“Unlocking Your Child’s Potential” by Dr. Eugene D. Hayes

Unlocking Your Child’s Potential

Dr. Eugene D. Hayes
Future First Inc. (2024)
ISBN: 979-8988274445
Reviewed by Stephanie Lim Uy for Reader Views (06/2024)

High school can be a particularly trying time, both for students and for their parents. Children nowadays face more pressure to perform. They’re not only expected to excel academically but they’re also enrolled in a multitude of activities – all to give them an edge when it comes to college applications. As parents, we’re in a privileged position to mentor and support our children in realizing their capabilities and achieving their goals. But how do we start?

The book, “Unlocking Your Child’s Potential: Planning and Nurturing Well-Rounded Development in Our Children through High School” by Dr. Eugene D. Hayes, outlines the principles that have guided Dr. Hayes’s parenting, and the strategies he (and his wife) have implemented to usher their children into success through high school, university, and beyond. He shares personal anecdotes that supplement each core value that their family upholds, as well as specific tools, actual samples, and resources.

Dr. Hayes uses his vast experiences as a mentor, psychologist, and father to provide us with a blueprint in navigating the complexities and surpassing the challenges that may come up as we prepare for higher education. Meticulously thought-out, parents will love this book because it breaks down the overwhelming experience of helping children become well-rounded individuals into smaller, manageable pieces. With each chapter focusing on a specific area – like academics, extracurriculars, financial planning, self-care, fun, and play (to name a few) – we receive practical and realistic advice, which makes the goal of success more attainable. Dr. Hayes cuts the noise around parenting high schoolers and reminds us to focus on the most important thing – our children.

What I’ve enjoyed about the book, and which I feel will benefit a lot of parents, is the reminder that creating a solid foundation of values, spending time in self-reflection, fostering inner strength, resilience and a growth mindset are equally important. We are in the best position to guide our children, provide them with a supportive environment, and expose them to situations where they can pursue their passions and immerse themselves in the greater world around them. However, many parents place tremendous significance on grades and performance, and children need more than that to succeed.

True success extends beyond external accomplishments. Balance is essential and we need to consider our children’s personal well-being, happiness, and fulfillment. By taking their emotional and mental health into account, we profoundly impact their development in a more positive and complete way. Knowing that they are loved and accepted beyond their achievements will go a long way toward building their confidence and self-worth.

Other parenting books give advice in an abstract way, and it’s hard to pinpoint their real-world application. This book isn’t like that. It’s specific, targeted, and detailed. Dr. Hayes’s parenting isn’t perfect – he admits as much in the book – but he shares with us what’s worked for them and what hasn’t, in the hopes that we can then tailor our approach according to our own needs and circumstances.

“Unlocking Your Child’s Potential” by Dr. Eugene D. Hayes is a wonderful resource for every parent, whether with high school-aged children or not. It encourages us to look at the bigger picture and take a more holistic approach to parenting. In addition to helping them do well academically and in extracurricular activities, nurturing our children’s unique strengths and interests will enable them to unleash their potential, excel in high school, and get into good universities. It will also equip them with the tools to become happy, productive, independent, and well-rounded individuals. At the end of the day, as parents, isn’t that all we want for our children?