While having to work to make money and raise her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren alone, Maye Musk still helped all three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren become outstanding people.

Maye Musk, the mother of the world’s richest billionaire today, Elon Musk, has been a single mother since she was 31 years old. Besides Tesla boss, she has two other outstanding 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren: son Kimbal Musk – owner of a restaurant chain and daughter Tosca Musk – a filmmaker. Without the help of their famous brother, both of Elon Musk’s younger brothers succeeded in their own fields and became millionaires.

Raising all 3 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren is extremely excellent even though being a single mother is not easy. Mrs. Maye Musk still worked full-time to earn money to support her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren while the three brothers were young. Talking about how to raise 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, the 75-year-old woman said she only has 2 simple tips.

Sharing with CNBC, she said: “People often ask me how to raise such successful 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. I answered that I teach them about hard work and let them follow their interests.”

Teach your 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren about hard work

Many modern parents today have the mindset of protecting their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and giving them the best care conditions. However, Maye Musk did the opposite, she let her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren work and taught them the importance of hard work from a young age.

Maye learned this principle from her own parents. Since she was 8 years old, she and her younger sister helped their father work in his orthopedic clinic and were paid by him. Later, all three Elon Musk brothers worked in the same way at the modeling school and nutrition center run by their mother.

“Children do not need to be protected from the reality of responsibility. My 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren benefit because they see me working hard to have enough food for the whole family ,” Maye said.

Many other parents of billionaires have similar views. Microsoft founder Bill Gates said his parents pushed him to persevere in participating in activities that he was not good at, such as swimming, soccer and playing the trombone, etc. These were all activities that helped him. Cultivate perseverance and diligence after a period of effort.

Encouraging 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren to work hard does not necessarily mean forcing them to work. Parents can let their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren do housework or encourage them to do one thing to the end and not give up easily. Children will also understand the value of hard work after overcoming such challenges.

Let your 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 take responsibility for himself

Maye also holds her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren fully responsible for their own life and career paths. The three Musk brothers had to choose their own high school and university and complete the registration and admission forms without their mother’s help or advice.

“I raise my 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren like my parents raised me as a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. I teach them to be independent, kind, honest, considerate and polite. I teach them the importance of working hard and doing good things. I never treat them like 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren or scold them. I never tell them what to learn. I never check my 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥’s homework; That is their responsibility ,” she said.

As a nutrition and psychology consultant, Maye Musk also noticed that many parents today are easily stressed because they worry too much about their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. They take care of and “do” for their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren every little bit from applying for admission, preparing school paperwork or even taking care of their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren’s jobs.

Maye said: “My advice? Let your 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren handle their own documents and problems when they go to school and later, work. They must take responsibility for their future. Or if they want to start a business and you think it’s a good idea, support them. Teach your 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren good manners. But let them decide what they want.”

However, according to her, holding 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren responsible is not enough. She also encouraged other parents to stop pampering their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and not letting them live too materially.

By the time her three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren went to college, even though their family’s circumstances were better, Maye’s 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren still had to live in very normal conditions. As she described, her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren had to “sleep on mattresses on the floor, live with six roommates or in a dilapidated house.” The single mother only intervened to ensure her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren were physically safe.