I’ll be the first one to admit–my kids aren’t always great at following the lead. They can be a bit bossy and over-arching, and that’s on a good day. But, as I watched my son play with a friend the other day, I realized…there’s hope.

I looked on as, time after time, the friend grabbed a toy out of my son’s hand. Then, I observed my son just “moving on” to a different toy. No fuss. No fight. I was one proud Mama!

It made me wonder about a recent article Jeanette had sent me about social skills and success, authored by Liz Szabo and Greg Toppo. Turns out, there’s a pretty clear link: kids with better social skills become more successful adults.

Here’s some of the findings: “Youngsters whose kindergarten teachers gave them the highest scores on “social competence” were more likely than other kids to graduate high school on time, earn a college degree and hold full-time jobs. Social competence involves more than making friends, according to the study, published in the American Journal of Public Health . Teachers rated kids on the ability to cooperate, resolve conflicts, listen to others’ points of view, give suggestions without being bossy and other skills.”

The study followed 750 children for 20 years until the age of 25.

According to the article, “A growing number of studies point to the importance of early childhood experiences in shaping the brain and later behavior. A 2011 study found that people who showed more self-control as preschoolers were healthier and wealthier by age 32, even after researchers considered influential factors such as IQ and social class.”

So, no more stressing about the “right” school or the “best” tutor–I think I’ll focus on what’s important: teaching my kids to share and take turns!

Britt