The gift of failure: how the best parents learn to let go so their children can succeed

Introduction: how I learned to let go

Failure : a most valuable parenting tool. How failure became a dirty word : a brief history of American parenting ; Why parenting for dependence doesn't work : the power of intrinsic motivation ; Less really is more : parenting for autonomy and competence ; Encouragement from the sidelines : the real connection between praise and self-esteem

Learning from failure : teaching kids to turn mistakes into success. Household duties : laundry as an opportunity for competence ; Friends : accomplices to failure and the formation of identity ; Sports : losing as an essential childhood experience ; Middle school : prime time for failure ; High school and beyond : toward real independence

Succeeding at school : learning from failure is a team effort. Parent-teacher partnerships : how our fear of failure undermines education ; Homework : how to help without taking over ; Grades : the real value of a low score

Conclusion : what I've learned from letting go.

Introduction: How I learned to let go

How failure became a dirty word : a brief history of American parenting

Why parenting for dependence doesn't work : the power of intrinsic motivation

Less really is more : parenting for autonomy and competence

Encouragement from the sidelines : the real connection between praise and self-esteem

Household duties : laundry as an opportunity for competence

Friends : accomplices to failure and the formation of identity

Sports : losing as an essential childhood experience

Middle school : prime time for failure

High school and beyond : toward real independence

Parent-teacher partnerships : how our fear of failure undermines education

Homework : how to help without taking over

Grades : the real value of a low score

Conclusion: What I've learned from letting go.