The kids will be alright

She was one of the most famous supermodels of the ‘90s and Cindy Crawford fears her daughter Kaia Gerber, 15, will feel the pressure to achieve the same level of success she had at the height of her career. Speaking to a magazine, Cindy recently revealed her concerns for her teenage daughter as she launches a fashion-modelling career. “The only concern I have for her, and it isn’t an issue, is that in the modelling world I hit the top and if she doesn’t it might be a lot of pressure for her,” she said.

Life coaches explain that the desire to see children succeed is absolutely normal. But how much is too much?

It is also important to align your goals with your child’s, explains parenting expert Freyaz Shroff, “Prepare your children to receive criticism in a constructive manner right from the childhood,” she observes. “Instead of talking to them, understand how well are they dealing with their own emotions. It is these emotions, which are instilled right from the beginning, that help them to build authentic sense of self-respect and self-esteem,” she says.

Wellness-coach Nipa Asharam explains that it is of prior importance to teach children about work ethics than success. She says, “It’s high time that parents redefine success and happiness. We are making rebels out of our children by creating unnecessary stress. Rather, we should give them tools and show them the way instead of telling them what to do. It will give them so much joy if they become successful teachers/ coaches and painters and not something, which their parents want them to become.”

Freyaz asserts that it is also important to remind one’s children about failure. “I am sure Cindy Crawford must have failed in multiple things before she finally excelled in modelling. It is important that parents teach their kids that attempting is more important than excelling,” she explains.

It all boils down to how you have programmed your child to think and feel about success. Freyaz adds that this attitude will help the child to move on even if the child fails in his attempts. “Parents need to find a balance and understand where they have to motivate the kid, and how to help them achieve their goals. It’s also important to know that each child is unique and understand his/her boundaries,” she concludes.