DR. E. CAROL WEBSTER’S
SUCCESS MANAGEMENT FOR KIDS
E. Carol Webster, Ph.D.
Original Copyright © 2012
It’s not enough to focus on your career and personal improvement –- help your kids or mentees hone their success skills too. Use the extra time you have with them this summer to boost their know-how and continue your tutelage throughout the year.
Set High Expectations
Children excel when you expect them to. They learn to value success and to expect it of themselves from you. It’s not helpful to heap praise on slacker attitudes or mediocre performance. This causes your child to believe that this is on par with their peers who are high achievers when it is not. Certainly it’s fine to validate their self-worth – that’s different from the rank of their success on a particular task. Whether we like it or not, we are graded on performance, attitudes and behavior throughout life and they must be prepared for this. Help them learn how to differentiate between achievement that solidly meets expectations or, better yet — exceeds it, versus that which is failing or just scrapes by. Expose them to success so they know it when they see it and adopt high performance attitudes and behaviors that become an integral, automatically applied part of them.
Prepare Your Children for the Demands of Success
As your children excel, they will gain increased attention and invitations that showcase their strengths. Make sure they’re ready. Give them opportunities to speak in front of others so that this is not new to them. Let them hear others and point out the attitudes and behaviors that make their performance dynamic. Many excellent public speakers got their start as kids. And expose them to leaders in your community, but don’t overlook family rituals and gatherings. These can be rich sources of leadership as your children watch relatives make things happen. Explain to them the leadership qualities and processes they are observing so they understand why certain individuals get tapped to preside. Draw the connection to how this happens in school and social clubs. Help increase their comfort in being active contributors on teams and in pursuing leadership roles. Though you can enroll them in many wonderful youth development and mentoring programs, ultimately, it is up to you to equip them with the skills to succeed.
Prepare Your Children for the Limelight
Success brings great self-satisfaction and enjoyment but, to the dismay of many, requires careful management. The high level of attention and scrutiny means that those in the limelight must conduct themselves differently from those who are not “on stage.” Help your children understand the pressures and constraints this places upon them, particularly in terms of their selection of friends, associates, and activities. You can expect them to complain that behaving like this will make them a “phony” because they can’t just act like they want to and hang out with anybody they choose. Use your own high profile as the best example of how they can “keep it real” while minding their manners and associations too.
You are a powerful force in your children’s life and have great influence on how they think and feel about success. Make sure you’re helping them benefit from your great accomplishments by equipping them with the skills to achieve their own!
Read More about Success Skills for Your Child:
Put Your Child on the Fast Track for Success
Read More about Managing Your Success:
Becoming a “Celebrity”
Prepare for the Impact of Success on Your Personal Life
Living in the Fishbowl
Don’t Shed Your “Brand” In Summer
About the Author:
Dr. E. Carol Webster is a clinical psychologist consultant in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
She is author of the book for those dealing with the stress of success ―
Success Management: How to Get to the Top and Keep Your Sanity Once You Get There,
The Fear of Success: Stop It From Stopping You! ―
the book to help you overcome fears that may be holding you back in your life and career
The Private Practice of Clinical Psychology in: Voices of Historical & Contemporary Black American Pioneers
To contact Dr. Webster visit online at https://drcarolwebster.com or call 954.797.9766.
E. Carol Webster, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychology Consulting
Mailing Address: 7027 West Broward Boulevard, #262 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33317
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