How to raise a really great kid

Whatever your vision of a great kid is, I’d throw in a proviso: the realities of child development.

Children go through ages and stages as they grow, and not every one of those moments is pretty. I’ve seen stormy toddlers morph into delightful eight-year-olds, and sullen, monosyllabic teenagers blossom into engaging, capable young people. Raising a great kid is a process rather than an end result. Still, we do want our kids to be great (at least sometimes!) while they’re growing, as well as when they’re grown. Here are the top tips for raising a great kid.

Excerpted from the article "How to raise a great kid," from our July 2008 issue.