These are 8 things which parents of successful kids all do… including giving them chores and teaching them maths
Follow these tips and you'll set your little one up for life
BRINGING up kids is one of the hardest things people do, especially as there's so much pressure to get things right.
As 90 per cent of the brain's growth happens before the age of five, the formative years are vital, plus your parenting style can impact you child's future income.
Various studies have suggested parents of successful children tend to take the same approach, so here are 10 things you can do to set your little one up for life.
Give them jobs
That's right, chores really are beneficial for later life.
The idea is that if kids have everything done for them, they grow to expect that later in life. So allotting jobs will help them realise life is about doing things for others and working as part of a team.
"If kids aren't doing the dishes, it means someone else is doing that for them," Julie Lythcott-Haims, a former dean of Stanford University, said during TED Talks Live event.
"And so they're absolved of not only the work, but of learning that work has to be done and that each one of us must contribute for the betterment of the whole."
Expect a lot
To be clear, this isn't about putting a crazy about of pressure on your child to achieve.
Last year, University of California at Los Angeles professor Neal Halfon and his team looked at a survey or 6,600 kids born in 2011.
They found that when parents expected their kids to go to university from birth, they were much more likely to do so.
Interestingly, that was the case no matter how much money the family had.
It's thought this sort of thing becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, so it pays to think positive.
Teach them maths
In 2007 there was a big look into pre-school children in England, Canada and America.
The research took in 35,000 children, and it was found that learning number skills early in life was a big advantage later on.
Interestingly, those who knew about numbers and their sequence weren't just good at maths as they got older - they tended to be better readers too.
Don't get stressed
Easier said than done for sure, but mums' stress really can effect kids.
Even if you're getting worked up because you want to spend more time with your son and daughter, it might have a detrimental effect.
In part it's because we pass on feelings to others. Think about it - when you're around someone who's happy, it's much easier to be positive. The same goes for when someone feels worked up.
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Pass on social skills
Two American universities completed a 20-year study, looking at people between the ages of five and 25.
It was found that those who had better social skills at the young age were more successful by their mid 20s.
The kind of skills which were deemed important were understanding others' feelings, helping peers and being able to solve problems unaided.
Those who didn't have the same level of social skills were more likely to be arrested and binge drink later in life.
Keep relationships healthy
That means getting on with your child's mum or dad, whether you're together or separated.
Kids whose families fought a lot or weren't that happy were less likely to be successful, found a University of Illinois study.
Interestingly, other research has found it's better for kids to be in a single parent family that's happy than have parents who are together and argue a lot.
Consider names carefully
There is a lot of research which shows names are really important in later life.
People tend to like names which are easy to pronounce, and it's been found those with them fare better in the work place too.
Those with common names are more likely to get jobs, and it's been suggested if yours starts with a letter at the beginning of the alphabet you might even have a better chance of getting a place at the school or uni you want.
Want help picking? You can find the UK top 100 girls' and boys' baby names of 2016 here.
Eat healthily
It's well known that a healthy body equals a healthy mind, which is why feeding your kids properly is so important.
Make dishes with lots of fresh fruit and veg in the them, and try to limit the amount of sugar in their diet.
Giving good eating habits early on in life will mean your kids are less likely to develop bad ones in the future.
We previously reported a clinical psychologist, who suggests eldest children are the most likely to be successful.