Having to work to earn money and raise her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren alone, Maye Musk still helped all 3 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren become outstanding people.
Maye Musk, the mother of the world’s richest billionaire Elon Musk, has been a single mother since she was 31. Besides the Tesla boss, she has two other outstanding 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren: son Kimbal Musk – a restaurant chain owner and daughter Tosca Musk – a filmmaker. Without the help of their famous brother, both of Elon Musk’s siblings have succeeded in their own fields and become millionaires.
Raising all three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren brilliantly as a single mother is not easy. Mrs. Maye Musk still worked full-time to earn money to raise her three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren while they were young. Talking about how to raise 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, the 75-year-old woman said she only has 2 simple secrets.
“People often ask me how I raise such successful 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren,” she told CNBC. “I tell them I teach them hard work and let them follow their interests.”
Teaching 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren about hard work
Many modern parents today think that protecting their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and providing them with the best care is good. However, Maye Musk did the opposite, she let her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren work and taught them the importance of hard work from a young age.
Maye learned this principle from her parents. Starting at age 8, she and her sister helped their father in his orthopedic clinic and were paid by him. Later, all three Elon Musk brothers did the same at the modeling school and nutrition center run by their mother.
“Children don’t need to be protected from the reality of responsibility. My kids benefit because they see me working hard to put food on the table ,” Maye said.
Many other billionaire parents have similar views. Microsoft founder Bill Gates said his parents pushed him to persevere in activities he was not good at, such as swimming, soccer, and playing the trombone. These activities helped him develop perseverance and diligence after a period of trying.
Encouraging 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren to be diligent does not necessarily mean forcing them to work. Parents can let their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren do chores or encourage them to do a task to the end and not give up easily. Children will also understand the value of diligence after overcoming such challenges.
Let your 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 take responsibility for themselves.
Maye also demanded that her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren take full responsibility for their own life and career paths. The three Musk brothers had to choose their own high schools and colleges and complete their applications without their mother’s help or input.
“I raised my 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren the way my parents raised me when I was a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. I taught them to be independent, kind, honest, considerate and polite. I taught them the importance of working hard and doing good things. I never treated them like 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren or scolded them. I never told them what to study. I never checked their homework; that was their responsibility ,” she said.
As a nutrition and psychology consultant, Maye Musk also noticed that many parents today are easily stressed because they worry too much about their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. They worry and “do” every little thing for their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, from applying for admission, completing paperwork for school, or even finding jobs for their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren.
“My advice? Let your kids handle their own stuff and their own problems when they go to school and then into the workforce, ” Maye says . “They have to take responsibility for their own future. Or if they want to start a business and you think it’s a good idea, support them. Teach them good manners. But let them decide what they want.”
However, according to her, forcing 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren to be responsible is not enough. She also encourages other parents to stop spoiling their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and not let them live in material excess.
By the time her three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren were in college, although their family circumstances had improved, Maye’s 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren still had to live in very ordinary conditions. As she described it, they had to “sleep on mattresses on the floor, live with six roommates or live in a dilapidated house.” The single mother only intervened to ensure her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren’s physical safety.