RAISING SUCCESSFUL KIDS
In her book Raising an Entrepreneur, Margot Machol Bisnow explores the parenting strategies of 70 parents who raised highly successful individuals. A key takeaway is that nurturing curiosity in children is crucial for their development. This involves fostering a desire to understand and improve things through hands-on experiences and problem-solving.
The parents shared several techniques for cultivating curiosity:
- Encouraging Fix-It Projects: Allowing children to repair and investigate things helps build their problem-solving and decision-making skills. For example, Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad, developed his curiosity by taking apart household items to learn how they worked.
- Instilling Confidence: Encouraging children to tackle big problems and maintaining a proactive attitude prepares them for future challenges. Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva, credits her mother’s confidence-building efforts and the rule to never be bored for her entrepreneurial spirit.
- Asking Thoughtful Questions: Instead of making decisions for their children, successful parents ask questions that encourage independent thinking and risk assessment. Ellen Gustafson’s mother, Maura, used questions to help Ellen analyze her choices and learn from them.
These strategies highlight the importance of fostering curiosity and critical thinking from an early age to help children succeed.