Every parent wants to raise their kids in a way that prepares them to live fulfilled, happy, productive lives. Then life’s reality hits. Many people get a little lazy and lax on some of the rules, and guidance kids need.

There are qualities and skills that are equally or sometimes more than grades to determine success. Determination, problem solving and communication abilities are skills and values that are essential to success in the workforce and everyday life. And parents can prepare children by providing a variety of experiences outside the school environment.

Try New Experiences

Providing kids with a variety of opportunities to try new activities, such as swimming, camping, traveling, can help children develop a sense of adventure and willingness to try new things. Kids will also learn new skills and develop flexibility, adaptability, and open-mindedness.

Accept Who They Are

Children are more likely to succeed if they do what they are passionate about, as they are more likely to devote their time, energy, enthusiasm, and hard work into it. Encourage children to pursue their interests, talents, and passion, and find ways to nurture who they are.

Positive Role Model

Role models are often very influential. We learn so much from people we respect and are much more powerful than any books, lectures or reasoning can provide. Whether it is families, friends, teachers, historical figures or celebrities, children learn from observing the different role models. So it is essential to be and to have positive role models for our children at all times.

Opportunities To Socialize

Socializing and learning to interact effectively with others is very beneficial in all areas of life. It teaches children about negotiation and communication skills. Moreover, it encourages children to learn ways to make friends, to give of themselves and build relationships. It is an excellent way to learn information about generosity, humanity, kindness, reciprocity and so much more.

Opportunities To Make Own Choices

Give children opportunities to make choices starting at an early age, and to learn from the consequences of the choices they make. When mistakes are made, avoid solving the problem for them. Instead, help them to take steps to find solutions, accept responsibilities and take necessary actions. These opportunities allow children to learn about humility, problem-solving abilities, and turning a negative experience into positive and constructive experiences.

Move To The best Neighborhood You Can Bear

The greatest move parents can make for their kids is in a neighborhood with excellent schools, extraordinary career opportunities and the opportunity to grow up with peers who value education, hard work and success. You don’t have to be rich to make this happen. Although uncertain, research has found moving to a better neighborhood is a better investment than tutoring and extracurricular activities like piano lessons.

Make Them Do Chores

Whether it was mowing the grass, taking out the trash, washing dishes, walking the dog or folding laundry, when I was growing up my parents were always assigning me chores. I hated it, but thankfully, they didn’t ease up. It informed me the value of hard work and collaborating to get things done  — one of us kids washed the dishes, another dried.

Most importantly, it taught me responsibility. During a TED Talks Live Event, Lythcott-Haims, former dean of freshmen at Stanford University and author of “How to Raise a Grown-up,” said “If kids aren’t doing the dishes, it means someone else is doing that for them. And so they’re excused from not only the work but of studying that work must be done and that each one of us needs contribute to the betterment of the whole,” she said.

Set Big Expectations

Professors from the University of California, Los Angeles found that parent’s expectations predict their child’s success in school. “The high shock was what a big role parents’ long-term goals for their kids played in predicting their math and reading skills,” said Neal Halfon, M.D., M.P.H., the study’s older author and director of the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities. “Parents who saw college in their kid’s future seemed to manage their kid toward that goal irrespective of their income and other assets,” he said.

Appreciate Them Correctly

If you haven’t explored the impressive work regarding mindset from Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, then we recommend that you quickly do so. According to Dweck, a fixed mindset believes that talent and ability are natural and can not be changed — you’re only as good at something as you were born to be. A growth mindset, however, believes that talents can be increased over time and abilities learned with sufficient effort. This idea applies to how to appreciate your kids.

When they earn a big score on a science test or win a soccer award, praise them for their hard work and effort instead of telling them they are smart or talented. Although we mean to compliment our kids, praising them for innate qualities encourages a fixed mindset that can undermine their confidence when they try and don’t succeed at first. Praising kids for effort encourages a growth mindset. We want our kids confident in their ability to learn and solve problems.

Ultimately, we want our kids to do well and succeed in life. By providing rich and engaging experiences, they can develop valuable life skills and habits that will last a lifetime. Allow children to see the world of possibilities by providing them with plenty of everyday learning opportunities.

Help kids see the power of a positive attitude, determination, and persistence through positive role modeling. Combined with the family’s full support, love, and encouragement, we can help our kids to reach their full potential and be a successful contributing member of our society.