How to Raise Successful People

INDEPENDENCE—Did you feel a strong sense of independence as a child, or were you dependent on your parents for daily activities like meals, cleaning, and homework?

COLLABORATION—Was there a collaborative environment in your household? How did your parents encourage collaboration?

We all have the ability to “earn” security through conscious self-reflection, which we can then pass on to our children.

And this process requires a deeper layer of respect: accepting a child for who he is and letting his life unfold accordingly. Kids need to be allowed to take the lead. That means you follow them. Children know who they are. Your job is to honor and respect that.

What I try to do with everyone—students, student teachers, my daughters, and grandchildren—is respect them so that they can respect themselves. Amazing things happen when you have self-respect. Self-respect gives you the confidence to take risks and become independent. Without self-respect, you’re afraid. You’re obsessed with what other people thin

The solution starts in the home, and that means it starts with you.

You’ll hear this message loud and clear from me throughout this book: You want your

Here is another simple mantra for you: Children need to take risks. You might need to repeat this to yourself on multiple occasions. Too many parents instinctually resist the idea.

Trust Yourself, Trust Your Child

Set up a plan with your kids, not for your kids. No phones during meals, whether in your house or someone else’s. A 2018 study found that subjects who used their phones during dinner felt more distracted and experienced less enjoyment.7 No phones after bedtime. Children need to sleep, and phones are a distraction. Explain the critical importance of