Are popular kids more likely to be successful or less than their peers? I found the answer in a book by Marti Olsen Laney about introverts, called The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child. Many very successful adults are introverts, and in her book she talks about how this personality style differs from extroverts. She also talks about the benefits of introversion, and the myth of childhood popularity as an indicator of future success in life.

This section that she wrote on the Myth of Popularity struck me. Every parent needs to know about the research she refers to which talks about the frequently inverse link between popularity in childhood and later success in life.  If your child is popular, you need to know what to do to ensure that he or she does not emerge from childhood with poor social skills. (more…)