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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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How to Raise Successful People summary
Esther Wojcicki
Simple Lessons for Radical Results
21 mins
Brief summary
How to Raise Successful People by Esther Wojcicki is a parenting guide packed with practical tips and insights on how to cultivate independent and self-directed individuals. It emphasizes trust, respect, and accountability in raising children.
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How to Raise Successful People
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Key idea 1 of 7
Becoming a better parent requires taking the best of your parents’ efforts and leaving the rest.
When it comes to parenting, it’s a known fact that we tend to raise our children in the same way our parents raised us. Now, this might not sound so bad if you enjoyed a happy and contented childhood. But the reality is that many of us have experienced some sort of childhood trauma, or had parents who made serious mistakes.
Growing up in an orthodox Jewish family in the 1950s, the author experienced her fair share of damaging parental behavior. At the tender age of five, her father told her that boys were more important than girls, and her upbringing reflected this attitude. While her younger brother Lee was showered with attention, toys and extra helpings at dinner, she watched from the sidelines, rarely given anything to play with. Sometimes she was even scolded for eating too much at mealtimes. Her parents’ religion informed their belief that a woman’s place was in the home, and at age eighteen, when she rejected marriage in favor of attending college, her parents cut her off financially.
In spite of her difficult beginnings – or perhaps because of them – the author was determined to raise her own children in a spirit of support and acceptance. As part of this process, she took the time to reevaluate her own childhood experiences. By reassessing them with the benefit of an adult perspective, she thought, she could choose which parenting behaviors she wanted to emulate and which she really didn’t.
Her father’s example, that of a distant and authoritarian figure, was something that she definitely wanted to avoid. Her mother, on the other hand, had been consistently warm and loving; the author has tried to replicate this and build an equally close relationship with her own daughters while rejecting the unyielding sexism expressed by her father.
In an effort to avoid her father’s mistakes, she constantly taught her daughters to exert control over their own lives by making choices. She developed their decision-making abilities by asking them questions like, “Is it a banana or an orange that you want?” or “Do you want to paint a picture or play in the yard?” Questions like these might seem insignificant, but for the author, they represented an important break with the suffocating sexism of her own childhood.
In the next blink, you'll discover one parenting habit you should definitely pass on to the next generation – the ability to trust.
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What is How to Raise Successful People about?
How to Raise Successful People (2019) explores the secrets of great parenting. Drawing on a lifetime of experience in getting the best out of young people, educator and mother Esther Wojcicki examines how you can raise your children to be not only successful, but kind and independent too.
How to Raise Successful People Review
How to Raise Successful People (2019) is a remarkable book that offers valuable insights and practical tips on raising children to become successful individuals. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:
- It provides practical strategies and techniques that parents can implement to foster independence, resilience, and creativity in their children.
- Backed by research and personal experience, the book offers a balanced approach to parenting, emphasizing the importance of trust, autonomy, and respect.
- With its engaging stories and real-life examples, the book keeps readers captivated, ensuring that it is anything but boring.
Best quote from How to Raise Successful People
Keep questioning and examining your own experiences. Think about what could be improved, and how.
—Esther Wojcicki
Who should read How to Raise Successful People?
- New parents looking to hit the ground running
- Psychology buffs interested in child development
- Managers looking for a new approach to motivate and empower their staff
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How to Raise Successful People FAQs
What is the main message of How to Raise Successful People?
The main message of How to Raise Successful People is that parenting strategies can help nurture successful individuals.
How long does it take to read How to Raise Successful People?
The reading time for How to Raise Successful People varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is How to Raise Successful People a good book? Is it worth reading?
How to Raise Successful People is a valuable read as it provides practical insights into parenting strategies for raising successful individuals.
Who is the author of How to Raise Successful People?
The author of How to Raise Successful People is Esther Wojcicki.
What to read after How to Raise Successful People?
If you're wondering what to read next after How to Raise Successful People, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry
- Parenting Outside the Lines by Meghan Leahy
- Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen by Michelle Icard
- Screamfree Parenting by Hal Edward Runkel
- Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross
- Becoming Attached by Robert Karen
- Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
- Good Inside by Becky Kennedy
- Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
- The Family Firm by Emily Oster