Parents: How To Raise Productive, Emotionally Healthy Kids

3 Easy Ways Parents Can Encourage Productive, Emotionally Healthy and Happy Kids.

We like to believe that our children are above average.

According to the experts, however, only about 10 percent of kids are truly gifted, either academically, creatively, or athletically.

(I know. They're not talking about our kids, of course, but we still should know this stuff, too.)

So pushing the other 90 percent to make As in a subject that doesn't come easy to them, filling their free hours with special lessons, athletic practice, and tutoring can actually take the fun out of childhood, not help the kids truly excel.

More importantly, it can set them up for a lifetime of feeling that nothing they do will be good enough.

And as grown-ups know, there's always someone who can do it (whatever it is) better, longer, stronger or faster than us.

We've learned not to torture ourselves trying to be the best of the best in every thing.

So why not share with our kids the lesson we know from experience: Sometimes giving your best is good enough.

School psychologists say the average kid has a great deal of potential that parents should allow to develop naturally.

Those who are pressured to excel beyond their ability can become insecure, bitter adults. (And we know a few of these people, don't we?)

Here are 3 steps to help us slow down.

1 Keep Lifetime Achievements In Mind.

Every child has strengths that are not being recognized at any given time.

One parent visited the school to complain that her daughter was only getting Bs and Cs on her report card. The teacher noted that the girl was an average student, happy, healthy, one of the nicest kids in the class, and had lots of friends. "What more could you ask for?" she asked.

2 Take the Long View Home.

At high school reunions, the popular kids are rarely the kids who ultimately excel in life. You've probably noticed this yourself at your high school reunion. I sure did!

3 Keep Childhood Days Simple.

A hectic schedule at an early age is not in the child's best interests. Besides, it has a tendency to make the parent cranky, too.

If the urge to plan is too strong to break: plan free time at home, at the park.

The real goal of parenthood is to help your child become a happy, productive adult who loves and respects others and makes a positive contribution to the world, be it as a teacher, an entrepreneur, a loving mom or dad.

Forcing children to be something they're not will undermine that goal - not something most of us want to do.

And frankly, isn't it rather refreshing to be reminded by the experts not to over-commit as we start the 2009-2010 school year?