#318: When The Need to Achieve Becomes Toxic with Jennifer B. Wallace - a podcast by Mark Groves

Themes: Parenting, Achievement, Toxic Achievement Culture, Children, Parenting, Confidence, Mental Health, Teens

Summary: I’m jamming today with Jennifer B. Wallace, an acclaimed journalist and bestselling author of "Never Enough: When Achievement Pressure Becomes Toxic." Jennifer, a mother of three, was struck by the toxic pressure surrounding high-achievement schools. Concerned about the impact on her own children, she embarked on a journey to understand and mitigate this achievement culture's harmful effects, resulting in her book, "Never Enough: When Achievement Cultures Become Toxic and What We Can Do About It." 

In this episode, we talk about toxic achievement culture and what parents can do to make their children feel seen, heard, and loved without that being contingent on their achievements. Discover:

How parenting has evolved over the past few decadesWhat we can do to help our children become mentally strong 

How a sense of “mattering” can protect against burnout for parents and children How increased pressure and the need to succeed create a toxic environment for our children


00:00 Intro 00:27 The high expectations of modern parenting
04:51 Value of a college education in today's job market06:32 Teaching kids that they matter
10:03 Empowering kids with intrinsic motivation16:07 How toxic achievement culture is impacting children today
22:51 From people-pleasing to self-valuing31:14 Parenting with value
35:46 Repairing and shifting in parenting40:55 Teach your kids to ‘never worry alone’
45:18 Be interested in your child’s online world50:22 Encouraging kids to celebrate other’s achievements
Links:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferbrehenywallace/



Book: https://www.jenniferbwallace.com/pre-orderWebsite: https://www.jenniferbwallace.com/



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