I raised 2 successful CEOs and a doctor—here’s the parenting style I never used on my kids

Today's post-pandemic world makes parenting difficult. I had to raise my three daughters.

I don't claim all the credit for their success, but they all grew up to be accomplished people. Susan is the CEO ofYouTube, Janet is a doctor, and Anne is the co- founder and CEO of 23andMe. They were at the top of their profession.

I got a lot of questions about different parenting approaches when I wrote my book. Everyone wanted to know what the worst parenting style was.

Helicopter parenting is the most toxic according to my experience.

Helicopter parenting is when you remove obstacles so that your children don't have to deal with challenges.

This form of hyper-involvement is bad for children because you are doing everything for them and making sure they get the help they need before they need it.

It hurts kids' ability to develop self-control, problem-solving skills, navigate conflict on their own, and create an identity separate from their parents, according to studies.

Helicopter parents have the best intentions, but they end up producing kids who are afraid to take risks, need help, and lack creativity.

My friend Maye Musk agrees with me on the harms of helicopter parenting.

She didn't check her children's homework. She couldn't She was making ends meet. She had the kids practice their signatures so they could sign for her.

She said that she didn't have time to do it.

Kids need to be able to take responsibility for their own lives and not be controlled.

Parents shouldn't go to the other extreme when it comes to raising their children. They should be given challenges that are appropriate for their age.

They want to have them be proud of the job they do, a job that is theirs alone. They will be able to help out around the house.

You can teach your child how to cook in the kitchen. Kids can make breakfast food. They can learn to make salads. It is so easy to wash the lettuce, cut a tomato, add dressing and voil.

If your child has never cooked, they won't feel like they can. Kids don't know how to make things for themselves. I would like to be joking but I am not.

Both parents and teachers can help build up their children's self-confidence.

TRICK stands for trust, respect, independence, collaboration and kindness.

• Trust: Trust has to start with us, the parents. When we’re confident in the choices we make, we can then trust our kids to take necessary steps toward empowerment.
• Respect: Every child has a gift, and it’s our responsibility to nurture that gift. This is the opposite of telling them who to be, what profession to pursue, and what their life should look like.
• Independence: This relies upon a strong foundation of trust and respect. Truly independent kids are capable of coping with adversity, setbacks and boredom — all unavoidable aspects of life.
• Collaboration: Collaboration means working together as a family, in a classroom or at a workplace. For parents, it means encouraging kids to contribute to discussions, decisions and even discipline.
• Kindness: Real kindness involves gratitude and forgiveness, service toward others, and an awareness of the world outside yourself.

It's time to give yourself a break. They will grow up believing in themselves and appreciate it.

Start by allowing your children to make their own decisions about what to do this weekend. Imagine how much power they'll have.

She is the author of "How to Raise Successful People." She is the co- founder of Tract, a company that brings her teaching philosophy to classrooms around the world. She can follow her on the social networking site.