Parenting Advice From A Psychologist: How To Raise Successful Kids

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It goes without saying that we want our children to succeed.

But new research shows that by pushing kids to achieve, we could be causing them to fail.

It's the subject of a new book by psychologist and author Dr. Madeline Levine titled 'Teach Your Children Well.'

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"The culture is one of 'more is better,'  'faster is better ,' 'earlier is better,'" Dr. Levine said. "So we put our kids in very early preschool, get them Baby Einstein, we like an academic preschool instead of a play-based preschool, because we think it's all going to give our kids a leg up, and in fact it does none of that."

Dr. Levine urges parents to be developmentally in sync with what a child is learning.

"What motivates children is relationship," she said. "A young child is learning by exploring, by touching things, by feeling things -- not by looking at a screen."

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With the advent of new technology, Dr. Levine said that children are developing technical skills - but not the collaborative skills, like resilience or a strong work ethic, that are necessary to succeed as adults.

Some of Dr. Levine's main points:

• Allow your kids to fail
• Treat them as individuals
• Let them play
• Have a fulfilling life yourself
• Focus on long-term success

For the full interview with Dr. Madeline Levine, check out the video below.