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TODAY’S CHILD
were helpful towards others, Complexity is the future so future emotional state could transfer to
had greater empathy and were success may be determined by a your children.
better able to resolve problems person’s ‘complexipacity’, a word
on their own. They were more coined by David Pierre Snyder. Don’t be a helicopter parent**. This
likely to complete a university This trait describes an individual's style of parenting inadvertently
degree and have a full-time ability to innovate and disrupt disempowers your child. Let them
job by the age of 25, than in complex, open and people- explore. Let them make mistakes.
those with limited social skills. intensive environments, with Let them learn.
Conversely, limited social skills feedback loops and unintended
present a higher risk of reckless consequences. Encourage your Value effort over failure. Decades
behaviour, resulting in binge children to break challenges down of studies at Stanford University
drinking, or using drugs and into a set of questions; to think found that children think about
being arrested. about each one through various success in one of two ways,
perspectives; and to find either with a fixed mind-set
answers from experts. which assumes that intelligence,
creativity and character are
Focus on healthy all static and can’t change in
relationships at home. a meaningful way; or with a
Research shows that growth mind-set which thrives on
children brought up in high challenges and sees failure not
conflict homes tend to fare as evidence of intelligence but
worse than children with as a way to grow and learn new
parents that get along. skills. To explain this practically,
Conflict is destabilising if children are told that they did
and creates insecurity and well in a test because they are
doubt in young minds. clever, this creates a fixed mind-
set. If they are told they did well
Teach maths early. A because of effort, it nurtures a
study of 35 000 pre- growth mind-set. This could be a
schoolers showed that vital differentiating factor.
developing maths skills
such as numbers and Teach grit. Grit is basically
number orders, puzzles resilience. It can be defined as a
and basic concepts early ‘tendency to sustain interest in an
on can turn into a huge effort aimed at very long-term
advantage. This will goals’. The idea is to teach children
benefit both their maths to commit to the future they want
and reading skills. to create.
Set higher expectations of them. Build relationships early on Parenting is dynamic and ever-
This talks to the Pygmalion with your children. Yet another changing, so be adaptable. Try
effect which states that what study showed that sensitive to parent actively rather than
one person expects of another caregiving in the first three passively – it could set your child on
can come to serve as a self- years is fundamental to creating the path to success.
fulfilling prophecy. Basically, a secure base for children to
this means that expectations explore the world and learn. Early
parents hold for their children investments will result in long Sources:
Ted Talk - "How to Raise an Adult"
have a huge effect on them term returns. https://www.inc.com/patricia-
attaining goals. We are certainly fletcher/7-ways-to-raise-the-next-
not promoting undue pressure Stress less. Your stress levels can generation-of-innovators.html
being placed on children, but it is directly impact on your children. ** A helicopter parent is a parent who
about visualising a future state A concept called ‘emotional pays extremely close attention to a
and then encouraging them to contagion’ is a psychological child's experiences and problems,
work towards that. The goal phenomenon where people particularly at educational institutions.
Helicopter parents are so named
posts may move, but moving catch feelings from one another. because, like helicopters, they ‘hover’,
forward and not standing still is Therefore, as a parent, if you overseeing every aspect of their child's
the point. are tired and frustrated, that life constantly. Wikipedia.
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