Page 16 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

She says this creates highly

successful kids—do you agree?

School is back in session. But
let’s face it, parents and caregivers
never get a break from—and never
stop learning about—what it means
to become better at raising their chil-
dren.
There’s no manual for what—at
times—can only be characterized as
a topsy-turvy obstacle course. We
learn the ropes as we go. And I have Yet, independence is likely not a par-
yet to encounter anyone who says ent’s only goal.
this journey is easy. I’ve said it be- We want them to be responsible,
fore, and I’ll say it again: I stand firm too. And we want them to be go-get-
in my conviction that parenthood is ters. We want them to always choose
the toughest (and most expensive) the harder right instead of the easier
hood to live in. wrong. And, most importantly, after
So, with all that in mind, parent- they’ve flown the nest, we’ll want
ing expert Margot Machol, recently them to like where they end up land-
posed a bevy of thought-provoking ing.
questions: “What is a parent's role in Which brings us back to Machol’s
raising smart, confident, and suc- questions, or more specifically, the
cessful children? What matters? answers to those questions. Machol
What doesn't? These are questions I interviewed the parents of successful
never thought to ask,” says Machol, entrepreneurs and discovered three
a mom of two. hard parenting rules that she be-
I’ll be the first to admit that I have lieves will make all the difference in
indeed considered those questions our children. Side note: the names
before. I’m also a mother of two— of some of these entrepreneurial off-
one is in elementary school; the spring may be familiar to you. Here’s
other is in middle school—and those what those parents said:
who know me understand one of my Give kids extreme independence
biggest fears is not quite getting the This advice comes from Esther
job done. I don’t want my kids to Wojcicki, the mother of the Wojcicki
eventually be the kind of adults who sisters: Susan was involved in found-
can’t function in life without clinging ing Google and is currently the CEO
to my husband and me. (And I’ll bet of YouTube; Anne co-founded the
I’m not alone here; no one wants that personal genomics company
for their child.) 23andMe. Esther’s girls were given
I mean, yes, when my children no the kind of freedom that some par-
longer need me, I fully anticipate that ents would eschew today. "I had
I’ll feel the pangs of a bruised ego. three children in four years—and no
But, deep down inside, I know their
eventual independence is necessary. See Mindful, page 17

16 · October 2022 · The Wayne Dispatch