Madeline Levine’s all-time top parenting tip

Renowned psychotherapist and Teach Your Children Well author Madeline Levine talks about something parents should do for their child's well-being.

by: The GreatSchools Editorial Team

Video transcript: The most important thing you can do as a parent is to see the child in front of you. The most important thing. Bar None. What does that mean? It means not to project onto the child. It means not to have your whole set of expectations that the child has to meet. And that doesn’t mean not having a high bar. I don’t want this interpreted as – oh whoever you kid is, that’s just fine. Let them play in the mud for the rest of their lives. No. I’m talking about how are you most likely to get your child to perform to their highest level. And I think that’s by knowing the strengths of that particular child. And so instead of spending money on tutors to bring up a B to an A, why not spend it on something that the kid enjoys doing. And in order to know that, you have to spend time with your child. So that’s my one piece of parenting advice.

Here’s how 4 other parenting experts say to respond…

Deborah Tillman
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Carol Dweck
Mindset author Carol Dweck discusses the right (and wrong) way to praise your child. Format: Video (0:58)

Po Bronson
Bestselling author Po Bronson explains why kids who are afraid of losing are at risk of never really succeeding. Format: Video (0:42)

Erica Reischer
Parent coach and psychologist Erica Reischer warns against making a common discipline mistake. Format: Video (0:48)

About the author

The GreatSchools Editorial Team

GreatSchools.org is a national nonprofit with a mission to help every child obtain a high-quality education that values their unique abilities, identities, and aspirations. We believe in the power of research-backed, actionable information to empower parents, family members, and educators to help make this happen. For 25 years, the GreatSchools Editorial Team has been working to make the latest, most important, and most actionable research in education, learning, and child development accessible and actionable for parents through articles, videos, podcasts, hands-on learning resources, email and text messaging programs, and more. Our team consists of journalists, researchers, academics, former teachers and education leaders — most of whom are also dedicated parents and family members — who not only research, fact check, and write or produce this information, but who use it in our daily lives as well. We welcome your feedback at editorial@greatschools.org.