Even parents, we hear a lot about the things we hear should not be Do it with our children. But it is also important to turn that around and look at who we are should not be will.
While researching and writing my book, Raising an Entrepreneur, I interviewed 70 parents who have raised highly successful adults on how to help their children achieve their dreams.
Despite diverse racial, social, economic, and religious backgrounds, there were four things the parents of these smart, up-and-coming, entrepreneurial individuals did not do when their children were young:
1. They never treated their children’s hobby as a waste of time.
Sports, video games, debate, music, bird watching—every parent child I spoke to had a passion outside of the classroom. Parents never took their children away from the hobby because they knew it kept them mentally active.
Radha Agrawal is the founder of Daybreaker, a global morning dance movement with more than 500,000 community members in 30 cities around the world. Previously, she was the CEO of Super Sbrowtz, a children’s entertainment movement focused on healthy eating.
But while growing up, her passion was football. With the support of her parents, she and her twin sister Mickey played three hours a day, starting at the age of five. Eventually, they played at Cornell University, where they were known as the “Football Legendary Twins”.
Although her career today has nothing to do with football, Radha tells me she has developed a lot of grit and resilience from the sport: “You have to be disciplined. You learn to be organized and focused. And you learn the politics of teamwork, and what it takes to be captain.”
2. They did not make all the choices for their children.
It can be very tempting to constantly make decisions for your children. After all, you are an adult – you know your children better than anyone, and you don’t want them to suffer.
But successful parents resist this temptation.
Elaine Gustafson co-founded FEED Projects, which provides school food for children. Today, she is a thought leader and regular speaker on social innovation.
Her mother, Maura, told me, “We encouraged her to be independent, to think for herself. I’d say to her, ‘Trust, but check.'” check it out. Make sure it is correct. Do not drink Kool Aid. . Just because others do it, that doesn’t mean you should. You want your son to grow up to be careful, but not afraid.”
“As a parent, you can see what their strengths are,” she continued. “But you have to let them figure it out. The best way to do that is by asking questions like, ‘What option do you think would be most beneficial to you in the future?'” “
3. They never give money or happiness high marks.
I have nothing against academic and professional grades – my husband and I both have graduate degrees, and we made it through.
But the testimony can be a huge waste of your child’s time if it is not related to his interests. And if the only reason they are in school is to get a piece of paper or make the connections needed to get a high paying job.
A person who loves something enough and works hard on it will find a way to turn it into a living, even without a degree in that field. And they won’t be afraid to take a chance that will pay nothing for a few years as it might if they had to pay off high student debt every month.
4. They never neglected financial literacy.
A final note about money: Although the parents I spoke to never pushed their kids toward pursuing a high-paying job, they all made an effort to teach their kids about money in one form or another.
Joel Holland sold half of his first company, Storyblocks, for $10 million in 2012. He gained a strong work ethic at a young age. He and his sister were assigned the task of sweeping for the allowance.
“The floors had to be clean enough to eat,” he said. “It taught me to work hard.” “And in elementary school, everyone wore skate shoes, but my parents didn’t buy them for me. They told me, ‘If you want them, you should save your money.’ It pissed me off at the time, but it made me really appreciate the money.”
His parents also did not pay for his college education. Joel went to Babson College on student loans and money from work.
He said, “Because I paid for college, I didn’t miss a class. I calculated the cost of each class at $500.” “If I was tempted to skip a class, I always thought there was nothing I could do during this hour worth more than $500.”
I love Joel’s story because it shows why you shouldn’t teach kids that they should pursue high-paying jobs, but that he is It is important to know more about money.
If you are passionate about something, get really good at it, and get to know it inside and out, you’ll see something that’s missing, you can turn it into your business. Joel has done this twice.
Margot McCall Besno Writer, mom and parenting coach. She spent 20 years in government, including as a Federal Trade Commission commissioner and chief of staff to the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, and is the author of Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams. Follow her on Instagram Tweet embed.
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