Ep. 43 - Breaking Away from Toxic Achievement Culture with Jennifer Breheny Wallace

Moms, this may be controversial, but it’s a fact: pushing a child to succeed can put their mental health at risk.
It’s all outlined by Jennifer Breheny Wallace in her breakthrough book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic-and What We Can Do About It. 
Today’s episode is a wake-up call to draw the line between encouragement and pressure.  
We spoke with Jennifer when MomCast first launched and this encore presentation deserves not only a second listen, but ongoing conversation with our spouses and partners.
An award-winning journalist and author, Jennifer uncovered links between children at “high achieving schools”-both public and private-and mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
Most importantly, she offers hope! 
She reframes how we talk to our children about their role in their family and in their community, and answers the looming question that parents have to answer: “so what now?”
Wallace insists this is not an anti-achievement book.
In this must-hear episode she shares her trademark tips for how to frame success, including:


*teaching parents what “mattering” means
*specific steps to then help your child matter beyond their grades, skills, and talents

*the vocabulary to help disconnect a child’s achievement from their self worth

*why household chores are critically important and how to link chores with your child’s individual strengths

*how we moms can bolster ourselves, in turn boosting our child’s knack for resilience  

The studies Jennifer sources in her book include a 2019 government report and further research by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
You can follow her @jenniferbrehenywallace or learn more at jenniferbwallace.com
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