Mom and dad of 14-year-old prodigy share their No. 1 parenting rule

Plus, how to set boundaries with a frenemy

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE Friday, June 30, 2023 CNBC Make It Life helps you lead a healthier, richer and more fulfilling lifestyle. By Aditi Shrikant Parents of 14-year-old prodigy share their No. 1 rule and how it helped their son Mike Wimmer is a certified child prodigy. The 14-year-old from Salisbury, North Carolina, is a Mensa member who earned his high school, associate's and bachelor's degrees all within the past three years. He has also run two tech companies, started a third one, and partnered with a Bermuda-based organization to help control the population of lionfish, an invasive species.    Growing up, his parents Melissa and Mark "never pushed" him to do homework — but they were adamant that he be social.    "I'll be honest, people expect 'Young Sheldon' before they meet Mike," Melissa says. "Then, after speaking with him, they realize he's just a normal 14-year-old that happens to be able to do absolutely amazing things."   Instead of home-schooling Mike, an avenue many parents of prodigies take, Melissa and Mark put their son in environments with lots of age diversity.    Now, Mike is a self-described extrovert who at age 11 won homecoming court for his high school sophomore class. His friends range from the kids he grew up with, to 20-somethings in his college classes at Carolina University, to adult co-workers.   The Wimmers are proud of helping Mike ensure his "social skills were in line with his intellectual skills," Mark says.   "Let [kids] be who they are and just support it," he adds. "You've just constantly got to keep your finger on the pulse of how they're growing and what they need." Read More Want a gentler form of exercise? Try 'soft-hiking'  Lucy Hird and Emily Thornton were roommates in Manchester, U.K., when they first decided to go on hikes together during the Covid pandemic.   The two recognized early on that they struggled to enjoy hikes because they were paying more attention to completing the route in record time, rather than just enjoying the experience. This propelled them to create a new concept: soft hiking, which encourages people to protect their peace by prioritizing relaxation and reducing stress.    A soft hike typically involves:  Listening to your body. Making sure you've eaten enough. Taking breaks when you need to. Not pushing yourself too hard. Stopping to see things that interest you. Hird and Thornton's excursions last from seven to eight hours. They eat breakfast before heading out and pack lunch for their journey.   "Soft hiking is being soft with yourself, so it's not necessarily about walking for less time or [going] on a softer route," Hird says. "[It's] different for everyone." Read More How to Talk to People: Set boundaries with a frenemy using these 3 steps Knowing you have to see someone you don't get along with can be anxiety inducing. But even more toxic than a negative relationship can be an ambivalent one, researchers suggest.    A frenemy can cause you more distress than a straightforward enemy, according to a 2005 study. Why? The unpredictability and discomfort that comes from not knowing whether you'll be met with a smile or a passive-aggressive dig.    The best way to protect your health with a frenemy is to set boundaries, says Nedra Glover Tawwab, author of "Set Boundaries, Find Peace." Here are her three steps to get you started:  Unlearn self neglect: "Self-neglect is not a way to show how much you care for others," Tawwab says. "In relationships, both parties can choose what they want and need." Tell yourself that you deserve to have preferences, and don't feel bad for acting on them.  Get comfortable saying "no": You only have so many hours in the day, and spending them with someone who may or may not be nice to you doesn't have to be a priority. Say "no" when you aren't up for an experience that might be toxic. Use "I" statements: When drawing a boundary, don't talk about what the other person is doing. Talk about what you need. For example, if you want to stop grabbing lunch with your negative co-worker, don't make it about their actions or attitude. Instead, you can say, "I just need some alone time midday and these lunches are the only time I can get it."  Read More Speed Read: 3 tiny habits to help you boost happiness Neil Pasricha has written 10 books and journals on happiness, gratitude, habits and resilience that share how to cultivate a positive mindset amid chaos.   "The news is full of reasons why so many Americans feel unhappy: social media addictions, economic fears, climate change and the decline of social trust, just to name a few," says the New York Times bestselling author. "But we rarely talk about reasons to be happy."    Here are three research-backed practices Pasricha does every day to feel happier: Wake up and look at his ikigai: Ikigai is a Japanese word that roughly translates to "the reason you get out of bed each morning." Pasricha and his wife write down their ikigai every night before bed and read them before they get ready for the day. "It serves as a north star and helps us wake up with a sense of purpose," he says.  Walk three miles a day: Physical activity boosts happiness, is good for your health, and can even improve creativity.  Follow the "wear one suit" rule: Happiness rises when you don't allow your mind to wander and you focus on doing one thing at a time, research suggests. His "wear one suit" rule helps him devote his mental energy to the tasks he needs to accomplish that day, as opposed to his outfit.  Read More Upside Stephanie Harrison of The New Happy for CNBC Make It Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend  and subscribe. Unsubscribe Digital Products Manage Newsletters Feedback Terms of Service Privacy Policy Join the CNBC Panel © 2023 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal.   900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632   Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. 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