Parenting Experts Share Secrets to Raising Kids Who Will Lead Happy, Successful Lives

Being a mom is a 24/7 lifetime job. It’s incredibly rewarding but often scary and tiring. In these uncertain times, it’s even more challenging to raise kids. As much as you want to shield them
from anything that can hurt or harm them, you also want your kids to learn from and experience life as much as they can and to be prepared for whatever the future brings.

Parenting is a delicate juggling act, especially if you want your children to grow up successful, happy, and grounded. It does take a village to raise a child, and it doesn’t hurt to heed advice from parenting experts about the ways you can raise and nurture future-ready kids.

Last January 15, parents and kids flocked to Whitespace Makati to attend the NANKID® Parentology+: The Reshape Effect Forum. Hosted by TV personality Boy Abunda, the forum featured talks led by renowned parent coach Melissa Benaroya, co-founder and head director of Keys School Manila, Didi Manahan, and pediatrician Dr. Josephine Sunga. The three discussed developing a growth mindset in the home, encouraging empathy in children, and prioritizing nutrition, respectively, in connection with child development.

Practice positive reinforcement to inspire kids to learn.

Melissa Benaroya, a social worker and parenting consultant based in Costa Rica, regularly works with parents to help them unlock their kids’ full potential through the Growth Mindset Movement. In her talk, she shared with the forum participants how encouraging positive thinking and behavior in kids can make them better learners.

She explained that when you praise your kids for being smart or talented, you’re conditioning them to think that when you’re born intelligent, you don’t need to work hard anymore. In the Growth Mindset Movement, parents focus more on their kids’ efforts instead of the result. It makes kids understand that intelligence is not something you either have or don't—it can be developed if they put in the work.

The key, according to Benaroya, is to instill in your children the idea that there is always room for growth and improvement. She demonstrated this through the activities “Reshaping Your Language,” where parents practiced phrasing statements to encourage curiosity in their kids, and “As Easy As Riding A Bike,” where Benaroya compared a person’s first bike ride experience to parenting.

Here are simple ways you can develop a growth mindset in your kids:

1. Be mindful of how you praise your kids.

Focus on the effort, not the person. Instead of saying “You’re so smart,” say “You must have studied really well and paid attention in class.” Applaud their hard work, the time they spent on a task, or the way they did it. (To know more about how praise can affect your kids, read this.)

2. Help your kids understand that mistakes are just part of the learning process.

Trying again is what’s important. To be successful in life, kids need to have grit, or the ability to pursue a goal regardless of setbacks or failure.

3. Show your kids how it’s done.

Kids learn by observing and imitating the adults around them, so by practicing growth-mindset techniques on yourself, you are helping them absorb it. This means it’s okay to let your kids see you struggle. Show them that you face challenges head on and that you don’t let difficulties discourage you.

Teach empathy, an important life skill that will prepare kids for the future.

Progressive-learning advocate Didi Manahan in her talk explained to parents the importance of knowing how to put oneself in the shoes of another in helping develop kids’ emotional and social cognition. Life skills like this, among many others, will help lay down the foundations for your kids’ success.

Encourage your kids to put their health and well-being first.

Aside from raising kids to have a positive attitude, it’s also important to give them proper nutrition, so they grow up happy and successful. Epidemiologist and pediatrician Dr. Josephine Sunga pointed this out during her turn on the stage at the Parentology+ forum. She discussed her research-based findings on the role of nutrition in a growing child and how it can positively affect a child’s future.

This view was also echoed by Nestlé, the Swiss-based multinational company that developed growing-up milk brand NANKID® that organized the event. "Nestlé understands that children and their parents face a complex reality, which is why parents should have the tools that will
help them pave the way toward their children's optimal growth and development,” said Jean Espino, vice president for marketing of Nestlé Premium Milks.

She continued: “Nestlé NANKID® helps provide the optimal nutrition essential to growing children's needs. Coupled with supportive care from parents who allow their children to learn from every opportunity, Nestlé aims to let parents reshape the future, today.”

Help reshape your kids’ future and raise them to be future-ready by learning about parenting, children’s health, and proper nutrition through the NANKID® Parentology+ events. To know more, follow NANKID® OPTIPRO® on Facebook.

NANKID® OPTIPRO® Four is not a breastmilk substitute and is intended for children above 3 years of age.