Every parent’s dream is to raise smart kids. However, educating children to grow smart is not instant and requires many things for parents to do. Neuroscientist and psychologist from Harvard University, Lisa Feldman Barrett provides 5 tips for parents so that children’s brains develop.
5 Tips To Raise Smart Kids
1. Don’t Force Children’s Interests
One thing that parents need to remember is not to force children to become the desired figure. It will only make children dislike the activities they are forced to do. Children should be more free to try many opportunities that can bring out what their interests are. Parents must understand their child’s interest in something and they need to provide a suitable platform for the child to develop their interests.
2. Teach Children a Variety of Vocabulary
Parents are encouraged to teach a variety of vocabulary for neural grounding. The study entitled “Linking Language and Cognition in Infancy”, explains that children aged several months do not understand the meaning of many words. Children need to be taught emotional words, such as sad, happy, and frustrated. This will make children acquainted with emotions and will facilitate appropriate behavior.
3. Give Children Explanations
Children must be given an explanation about something. That way the child’s brain can build concepts about actions and self. For example, when someone lies, don’t say ‘he lied’. You can explain why someone is lying and continue the discussion about it with the child, so they will be trained to think critically.
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4. Encourage Children to Imitate Parents
Children will usually learn by imitating their parents, as well as watching and playing. Therefore, parents should do positive activities. For example, children can be given a small broom or garden shovel. So they can clean the house with their parents, and children will know the importance of keeping the house clean.
5. Introduce Children to the Surrounding Environment
This activity can be done before the child reaches toddler age. According to research, babies who frequently interact with language speakers can maintain a critical brain structure, so they can learn other languages in the future.
Source : CNBCIndonesia
