Raising smart children is every parent’s goal.
Here are 7 tips to Raise Smart Kids:
1. Teach them about MONEY
My father is a CPA and my mother comes from New York’s financial sector… so you can only imagine the conversations at the dinner table.
Learning about money from a young age will open your child’s mind in so many ways and allow them to navigate their worlds from a totally new perspective.
Not only that, but it will also start teaching them good “money habits” from a young age.
Schools don’t teach our children financial literacy, so this will easily put them at an advantage in so many ways!
2. Teach them Another Language While They’re Young
One of the perks of being a child of immigrants is being bi-lingual. Research shows that learning a second language boosts problem-solving, critical thinking, and listening skills, in addition to improving memory, concentration, and the ability to multitask. Children proficient in other languages also show signs of enhanced creativity and mental flexibility.
Children pick up languages so easily. The younger they learn, the better!
If you struggle to teach them yourself you can send them to a learning center that offers language classes. Not only is this a great place to teach them social skills, but they will also learn a new skill!
3. Travel with Them
If you can afford to take your children to another country, do it.
Not only is this a great way to bond with your family, but it will show your children how diverse the world we live in is. It will teach your children culture through experience. I was fortunate enough to travel overseas as a young child, and looking back, I reflect upon how it changed my perception as such a young child.
The exposure is priceless, and something your child will thank you for in the future. I remember how amazed I was when I realized how big the world actually is.
As diverse as The United States may be, we still live in a “bubble.”
Hearing different languages and seeing how other people behave and interact with one another is so beautiful. Every culture is unique and offers its own “spice to life.”
4. Encourage Them to Read
The benefits of reading are endless. Reading improves literacy and grammar skills and other useful skills like empathy and concentration. It also improves memory function, increases general knowledge, and improves the quality of sleep we have.
Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people are reading these days, so encouraging your child to develop this skill from a young age will be fantastic for their growth and development.
5. Limit Technology Use
Oftentimes, we see parents throwing iPads at their kids as pacifiers. I get it, it’s not easy keeping them calm or busy, but this is not productive or helpful for their growth. In fact, it inhibits their growth.
If you’re looking for ways to keep them occupied, try playing a board game with them or sending them to activities instead. Even better, practice reading together or encourage them to pick up a book.
Cook with them, bake with them, do some arts & crafts, or get outside and spend some time in nature together.
6. Lead by Example
If your children don’t see you practicing good habits, they won’t either. Kids imitate what they see, especially, if they admire you.
Practice what you preach. If you want them to read more, either read with them or have conversations about the books they might be interested in reading. Stimulate conversations that will encourage them to follow the examples you set, or want them to adapt.
7. Inform them of Current Events
Keep up with current events. Show your children what is happening in the world and ask them questions to stimulate their minds. Ask them for their opinions and why they think it’s happening.
The exposure is important for a variety of reasons. It will encourage them to ask more questions which will help them develop critical thinking skills and future debate skills. Debating teaches children to analyze, rationalize, put forth comprehensive arguments, and disagree politely.
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