All Children Are Different. Find Out What Motivates Your Child And Celebrate Their Uniqueness

I was recently at an event and I enjoyed the experiences shared by some of the speakers about growing up and their childhood. One of the speakers who was now clearly a successful Pharmacist and Businessman talked about how his parents often compared him with is far more intelligent brother. The person was an academic who talked about her sister who was also in attendance and how they grew up trying to motivate her because she clearly did not know what she wanted for herself. The great part of the story was this less ambitious sister was now doing her PHD and an accomplished film producer whose films were achieving global recognition. The third person told of how she was constantly told she was unserious and even family members wondered why she wanted to travel to another country to further develop her career. However her sheer determination has resulted in her being on the board of a big telecom firm in the UK.

These examples and stories are typical in most families and sometimes it is great to see that most people eventually find their way and still make a success of their career despite being seen as unserious and less able. There are however many others who fail flat and never ultimately achieve because of the lack of faith of those around them. The critical judgements sometimes mean that they have no will to put in the effort and some of this judgement come from parents and family members who constantly make comparisons and never let individual differences flourish.

As a parent you need to be aware your children will not be at the same attainment level despite your best efforts, what is important is to empower them and make the most of the support available. Ultimately with encouragement, every child would achieve and attain to their level and fulfil their own personal dreams. Unfair criticism and peer comparisons often damage rather than motivate children. Celebrate each child for their uniqueness while also motivating them to achieve at the best level possible through support and academic intervention where necessary.