Parents of successful kids go through the rigorous but intentional process of upbringing children. It is not an overnight success and there is no one size fits all approach to it. However, science has found common patterns of parenting approach that are central to raising successful kids. Do you want your child to be successful? Here are a few things parents of successful kids do differently.

They exhibit an authoritative parenting style

The parenting style a parent adopts in raising his or her child matters a lot. It is a fact that parents who raise successful children exhibit an authoritative parenting style rather than an authoritarian parenting style. Authoritative parenting is like hosting a democracy. Authoritative parents set rules and expect them to be followed, but they also allow rules to be up-for-debate. Authoritarian parents do not allow debate or even questioning of rules. According to research, Children of authoritarian parents tend to have lower self-esteem and are at a greater risk for depression than authoritative parents.

They choose a healthy diet and exercise regime for themselves.

Children are great imitators of actions; they watch and learn from their environment and mostly from their parents. Parents who are in good physical shape can keep up with their kids and spend more time with them. Children with healthy parents are likely to mimic healthy behaviours throughout their lives.

They expose their children to different cultures

Children exposed to different places, people, and cultures tend to utilize parts of their brains that are not used in their natural childhood environment. According to research, travelling activates the area of the brain responsible for a child’s cognitive functioning, social intelligence, attention, motivation, and memory.

They give their children chores

In a 2015 TED Talk, Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of “How to Raise an Adult” and the former dean of freshman at Stanford University, cites the Harvard Grant Study, which found that the participants who achieved the most outstanding professional success did chore as a child. Chores help kids learn discipline, prioritization, cooperation, and teamwork. Chores are children’s first experience in the real world, and the hard work it requires allows them to anticipate the needed dedication of advanced schooling or careers. 

They teach their children how to learn from failures

Parents of successful children help their kids develop a  growth mindset that empowers kids and changes their reaction to failure. Failure is an excellent teacher.  A child who can work hard but recoup when something goes wrong is much more poised for lifelong success than a child who’s scared to start because of fear of failing.  

They eat dinner as a family

Eating dinner as a family helps builds a strong relationship among members of a family. It also creates a safe and comfortable atmosphere for kids to address any issues they may be having.  The American College of Pediatricians found that children who regularly eat meals with their families are less likely to exhibit negative high-risk behaviours, possibly resulting from being less lonely and having stronger familial relationships. 

They help their kids develop social skills

Social skills are 21st^t-century skills every child must-have. Helping children learn how to interact and work well with others plays an essential role in their lives when they become adults. A 20-year study published in the American Journal of Public Health discovered that socially competent children are more likely to have a college degree and a career by the time they clock 25.

You are at your happiest when you see your kids grow up to become successful adults, and isn’t that the joy of every parent? Raising successful kids who in turn become successful adults requires hard work. It is a deliberate and intentional process and not by accident.

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