Raising a Superstar is not a lengthy, complicated book. Full of remembrances and anecdotes, it nearly reads like a memoir! Written exercises encourage parents to analyze their current parenting style, then to ponder possible changes in light of the book’s concepts.

Like a lot of other single moms, Khonsari juggled work, college, and parenthood. The good example of her Iranian parents, along with consistently applied, time-tested principles, helped her raise her superstar daughter, Nilou. Confident that other parents can do the same, Khonsari reveals how she did it. The principles of discipline, communication, and love play vital roles in raising confident, well-rounded, caring adults who embrace life with all its challenges.

Khonsari attributes her success in part to "enroll[ing] Nilou in a million different activities after school and on weekends: ballet, piano, tennis, Farsi, painting, you name it," and not feeling obligated to help her daughter with homework ("They can ask for help from teachers or classmates"). And when it comes to watching kids play sports? "Go to their games every couple of months or once a quarter, but not every weekend." This makes kids more independent, according to Khonsari. Is this an example of an overscheduled and under supported child? Maybe. Still, Nilou graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service - magna cum laude.

Khonsari encourages traveling with children to open their eyes and minds regarding other cultures and languages. Doing so, she says, prevents prejudice and builds appreciation for others. The author promotes eating together as a family, along with conducting a weekly family meeting, too.

The principles Khonsari advocates are not new; they’ve been around since the Bible. But she may suggest ways of applying them you might not have considered. Raising A Superstar clearly shows that children whose parents demonstrate confidence in them, who consistently love them, and who create memorable moments with them, will find success. Whether our children become college graduates or choose to follow a different vision, they can at least live their lives magna cum laude.