Over at Babble, David Shenk has “4 Ways to Guide Your Child Toward Excellent,” or better put, tips for parents to help their kids succeed. The advice isn’t too specific, but I think it’s intentionally ambiguous so it can be applied to whatever part of your child’s life needs parental support. Here are the four steps and some excerpts from Shenk:
1. Believe
“Rather than wonder if their child is among the “gifted” chosen few, parents should believe deeply in the extraordinary potential of their children.”
2. Support, don’t smother
“Early exposure to resources is wonderful, as is setting high expectations and demonstrating persistence and resilience when it comes to life challenges. But a parent must not use affection as a reward for success or a punishment for failure.”
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