My mom recently sent me this video highlighting moms of famous peeps and what those moms did or said to raise successful people.  I have to say I have somewhat mixed emotions on the video.  I mean, am I always looking for sure-fire ways to raise my kids to be successes? Of course.  But, does success mean they have to be a celebrity?  Wouldn't the mom of a priest be worthy of being in a book that highlighted moms who raised kids to be successful?  Success, to me, does not at all have anything to do with how famous or how much money my kids make in their lifetimes.

I do agree with many of the moms featured in the video that say they tried to follow their kids' lead with regard to their passions in life like filmmaking, bike riding, singing, etc., but to just have a book with a bunch of moms of celebrities talking about how they raised their kids just seems a little shallow to me.  Why not interview moms of people who actually made a meaningful difference in this world?  I just think the whole idea of the book lends the wrong impression of what it means to be successful. Not all of us measure the successes of our children by how fat their wallets are or how many movie awards they've got lying around.

I will always support my kids in whatever their passions are even if those passions don't afford them the opportunities of living in a million dollar home or driving an expensive car.  When my kids are truly happy and men of faith, it is then – and only then - that I will feel worthy of being called a good mother.  Raising successful kids has everything to do with how much my boys feel called to make a difference in this world rather than how much others think they have impacted it.

How will you measure the success of your kids?