"What Kids Need To Succeed"- Part One: Providing Support At Home

“WHAT KIDS NEED TO SUCCEED” - PART ONE: PROVIDING SUPPORT AT HOME

Several years ago, a series of surveys were given to school-age children to determine why some young people succeed in life and others have a harder time. In total, almost 400,000 students took the survey across 33 states. The surveys revealed that healthy, productive students possessed more of what they termed, “developmental assets” or resources for positive growth. As you might expect, the more assets a young person has, the better.

The survey results showed that the resources kids need were not complicated to provide, but they do require time and commitment from caring adults. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, community leader, or simply an adult who wants to help kids, you can begin building assets today in the lives of our children. This impressive amount of data led the researchers to conclude – “It’s worth it because it works.”

These resources are both external (things in their environment) and internal (personal characteristics).

The first external resource listed for success was SUPPORT, and specifically FAMILY support. A family that is loving and supportive, and a home that was a comfortable place to be, has an enormous impact upon our children.

Here are several suggestions for growing SUPPORT in your home that came from the research:

• Give more hugs and verbal reinforcement. Don’t assume your kids know how much you love them. Tell them.
• Eat at least one meal together every day.
• Set aside one evening a week for family activities. Brainstorm as a family things you might like to do, and then agree on which ones to try.
• Spend time with each of your children individually. Try to make it a daily event – even if it’s only for 10 minutes.
• Talk with your kids about what would make your home more comfortable and inviting for them and their friends.
• Be loving toward your spouse. Children learn to love by example.

Make sure to check your new school resource, RightNowMedia.org, for dozens of great videos on effective parenting and raising successful, Godly children.