How can you encourage your child to TRY their very best?

Statement: The connection between childhood achievement and happiness can put parents in a difficult position. Should we encourage the best in them , should we consider encouraging them to focus on the things they do best. As parents we should know our children's good qualities so why not focus on them ?

Strengths : If parents don’t encourage their children to try their best they may be self-satisfied and unmotivated. So by encouraging them to always try their best a parent is opening more possibilities for triumph, success and happiness.

Weakness to encouraging children to be their best: If children are pushed too hard, they may rebel and achieve neither success nor happiness. Sometimes their best may not be good enough in comparison to others.

The expert : Dr. Jim Taylor is internationally recognized for his work in the psychology of performance in parenting. He has been a consultant to and has provided individual and group training to executives and businesses throughout the North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He is a frequent speaker at Young Presidents' Organization events internationally.

The Experts View: DR Jim Taylor – Positive pushing! “Dr. Taylor shows that failing to push children can be as disastrous for children as parents pushing their children too much. Dr. Taylor advocates the use of “positive pushing” to encourage children to become successful achievers. He describes why pushing has gotten a bad rap over the past 30 years, why it is essential for parents to push their children, and most importantly, how to push them—the most effective ways to push, how hard to push, and when to let up. For parents who are afraid to push their children, Dr. Taylor shows how to push, when to push, and when to back off. For parents who push their children too hard and find that their efforts are producing the opposite of the desired effect, Dr. Taylor shows those parents how to provide their children with a positive, caring, and motivating impetus to achieve.” Ultimately, Dr. Taylor gives parents permission to (positively) push their children to become successful (and shows them how to do it properly) and empowers parents with sound psychological insights to guide them in raising their children to be successful and happy.” By providing active guidance and positive support, parents free their children to seek out and pursue true success and happiness in life. http://drjimtaylor.com/books/positive_pushing.php