Here’s what Adam Grant had to say about how to be a better parent:

• Ask kids, “What would Harry Potter do?” Little wizards can be a big help in getting kids to do the right thing.
• Emphasize values over rules. Get values right and they’ll build the rules themselves.
• Praise character, not actions. Don’t make good choices seem like one-time things. Help them craft a positive identity.
• Explain how bad behavior affects others. Empathy and guilt will forge them into awesome adults.

There’s an overwhelming amount of parenting advice out there. But Adam has some reassuring thoughts for everyone who wants to raise an ethical child that goes on to make a difference in the world. Here’s Adam:

Parenting is one of the domains in our lives where bad is really stronger than good. It is far, far easier to extinguish the creative spark of a child than it is to light that spark. The good news about that is, kids are born with that spark. They have a natural urge to ask questions, to create, to explore. At the end of the day, all you really need to do as a parent is not get in the way of that. I’ve become less hard on myself through this process, knowing that, “Don’t screw it up,” is probably better advice than, “Here are all the steps you need to take in order to be a parent who nurtures original thinking.”

You don’t need to struggle to memorize a thousand pieces of advice when it comes to instilling that creative spark in a young mind. It’s more important to make sure you’re not extinguishing that flame.

The spark is already there. Just nurture it, support it and give it love.

Sometimes I wonder how all creative people from previous generations were brought up without those parenting advices... 

Actually, this advice from Adam Grant makes it seem like most parents already know what to do.

Kids are born headed in the right direction, we just have to nurture that.