How to raise smart kids?
What you are about to read does not dwell on the usual expensive toys and gadgets. Nor does this promote costly private classes and exclusive coaching. Momi Berlin shares with you practical and hands-on techniques to raise smart kids.
Who does not like to have quick-witted children? This is perhaps the reason that expensive educational toys and video games are a favorite purchase of parents for their little ones. Most parents would even enroll their toddlers in daycare centers and special classes offering advanced coursework. Pricey formula milk for brain and visual development is not a big issue, too. Parents just wanted to give what they thought is the best for their children. They want them to be smart kids.
The problem, though is, parents rush children to be smart and talented. Sadly, some toddlers were traumatized if forced prematurely into grown-up activities.
So again, how to raise smart kids the practical and hands-on way?
Know your children’s learning style
Learning is not a one-size-fits-all. We all have different learning styles, and so do children. As parents, it is best to know how your kid learns effectively.
The first type is those who could easily remember things if they repeat the words aloud. They enjoy group discussions and opt to have lessons explained orally. They are called auditory learners. The second kind is visual learners who learn through watching. They love doodling than listening and opt to write down instructions than see them demonstrated. The last type is the kinesthetic learners who learn best through hands-on activities and movements. They love to touch things to understand them.
To be a hands-on teacher to your toddlers, you need to know their learning styles. This way, you could better implement the best practice strategies into your daily lessons. This lessens stress to both the parent as the teacher and the child as the student.
Make learning fun
No toddler learns everything in one sitting. It entails repetition and dedication. For a child to avoid boredom, a parent should make learning fun. Think outside of the box. To learn texture, from example, let your kid touch sandpaper, wood, blanket, or a bar of granola. You need not to buy expensive books. Look around you, and everything in your house certainly has different textures.
Also, make learning not sound like a chore. Make it exciting. Now that your little one can differentiate texture, allow him to look for things that are soft and fluffy, grainy, or even rough and bumpy. The mere fact that he is looking for things makes him excited and giddy. Perhaps, he also imagines he is like a detective or on a mission.
Instead of buying laminated boards and flashcards, opt to print materials. There are many free resources online which provide homeschooling worksheets, photos, and the like. Shopee offers HP printers either for home office or homeschooling needs. Better download Shopee app for free from the App Store or Google Play.
Shopee offers HP Printers for homeschooling
Communicate with your children
Often, parents are tempted to buy educational toys for kids to play and then let them discover by themselves how to use them. It is better to talk to your children instead.
There would be times your little munchkins would love to just be around you. Turn off that television or put down that book. Surely your child would like to have a conversation with you. Entertain him. Do not just give him a toy to play or shoo him off.
Another option is to read to them. There are a lot of short story books one could buy in bargain bookstores. Or make use of the internet and YouTube. Watch or read children’s stories. Youngsters would surely love the graphics as well. Reading books is one of the most proven ways to make children smart.
Do smart things
Children model their parent’s actions. They do what they see adults do. Remarkably, toddlers learn by imitation. It is for this reason that most children develop a love for reading, for instance, because they often see their parents holding a book. They get to enjoy playing the piano or guitar because they would want to imitate their mom or dad. The same way that when youngsters see their parents doing smart things, they are most likely to do the same thing.
Feed your children right
The brain needs sufficient nutrients to function normally. Vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables are essential as they help boost memory. In keeping kids alert, their brain needs a steady supply of sugar. Carbohydrates found in dairy milk, whole fruit and juices, grains, bread, and cereals are the best sources of sugar or fuel.
Parents’ efforts to raising smart kids become futile if they provide inferior nutrition. Children tend to be weak and exhausted as well when they skip meals. Poor diet and missed meals are both not conducive to learning.
Explore and expose your kids to the outside world
Children need to know that there is life outside the house. Take them to parks, museums, the zoo or even to soccer and basketball games. Going outside will all the more make them understand the world around them. They will get to appreciate basketball games they only see on television programs. They will get to interact with real animals and hear their authentic sounds. Also, affordable out-of-town trips and even abroad are encouraged. The new places are stimuli that prompt kids’ inquisitiveness.
Lack of budget does not mean you cannot take your kiddos to the outside world. Again, books are a great source of information. If real-life adventures are not for you yet, ‘Reading can take you places you have never been before’ as what Dr. Seuss said.
The internet is by far the most popular source of information, so might as well use it to your advantage. Print from your HP Printer those well-known tourist destinations and let your youngsters identify the location of each. Again, traveling can take place within the comfort of your room. You can even be extra creative and transform a kid’s bedroom into a zone of fun and laughter. Bring Japan or Korea by decorating your darling’s room with snow made of Styrofoam and cotton. Or how about make cherry blossom trees out of tissue paper. Again, all it takes is your creativity and love for your child to learn.
Raise smart kids
Raising smart kids does no entail expensive educational gadgets and private coaching. Most of the time, it only demands your love for your children and your sincere aspiration to nurture their potential. You may not have all the luxuries in the world, yet still, could raise smart kids because they have your time, loving attention, and sincere love to their advantage.
Super love this one momi! Thank you for sharing. This is what I keep in mind also, to let my toddler explore, and use availbale materials around the house although I am always tempted to buy him educational toys. Ngayon na may pandemic, I bought him art materials nalang to add to his “activities”. I don’t force him to do anything. I am just here to guide him.