighting and conflict may not become as successful, as they are devoting their energies to living through the difficulties they face at home. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but studies show that children in calm homes where everyone gets along will find it much easier to reach success in adulthood.
6. A High Socioeconomic Status
There’s no rule that says that children who grow up poor won’t be successful, but the truth is that kids with parents in a higher income bracket are more likely to be successful. Why? It’s because they have the finances that afford them opportunities that will drive their success and give them skills that they need to reach success as they get older. People who have more money are also more likely to get a higher education. Anyone can be successful, but having money on your side certainly helps.
7. They Go To College
Speaking of higher education, it’s no secret that kids who have a college degree will end up being more successful when it comes to earning potential and climbing the ladder. Different people define success in different ways, but many more doors are open to people who have gone to college and attained a degree in some field. People who don’t go to college find it harder to get high-paying jobs, something that is often equated with success.
8. Math Starts Early
Parents who have successful children start math education at a very young age. Developing early math skills during the preschool years gives kids a leg up when they get to elementary school and beyond. Math skills play a big role in success as kids get older since much emphasis is placed on it during the school years and on into college. People with superior math skills often find it easier to find high-paying jobs.
9. Parents With Low Stress Levels
According to research, parents, and particularly mothers, who are stressed out and anxious all the time can hinder a child’s success. This is because children tend to pick up the feelings of their parents and take them on for themselves. Stressed parents can cause stressed kids, and anyone knows that being stressed out can interfere with normal day to day functioning, which can make it hard to earn success.
10. Effort Is Vital
Parents who raise successful kids aren’t afraid of a little bit of failure. In fact, they know that failure can be a perfect learning opportunity for kids because they will want to do better ne
xt time around. This ensures success because kids don’t want to fail and will work hard to avoid it in the future. Parents who value this effort can help kids turn into successful adults. Kids who connect effort with growth are much more likely to be successful than those who think just their intelligence drives their success.
Parents aren’t entirely responsible for their child’s ultimate success, but they do play a big role in it as they help children grow and learn during their formative years. Mistakes are part and parcel when it comes to parenting, but making an effort to incorporate these tips into the daily routine can help kids grow into the people they are meant to be, which is what parents ultimately strive for from the day their kids are born.
