S3E04: The Kids Are Not Alright: Toxic Achievement Culture and Mattering with Jennifer Wallace

Today’s parental landscape is filled with more challenges than ever before. Among the plethora of concerns that parents have to deal with on an everyday basis, one never would’ve expected toxic achievement to be one of them. Who even knew that achievement could be toxic?!  But too much of anything is never good, and placing too much attention on your child’s educational success could be irreversibly damaging to their self-esteem. To help us make better sense of this topic, we are joined today by the award-winning journalist and author of Never Enough, Jennifer Wallace. Jennie explains why the topic of parenting and toxic achievement sits close to her heart, the damaging differences between what parents value and what their children think they value, cognitive biases that many parents are burdened with, and the four questions that every parent should ask themselves to get to the bottom of what they actually prioritize about their kids. We also discuss the circus act that is the college admissions process, why fit is always better than rankings, the ins and outs of mattering, and rapid-fire topics as taken from the truly educational Never Enough. Heart and home are at the center of today’s episode, and we’re thrilled to be sharing it with you – our family of loyal listeners!  Key Points From This Episode:A warm welcome to the award-winning journalist and author, Jennifer Wallace. Why Jennie decided to deeply examine the topic of parenting and toxic achievement.  Assessing which children are at risk because of toxic achievement, and why. Detrimental differences between what parents value and what their kids think they value. The four questions that parents should ask themselves to discover what they truly prioritize.  Scarcity and status: the cognitive biases that plague parents. The volatile cocktail that is the college admissions process. Fit over rankings: life fulfillment versus high-performing academic institutions. How to assess the right fit as you prepare your kids for higher education. The ins and outs of mattering: for kids, parents, at work, and in life.  Our guest’s advice for how leaders can foster mattering in the workplace.  Get curious not furious, the puppy dog principle, NOFAs, materialism, and mental health. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Jennifer Wallace Jennifer Wallace on LinkedInJennifer Wallace on XJennifer Wallace on InstagramJennifer Wallace on Facebook Never Enough Dr. Suniya Luthar Making Caring Common Dr. Tina Payne Bryson Challenge Success Dr. Lisa Damour Mayo Clinic Resy The Song of SignificanceJeremy Utley