Like any new mother, Stephanie Hirsch wanted her little boy to grow up to be successful, caring and well-liked—kind of like director Steven Spielberg, she thought. It was then that she got the idea to seek parenting advice from the mothers of successful people in every field—from top movie directors and singers to well-known lawyers, doctors, athletes and more. Nate talks with Stephanie about her book Mother Nurture: Life Lessons from the Mothers of America's Best and Brightest.
For her book, Stephanie says she talked with the mothers of such stars as country singer Tim McGraw, singer Beyoncé, actress Uma Thurman and cyclist Lance Armstrong—as well as Nate's and Dr. Oz's moms! "I wanted to know what types of values and guidance they instilled into their children," she says. "The point is, we need to see how these people were raised and how [that contributed to their successes]."
The mothers of the celebrities shared their tips and advice for raising their children, and Stephanie says she discovered many of the women shared the same advice. Here are some of the most common:
Accept your children for who they are. "You can't box your children in, and all the moms accepted the child for who they were," Stephanie says.
Eat dinner together every night. "You make that time where you turn off your cell phones, you turn off your schedules, you make [the meal] the family time," she says.
Lead by example. "Children don't always listen to what you say, but they often imitate what you do," Stephanie says.
Foster independence in your children. "[A parent's job] is to foster independence, and our children's job is to find their own way," she says. "This builds self-esteem."
