How to raise a self-reliant child

Learn about: How to raise a self-reliant child from Michael Pritchard,...
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How to raise a self-reliant child

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One of the first things I always talked about with the kids is vision, initiative, and perspective, you know. To take the initiative, to have a strong vision of yourself, and to keep things in perspective. I call it VIP. And to teach them that it's really powerful to have, you know, be the hero of your own movie. Be a person who loves yourself enough to have character. Character is what you do when nobody's watching. To choose to be a person who stands up. Don't stand by. Step up. To, you know, inauthentic people, inauthentic friends, angry people, bitter people. Stand up not just for yourself but for everybody else around you, and to be a person who's self-reliant enough to be comfortable in your own skin. And to say, and it's hard. It's the hard journey. The earlier we begin to teach a kid to be self-reliant, the earlier that they become teachers of self-reliance to their little brothers and sisters and to others in life. And that's why I always say that line. What people think of me is none of my business. Who cares? They don't know my heart. They don't know my journey. People spend too long people-pleasing. And it's important for parents to get. Don't raise a people-pleasing child. If you're raising a child that you're rescuing and helping and over-indulging them, eventually they'll turn on you. This is what they found in recent studies in Sweden. That they've gotten the kids so so self-absorbed that they can't get them to do anything, because they become cynical. They want everything brought to them. And as I told my wife, when she started to spoil one of my kids, I go, hon, please don't. Who is going to marry this kid? What woman is going to serve him like that? That's not what you want. His wife should not be a servant. His wife should not be trying to take care of him all the time. His wife should be his partner in life. And that's how you teach that. And you role model as well. I do dishes. I do house work. I take care of business. I - you know - always great at cutting the grass. I'm not great at edging. But you do what you can do. And you teach that to the kids. And the best thing, the best sermon is a good example. Show them, show them, show them.

Learn about: How to raise a self-reliant child from Michael Pritchard,...

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Michael Pritchard

Humanist & Child Advocate

Michael Pritchard is a nationally acclaimed keynote speaker praised by the Wall Street Journal, CNN and Time for his ability to use humor to inspire and educate his audiences on communication skills. Michael Pritchard is a big guy with a warm heart who as one student described him, “truly walks as he talks.”

He began his career on both the comedy stage and as a juvenile counselor in San Francisco’s Youth Guidance Center. In 1980, Michael Pritchard won first place in the San Francisco International Stand Up Comedy Competition as well as winning the prestigious California Probation Officer of the Year.

Michael’s offers from Hollywood rolled in including a guest appearance on an Emmy Award winning episode of “Taxi”. His sensational standup comedy billed him with Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Dana Carvey and Whoopi Goldberg playing venues as Caesar’s, the Comedy Store, Universal Ampitheater and opening for such names as Diana Ross, the Grateful Dead, Kenny Rogers, Mike Mc Donald and Boz Scaggs. But Michael rejected offers from Hollywood to focus on using his comic talents for inspiring youth and adults.

Drawing from his counseling background, Michael Pritchard began using humor to inspire, teach communication skills, anger management, diversity, conflict resolution and overcoming burnout and stress.

His broad base of audience from corporate employees, healthcare workers, government and state officials have honored him with countless standing ovations and numerous awards including: President’s Volunteer Action Award, Commendation - Office of the Attorney General , Paul Harris Fellowship - Rotary International, Toastmaster’s International Speaker, Outstanding Performance - Federal Executive Board , Josephine Duveneck Humanitarian Award and the Key to the City of San Francisco.As a result of his work, Michael Pritchard has been featured on CNN, NBC’s “The Today Show”, “The Tonight Show”, CBS “Sunday Morning” with Charles Kuralt, “Time” magazine and “People” magazine.

His seven educational series for PBS and distribution has been seen by millions and focuses on youth guidance in the areas of violence prevention. “The Power of Choice” “You can Choose”, “Big Changes, Big Choices”.

Forming Heartland Media, he continued with “Red Ribbon Week” and “PeaceTalks” teaching students to make positive choices.“SOS: Saving Our Schools from Hate and Violence”, featured in both Time magazine and on CNN, filmed after the tragic Columbine disaster. His new series: “Lifesteps” builds the social and emotional intelligence in youth and has already received the Parents Choice Award

For his work in promoting nonviolence with youth, Dr. Michael Pritchard was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Hartwick University and winning, 2001 Lewis Hine’s Award for Service to Children & Youth Certificate of Appreciation and the 2002 Marin Community Foundations Beryl Buck Fund Award for achievement in Promoting Nonviolence.

As an extension of Heartland Media, he established Heartland Media Foundation building character and emotional intelligence, violence prevention, inciting motivation and leadership in both youth and adults to improve schools and communities. The foundation provides youth guidance programs, including video, print curriculum, and live presentations by Michael Pritchard to aid in schools and communities where the funding is limited.

In the fund raising capacity, Michael Pritchard has help raise millions of dollars by donating his time and talent to events and various charitable organizations including: Boys and Girls Club – Ronald McDonald House –Salvation Army - Jewish Family Services – SF Giants Community Fund – American Heart Association –Women’s Wellness Forum – Special Olympics - CASA Court Appointed Special Advocates - Bread & Roses – Recreation Center for the Handicapped –– DARE –– Texan’s War on Drugs –– Vietnam Vets of America - Guide Dogs for the Blind

More Parenting Videos from Michael Pritchard >
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Transcription: 
One of the first things I always talked about with the kids is vision, initiative, and perspective, you know. To take the initiative, to have a strong vision of yourself, and to keep things in perspective. I call it VIP. And to teach them that it's really powerful to have, you know, be the hero of your own movie. Be a person who loves yourself enough to have character. Character is what you do when nobody's watching. To choose to be a person who stands up. Don't stand by. Step up. To, you know, inauthentic people, inauthentic friends, angry people, bitter people. Stand up not just for yourself but for everybody else around you, and to be a person who's self-reliant enough to be comfortable in your own skin. And to say, and it's hard. It's the hard journey. The earlier we begin to teach a kid to be self-reliant, the earlier that they become teachers of self-reliance to their little brothers and sisters and to others in life. And that's why I always say that line. What people think of me is none of my business. Who cares? They don't know my heart. They don't know my journey. People spend too long people-pleasing. And it's important for parents to get. Don't raise a people-pleasing child. If you're raising a child that you're rescuing and helping and over-indulging them, eventually they'll turn on you. This is what they found in recent studies in Sweden. That they've gotten the kids so so self-absorbed that they can't get them to do anything, because they become cynical. They want everything brought to them. And as I told my wife, when she started to spoil one of my kids, I go, hon, please don't. Who is going to marry this kid? What woman is going to serve him like that? That's not what you want. His wife should not be a servant. His wife should not be trying to take care of him all the time. His wife should be his partner in life. And that's how you teach that. And you role model as well. I do dishes. I do house work. I take care of business. I - you know - always great at cutting the grass. I'm not great at edging. But you do what you can do. And you teach that to the kids. And the best thing, the best sermon is a good example. Show them, show them, show them.