A mother's secret to raising 6 successful children

In recent years, Koreans have increasingly respected families that have brought academic fame to their homeland. There, they have always regarded the Koh family as a symbol of the success and outstanding development of Koreans in knowledge.

The Wall Street Journal praised: “Two generations of Korean families have shaken Washington.”

The New York Times compared the Koh family to America's powerful Kennedy family.

Mrs. Koh's successful children

In 1948, Ms. Hesung Chun Koh came to the United States on a scholarship from Boston University. In the United States, she met and fell in love with Dr. Ko Kwang Lim, a famous Asian international law scholar. They got married and had 6 children, 4 sons and 2 daughters. All 6 children are honorary doctors from prestigious universities such as Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Harold Koh's son is also known as a famous legal advisor to former President Barack Obama.

At the age of 90, Ms. Hesung Chun Koh does not hide her pride in her successful children. She is also very modest when talking about the secret to raising children to adulthood.

Understand yourself, don't sacrifice yourself for your children

Speaking to an American TV channel, Ms. Hesung Chun Koh believes that most mothers in the world want to sacrifice everything for their children. They forget about work, do not spend time studying so that they can focus on taking care of their children. She does not think that is the right way to raise children.

She believes that self-development, studying hard, and gaining knowledge along with her children's maturity are the ways to help her get closer to her children. She always wants to be a role model for her children to learn from.

“As my children grow up, I also grow more knowledgeable. Each of us lives for our family and for society. But we should also live for ourselves,” she said.

Catalyst of “Parental Happiness”

Mrs. Hesung Chun Koh and her husband are both busy teachers. But the couple has never left their children to the care of a maid. She always believes that a happy family is the catalyst for children to grow up.

How does a 90-year-old mother teach her 6 children to be successful in America?

“Of course, no matter how harmonious a couple is, it is difficult to avoid arguments and disagreements. The difficulties in married life help us cherish our family even more,” said Ms. Hesung Chun Koh.

The son of Harold Koh, an honorary doctor of Yale University and advisor to Barack Obama, once spoke about the luck of growing up with the shadow of his parents.

“Our parents were always there for us,” he told the Korea Times. “They were always, always there. We had breakfast together every day. My father had to go to work on the 3:45 a.m. train, so of course we would sit down at the table at 2:45 a.m.”

“My mother would teach us things to learn while she was cutting our hair, and my father would talk about society and life while driving us to school,” said Mr. Harol Koh.

Grow up with your child's thoughts

“When children are young, they always want their parents to protect them. Parents need to understand their children’s world to have the ability to help them overcome difficulties. Only then can parents enter their children’s world,” said the 90-year-old mother.

“I never thought that raising children meant standing up with my chest puffed out, gesticulating and talking loudly to them. When I became a mother, I was willing to humble myself for my children. Above all, I wanted my children to have faith in me,” said Hesung Chun Koh.

In a conversation with Korean mothers, Hesung Chun Koh proudly said that she is a confidant to all six of her children. This seems impossible. “The children say that they always feel like they need their mother to talk to them, just like they would ask their best friends,” she said.

Learn first to understand and help people

Since her children were young, she often told stories about compassion in the lives around them.

“I always tell my children that our parents try not to become this or that, but to help more people with different lives,”.

“Every one of us needs compassion and love. Only then can we create beautiful flowers for life,” Hesung Chun Koh confided.

Family of 6 children when the children were young

She said she cried when she learned that her granddaughter had called for tens of thousands of dollars in donations for a fundraising campaign to help HIV/AIDS patients.

“My granddaughter is very beautiful and good at studying. I have never asked her to study more or read more. I told her she needs to read books and even more so, to go out into the world of books to understand life,” added Ms. Hesung Chun Koh.

“Don't teach your child to be president”

Mrs. Hesung Chun Koh often reads books about great people with her children. Once she and her children discussed the book Lincoln's Biography.

“I asked my children if they wanted to be as great as Mr. Lincoln or Lincoln's parents. All six children wanted to be president, of course,” she recalled.

Mrs. Hesung Chun Koh taught her children that America is a vast country but only a few people have been presidents. In return, America has many different positions that suit the young people's adult dreams.

“The same goes for different professions, there are always many positions waiting for those who try. Never be discouraged and compare yourself to anyone, because you need to succeed in the field you pursue,” she said.

No matter how good you are, don't forget to exercise.

3 years old is the time to start the health training "lesson plans" that Ms. Hesung Chun Koh gives to her children.

She said her eldest son was born physically weaker than his peers. Therefore, she always tried to find appropriate training methods for him.

“It sounds very unique, but I let my children get exposed to cold water very early. First, their arms, then their legs and hands. After that, I bathe them in cold water, starting at 25 degrees Celsius, until they reach 1 degree Celsius. This method helps them have less fever than other children,” she shared.

Ms. Koh in her latest sharing about raising children

“I am a literature researcher but also passionate about mountain climbing, boxing, weightlifting and long-distance running. We cannot do anything without health and optimism,” Hesung Chun Koh said about the secret to maintaining health even at the age of 90.

Ha Thanh