Raising A Champion: 9 Secrets on How to Raise Smart Children

Every parent wants to raise a smart child. The reason is quite obvious, a person’s intelligence directly affects their chance for success. However, raising a smart child is not a walk in the park. But, it’s not too hard either. There are a lot of things that you can do to improve your child’s IQ! 

Research conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH) found that 50% of the child’s intelligence is from their genes, meaning there are children who are naturally born intelligent. They got it from their parents. While the other 50% comes from external factors which include the child’s environment! 

The good news is you have a 50% chance of raising an intelligent child. If you get the key “ingredients” that play a crucial role in your child’s cognitive development, their chance of growing into a smart child is significantly increased! 

Here are the top 9 secrets on how to raise smart children: 

Build a reading habit early

Different research still conducted by the NIH found that there is indeed a direct correlation between reading and intelligence. Children who read are more likely to be academic achievers in school. On the other hand, children who do not read are less likely to be successful in their academics. 

Start by choosing the right book for your child. The National Literacy Trust found that children are more engaged in personalised books because of their relevance. It also gives the child a “sense of ownership” in the text that they are reading, an important element in perceiving oneself as a reader (Dymore and Griffiths, 2010). 

Build Your Child’s Social Skills 

Children learn so much from their environment, from other children, and from the other adults that they meet. Building your child’s social skills is a very important element in raising a smart child. By building a child’s social skills, they become more aware of people’s characteristics and behaviours. These factors affect the way your child behaves as well. 

Get them school ready before they start school

Raising a smart child means you also have to build a love for learning even before your child starts school. Building a habit of learning early is a game-changer in your child’s life. 

Getting them ready before they start school is giving them a head-start for their academic years. Studies show that children who are not school-ready fall behind their peers and most never catch up! 

Limit and Reduce Screen Time 

Healthy entertainment screen time should not exceed 2 hours a day. Increased screen time lessens your child’s physical and social activities, and it distracts them from doing important things. To raise smart children, you must be strict when it comes to screen time. Instead, encourage activities that exercise the brain like reading, playing with puzzles, and board games! 

Assign chores 

According to a study, whether or not kids had duties as young as three or four was the best indicator of achievement in young adulthood. When children are given responsibilities at an early age, they become more disciplined and grow up to become responsible adults. 

Give undistracted attention to your child 

Research conducted by Common Sense Media found that 28% of kids say their parents are addicted to technology. Discipline is not only for the child but for the parent as well. Raising a smart child also means you have to be disciplined yourself. Clear off your schedule to have alone time with your child, and keep off your gadgets. 

Don’t jump in to help right away 

Experience is a great teacher, so allow kids to make mistakes and solve small problems on their own. I know it’s parental instinct to help your child at the first sign of distress, but sometimes, holding back gives them the chance to grow through learning from their own experiences. Allow self-discovery, their natural instinct will help them. 

Establish a good bedtime routine

Studies show that there is a correlation between increased intelligence and a good sleeping routine. It’s crucial to make sure your children are receiving the right amount of sleep if you want to raise intelligent and successful children. Children should get atleast 8 to 10 hours of sleep a day. 

Exercise their brain regularly 

The brain needs exercise too! Reading is the best way to exercise the brain as it improves cognitive skills and widens your child’s vocabulary. Solving word puzzles like crossword, number puzzles like Suduko, jigsaw puzzles, board games like scrabber and chess, and riddles are also great ways to exercise the brain!