Science Says Parents of Successful Kids Have These 7 Things in Common
We all want our kids to be successful. If we could have a guide that was fool proof to raising successful kids, who wouldn’t rush out and get a copy in an instant?
“Really, instead of What To Expect While You’re Expecting, someone should really write How to Raise Your Kids Without Majorly Screwing Up or alternatively, Do Exactly These 10 Things and You’ll Be a Great Parent and Your Kids Will Love You Forever. New York Times bestseller list, watch out, because here I come.” // babble.com
In all seriousness, it would be great but it’s essentially a myth. There are too many variables, however, in saying that we can put them in the right direction and give them the best chance to succeed with these simple factors, that successful parents have in common.
1. They Don’t Helicopter Parent
Helicopter parenting can led to many negative implications, that will contribute to lower chances for success of the kids in question. We’re talking higher stress levels in parents, higher chance for depression in the children, and more.
The result is a protected and programmed child, and then adult. Life skills will be lower than his counterparts, which will compound in difficulties when reaching college and the work force.
2. The Mom’s Work
Harvard Business School conducted some research, finding that there are significant benefits for children with mothers who work outside of home.
“The study found daughters of working mothers went to school longer, were more likely to have a job in a supervisory role, and earned more money — 23% more compared to their peers who were raised by stay-at-home mothers.” // msn.com
The sons also benefited, with a higher tendency to pitch in with chores and childcare. It was all based on the theory of role modeling, as a way of signalling what’s appropriate in terms of behaviour and activities.
3. They Don’t Shy Away From Saying “No”
The sooner kids learn that good things come to those who wait, the better. That is, the concept of delayed gratification.
“Children who are better at delayed gratification “developed into more cognitively and socially competent adolescents, achieving higher scholastic performance and coping better with frustration and stress.” // babble.com
Not always, but a significant and common sense concept.
4. Early Development Of Social Skills
“Social skills, like cooperation, listening to others, and helping classmates, held strong clues for how those children would fare two decades later. In some cases, social skills may even be better predictors of future success than academic ones.” // babble.com
That was from a study at Penn State University, with the study’s author saying that social skills are basically the key to lifelong success. The way they did it was by tracking more than 700 US children between kindergarten and age 25, finding a significant correlation between their social skills as kindergartners and their success as adults two decades later.
“Those with limited social skills also had a higher chance of getting arrested, binge drinking, and applying for public housing.” // msn.com
5. They Build A Solid Relationship With Their Kids
In 2014, a study of 243 people born into poverty found that those children who received sensitive caregiving (that is, caregivers who responded to their needs and signals promptly and offered a secure base to explore the world), did better on academic tests in childhood and also had better relationships and more academic achievement in their 30’s.
6. They Have High Expectations
“Using data from a national survey of 6,600 children born in 2001, University of California, Los Angeles professor Neal Halfon and his colleagues discovered that the expectations parents hold for their kids have a huge effect on attainment.” // msn.com
This data correlates with another psychology finding called the Pygmalion effect, that what one expects of another can come to fruition as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Kids essentially live up to their parents expectations.
7. They Start Early With Math
In 2007, 35,000 preschoolers were studied to find that an early development in math skills can be a massive advantage, later in life.
“The paramount importance of early math skills — of beginning school with a knowledge of numbers, number order, and other rudimentary math concepts — is one of the puzzles coming out of the study” // msn.com
The mastery of basic and initial math skills can be a solid predictor not only of future maths achievement, but also reading.
For more related articles read our other posts:
- Newborn to Toddler; Mental Leaps, Growth Spurts, and Sleep
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