For parents of daughters


Recently, an article ‘Advice for living’ was published in The New York Times by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for advice to parents of daughters who want them to mature into confident, fierce, high-achieving women.

Here is an excerpt:
  1. Foster a love of reading - No matter what you hope for your child, or what she hopes for herself, there's no better thing you can impart than a love of reading. It's truly a passport to explore the world, barely discriminates between rich and poor, and can expand and train her mind. It's important enough that it's the first thing Ginsburg mentions in her article, and she credits her mother, who "by her example, made reading a delight."
  2. Teach them to be independent - Society pulls people in so many different directions, trying to shape us into roles that we might not really want for ourselves. Ginsburg credits her mother for fostering this streak in her. It was her mother, she writes, who "counseled me constantly to 'be independent,' able to fend for myself, whatever fortune might have in store for me."
  3. Encourage them to turn a deaf ear when needed - The best advice she ever received, Ginsburg said, was from her new mother-in-law. Sure, it helped in marriage, Ginsburg said, but added: "I have employed it as well in every workplace, including the Supreme Court. When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one's ability to persuade."
  4. Encourage them to set aside their worries and simply achieve - Ginsburg writes about some simple advice her father-in-law gave her at the time that inspired her: "Stop worrying, and find a way to manage."
  5. Teach them that they can make their own luck - While circumstances may play a part in terms of opportunity, it's also your reaction to those circumstances that spins fate. People who understand that are more likely to succeed.

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