Parenting Pointers: Fundamental Roles of Parents

New science and research from Harvard found that living in poverty does not preclude the parent's ability to actively engage their child from early development to build the foundation for a successful future.

No one understands this better than Ronald Ferguson, Ph.D. and Director of Harvard’s Achievement Gap Initiative and a leading expert on the U.S. Educational Achievement Gap. The foundation for The Formula stems from over a hundred extensive and intensive interviews with Harvard students as part of the How I was Parented project (including Jarrell Lee who shares the incredible story of his journey from homeless to Harvard) to analyze the commonalities each student shared despite ethnic and economic disparities. From this data, The Formula was developed and the Master Parent defined.

Who is the Master Parent? Through their research, Dr. Ferguson and Tatsha Robertson have developed well-defined roles that parents should support to provide their children with the necessary tools to reach their highest potential. Their research shows that the end result forthe child's success and strength in early development lies in these eight fundamental roles that parents should adapt to guide their kids toward achieving academic success:

1. The Early-Learning Partner: Parent spends quality time with the child from birth to age five engaging in fun activities that encourage the child to learn and discover new experiences.
2. The Flight Engineer: Parents are swift to step in if there are challenges outside of the home, particularly at school where there may be obstacles hindering the child's academic achievements.
3. The Fixer: Works to take advantage of every opportunity to support their child's interest and help them pursue their true passion despite financial challenges.
4. The Revealer: The parent who uncovers all of life's possibilities and inspires the child by letting him or her know what opportunities are available and that there are no boundaries to prevent them from achieving their highest goals and dreams.
5. The Philosopher: From the very beginning when the child is very young,  the parent serves as a compass to direct the child to discover their true purpose and make wise decisions by exposing them to reality and encouraging the child to ask questions. This also helps them to develop a moral compass and encourages the child to think and ask questions.  The Philosopher also engagesthe child by discussing adult topics and allow them to participate in these conversations.
6. The Model: Providing an example of behavior the child will strive to emulate.
7. The Negotiator: The parent who teaches the child to bargain, negotiate and speak truth to power while learning how to carry themselves in a manner to earn the respect they give and seek from others.
8. The GPS Navigational Voice: This is the voice that remains in your child's head that keeps your kid focused on what is right and the value of making wise choices.