7 Tips for Parents to Raise a Smart Child

Most parents want to raise a smart child. You probably want your kid to be kind, hard-working, sociable and have several other positive qualities. Those are certainly traits of a well-rounded child that can grow into a responsible and successful adult.

When it comes right down to it though, you’ll probably never hear a parent say they don’t want their child to be smart. The problem is that sometimes parents expect learning to happen eventually. They think that as children grow they naturally and automatically become smarter.

This is not always the case.

As a child’s mental capacity grows, she is going to be able to absorb more of the world around her. She learns by example and eventually becomes smarter because she is capable of physically and mentally doing more. However, you shouldn’t assume that your child’s brain is going to automatically grow as she ages.

What many parents don’t know is that a child’s brain doesn’t grow at a specific rate as the child gets older.

That’s pretty scary stuff, right? Don’t worry. There are things you can do at any age to help your child become smarter. It starts with the quality of the experiences you provide.

The More Complex the Interaction, the More Your Child’s Brain Grows

Your child’s brain is dynamic. This means it is always changing. It’s either improving or degenerating. What causes the human brain to stop growing and start degenerating?

This happens when your child is not provided with a wide range of experiences.

This powerful influence begins in the crib. The more you help your child engage the five senses, the more cellular connections (synapses) are created in the brain.

This accelerates brain development.

It doesn’t mean that you should be bombarding your child 24 hours a day with sensory input. It does mean that when your child’s talents and abilities are being used, brain growth gets a boost.

Even if you have a child with incredible abilities and talents, you can’t let them lie dormant. If they are not used and exercised regularly, a gifted child can suffer greatly.

7 Tips to Boost Your Child’s Mental Growth

How do you keep your child engaged and keep that brain thinking and growing? Here are 7 proven practices to keep your child’s intellectual level growing and improving.

1 – Start early – Learning should start in the crib. This means talking and singing, making physical gestures and engaging your child’s senses.

2 – Talk to your child – Talk even though there appears to be no engagement, and when your child is very young. You should also listen when your child attempts to talk, even if he’s just babbling incoherently. This boosts communication skills and tells your child his talking is a positive thing.

3 – Read to your child – This is an easy way to make sure you talk to your child frequently. Read even at an age where your child doesn’t understand the words. This has been proven to give children a jumpstart in developing language skills.

4 – Interact, cuddle and play with your child – Studies show that children which were not held, coddled and shown love from their parents had stunted brain growth. Love can be expressed, but needs to be shown by your actions as well as your words.

5 – Encourage playtime – Playtime is a learning experience. Kids are developing important mental skills as well as physical motor skills when they play. They’re not just having fun.

6 – Get your child reading – It is well-known that children who love to read have an easier time as kids, teens and adults. The more a child learns from reading, the more they want to learn even more. This is perhaps the simplest way to ensure your child will be mentally better prepared for childhood and adulthood than the average kid.

7 – Promote exercise – Exercise happens with any physical activity, like playtime. You should also promote regularly scheduled exercise sessions. This teaches your child to take care of his body, how to stick to a schedule, and it boosts mental sharpness as well as physical health and strength.

You want to raise a smart child. All parents do. Use the tips we just shared and you’ll give your child the best chance at growing up not only smart, but with the powerful self-esteem and confidence that comes with intelligence.