The One Thing Parents Can Do To Help Their Kids Succeed

It's no secret that Brené Brown is one of my heroes. When I first came upon her research, it put words to what I was seeing in my pediatric practice: kids were sickest when the parents were stressed and living in constant overwhelm. I've re-read Daring Greatly about 1000 times, and today I'm sharing one of my favorite quotes. This stopped me in my tracks about parenting:

"Who we are and how we engage with the world are much stronger predictors of how our children will do than what we know about parenting".

-Brené Brown, Daring Greatly

I could shout this from the rooftops. I saw this everyday with children's physical health, and having research to back up what I was seeing validated my 20 years of experience as a pediatrician. As parents, we need to deal with our stress, our anxiety, our coping mechanisms - our very way of life - if we want our kids to thrive later in life. It's the reason I created a program to help parents get their lives on track. Parents, you matter. Your happiness matters. If you're always burned out, even from noble efforts like doing everything possible for your kids - in the end, it's a disservice to them. Our kids are happy when we are happy. They thrive when we thrive. 

So tell me - what is one thing you can do today that's for you? Something to help you relieve burnout? Reach out if I can help. 

- Dr Shannon

Interested in reading Daring Greatly? Check it out here*: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

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