Raising children is extremely hard. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Priming children to become “exceptionally resilient and successful” adds another layer of difficulty to the task. However, according to experts, parents of “exceptionally resilient and successful” kids do these five things.
But first, what does it actually mean to be “exceptionally resilient and successful”? According to Dr. Kumar Metha, Ph.D, and author of “The Innovation Biome” and “The Exceptionals,” in a CNBC article, exceptionals are the one percent of the one percent of the world’s most successful people.
The founder of Bridges Institute, a think tank focused on researching sustained excellence and innovation, Mehta puts a face to some of these individuals. He cites Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Michael Jordan, Serena, Williams, Mozart, Beethoven, to name a few, among this elite group.
As a result of his studies, Dr. Metha has found almost all of the “exceptional adults” developed skills to maximize physical, mental, and social potentials at a young age. He also found that parents have a significant impact on creating an environment for children to thrive.
Ready to find out what you can do to help your child? Here are five of Dr. Metha’s tips. Be forewarned, some are a little intense.
1. Push kids to play to their strengths
Dr. Metha states in his interview that every child is born with more advanced skills in some areas over others. Your child may have spatial strengths, like the ability to think abstractly and in multiple dimensions. Or maybe they’re gifted in math and can analyze problems logically or investigate issues scientifically. Pay close attention to your child’s natural aptitude, and help them build upon their innate talents.
2. Demonstrate the link between hard work and extraordinary outcomes
Parents of exceptional kids model this by devoting years of their lives to getting better at their craft — and they make sure that their kids are paying attention. Model for your children that hard work will pay off and they will follow suit.
3. Create a culture of striving and excellence
Researchers found that the majority of ultra elite athletes came from environments that advocated a culture of striving. They grew up in homes where pursuing excellence and pushing the boundaries were always expected, not merely desired. For example, Serena and Venus Williams’ father created a 78-page-plan for his daughters’ rise to the top of the Tennis world.
4. Encourage self-confidence
Helping your kids build confidence makes a huge difference later on in their lives. It encourages them to dream big and prevents them from ever wanting to give up after setbacks. Let them know that they got this!
5. Be patient when kids are asking questions
Questioning is a part of the learning process. Be patient and let them ask. Parents of the most accomplished people always make learning new things a priority. Because they teach their kids to embrace curiosity, one thing they take very seriously is answering questions.
Want a few more tips to add to your arsenal? Click here.
