I recently read an interview with Melinda Gates – one of the richest moms in the world. I was very impressed with her level-headed approach to raising her three children. Her children have chores, they get a set allowance, and she teaches them that to whom much is given, much is expected.
So even though you and I don’t have billions of dollars like Bill and Melinda Gates, her parenting tips can help us too. Here are 5 parenting tips from the world’s richest mom:
1. Time is a treasure.
Melinda and Bill Gates could pack every minute of their day with meetings, important phone calls, and interviews. But they choose to make time with their children a priority.
In an interview with the The Telegraph, Melinda said, “We carve out a lot of weekends where we’ll just say, ‘OK, this weekend is a weekend that we’re not working.’” The coming weekend is one of them: “We’re going hiking in Oregon with our kids. No soccer games, no dog, no anything,” she says.
2. Values are a treasure.
Lots of moms worry about spoiling their children with too many possessions, but imagine how difficult it would be to hold back if your pockets were bottomless. So instead of leaving their children the bulk of their vast wealth, the Gates are more intent on passing on their values to their children.
As Melinda Gates said in a Time magazine interview, “You teach your children your values and you try to live those values out.”
3. Work is a treasure.
Both Melinda and Bill Gates grew up in middle class families. They both worked hard in school and in their careers. They know that hard work not only builds fortunes, it builds character.
“I mowed lawns, I cleaned ovens – believe me, I did it all,” Melinda told The Telegraph.
That’s why the Gates children clean the kitchen, feed the dog, and help out around the house.
4. Giving is a treasure.
The Gates’ children witness firsthand the philosophy of philanthropy their parents live out. Do your children know your beliefs about helping others? Do they see those beliefs in action?
Melinda told The Telegraph that her mission of giving reflects the teachings in the Bible: If you go to… the New Testament, it was about focusing on the people who were poor and marginalized.
Even if you don’t have a foundation, you can teach your children to have giving hearts. Look for friends, neighbors, and strangers you can help.
5. Motherhood is a treasure.
Another bit of advice set the parenting course for Melinda Gates. She said a friend told her, “Melinda, you don’t get a do-over with your kids.” and she says, “I always have to remember that, at the end of the day, my kids come first.”
So in the days of motherhood when you’re tired or stressed or feel pulled in 1,000 directions, know that the world’s wealthiest mom often feels the same way. “You have days like that,” she says. “But then again, my life is really fun and full, and part of what makes it complicated is that we have three children whom I adore. The day that it’s more simple is the day the last one goes to college, but I will be really sad,” she says.
