Raising Smarter Children

 

      

  

 

If you’re serious about wanting to raise a smarter child who has every advantage in brain, body and spirt, here are 7 new discoveries to simplify your life.

1.  Smart Is More Than A High I.Q.

I.Q. scores are very limited and often used to measure a gap between learning potential and actual performance in school or other settings.  It makes sense then, that I.Q. cannot possibly be the only hallmark of your child’s learning ability.  The I.Q. test cannot assess musical ability for example.

Your child is smart in so many ways, so never pressure your child for A’s, so much that he or she is anxious and unhappy.  Otherwise, your child’s desire to learn may shut down and you may not see their true precious talents.

Your child’s talents make him or her very unique.  Nourish each of these if you want a smarter, more well-rounded child, and you just may find you have the next Pavarotti on your hands.

2.  Give Your Child’s Brain A Big Boost With These Fats

Te World Health Organization and respected medical journals have proven that omega 3 fats like DHA and ARA (such as those found in fish oil) can give your child’s brain just the boost it needs for learning,  faster thinking and better memory.  One study even shows that Omega 3’s can reduce or eliminate ADD-ADHD symptoms.

Omega 3 fatty acids have thousands of health benefits and many doctors now recommend taking them in supplement form.  You’d have to eat pounds of fish to get the same amount of omega 3 oils and DHA found in a couple of fish oil capsules.

If you decide to supplement with omega 3 fish oil capsules or DHA, be sure to check with your doctor first.  Then check the quality because some are rancid and contaminated with toxins like mercury.  Toxins can be safely removed, but not all brands do this. 

One Omega 3 and DHA supplement our family takes comes from Norway and is certified the number one country in safety and quality by the organization with the most stringent safety standards in the world.

3.  Music Can Make Your Child Smarter

Controversy aside, new research from UCLA on The Mozart Effect says it has a molecular basis in the brain and improves spatial abilities.  Your child used spatial abilities in subjects like math and science. 

Several studies show higher I.Q. scores after listening to specific Mozart selections.  The Society For Neuroscience has more information on the brain benefits of listening to Mozart.

4.  Nature Does Not Always Have The Final Word In Your Child’s Learning and Brain Power

The nature vs. nurture debate is nearly endless in the scientific community.  Some think that nature and genetics are the most important factors in how “smart” your child is, but newer research says nurture and environment can actually play a bigger role.

Did you know that hugging and kissing your child can actually enhance learning by increasing a fatty substance covering the nerves?  This means faster thinking and better motor control.

I have a personal confession which shows just how powerful nurture can be when you want your child to be “smarte” and more successful in a certain area.

In front of the whole class, my high school math teacher told me I was “dumb” and would never understand higher level math.  I believed him and it devasted me for a very long time.

However, I decided right then and there that my children would never have to suffer in math the way I did.

Although they were both born 6 weeks early (by the way, Dr. Mavredakis, my daughter says this nips a lot of brain cells), I said to heck with genetics and did the following:

From their birth, I told them how brilliant they wre in math.  I never said anything about my experience in math.  I simply told them they were super smart in everything, and especially math.

The result:  my daughter, Dr. Mavredakis, won advanced placement math contests with her high school classmates and fulfilled her life long dream to become a pediatrician.  My son graduated from a very highly rated four year private university and now works with special needs children.

So much for nature, I’ll opt for nuture every time.

My point to you is that you can empower your children by building them up.  Make a very big deal out of their accomplishments in everything.  Never take them forgranted and tell them you love them every day.  Say positive things to them and you may find that you can overcome any type challenge nature tosses their way.  I’ve read thousands of stories, and one day will share my own, of how people overcame the worst possible diseases, against all the odds.  It is your mental attitude that makes all the difference, and will help your children be the best they can possibly be.

5. Parents Mold Their Child’s Character, Attitude and Behavior

Dureing the first five years of your child’s life, doctors, parent experts and child psychologists say that you are the primary person who helps shape your child’s character, attitude and behavior.

However, unless you find out all you can about good parenting, you’re likely to re-create the most difficult parts of your own childhood. 

Children model what they see, so giving them unconditional love, advice, intructions, and specific ways to make tough choices when they need to, will do more for their character, behavior and attitude than any other thing.  You’ll be raising your child on purpose and not by chance.

My favorite book on this subject is called, Have A New Kid By Friday.  It’s the best I’ve ever read and I highly recommend you keep it close at hand when you’re raising your kids.

6.  Brain-Body Connection:  Smarter Foods Equals Smarter Kids

In 1997, I wrote a book called, What’s Food Got To Do With It? 101 Natural Remedies For Learning Disabilities.  Medical science has now proven beyond a doubt that there is a strong connection between food and learning.

In the book, I gave some tips to help you choose great foods to help your child when you’re at the grocery store.

Because the Centers For Disease Control states we have an obesity and Type II diabetes epidemic, your child’s diet can often prevent both of these.  The smarter child tip:

Keep your home filled with healthy foods (remember you’re the one buying them), add fruits, vegetables (even if you have to hide them in the food), and as many organic proteins like fish, meat and eggs as you can.  Organic foods don’t have the antibiotics and hormones in them that are harmful to you and your family.

Want a smarter test taker?  Have your child eat some protein before the test.  No sugary snacks or their blood sugar levels will rise and fall quickly and they can’t focus as well.  Protein will stabilize the blood sugar levels and improve learning, focus and memory.

The bottom line - food impacts your child’s learning ability and behavior.  Show that you care for your child’s health and learning by reading more and asking your doctor what is healthy and what is not.

7.  Belief In A Higher Power Can Make A Child Smarter Too

Kis who belive strongly in a higher power are more likely to make smarter choices in tough situations.  Their belief can be the conscience that helps them understand that every action has a consequence, what is good and what is not.

You may want to look into programs that instruct your child about God, spirituality or a higher power because it can help them behave with more integrity and act in a kinder, more loving way.

Remember, all childre are smart!

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

If you like this post, click the share button below and help spread the word through Digg or other social communities.  Just join the commuity (it’s free) and paste in the web url of the post you like. Thank you.

P.S.  If you like the informaiton in this post then visit our website http://www.HowToLearn.com for more information.

 

Tags: ADD, ADHD, adhd symptoms, CDC, DHA, Dr. Kevin Leman, Erin Mavredakis, fish oil capsules, gap, Have A New Kid By Friday, health benefits, i q scores, I.Q., learning ability, medical journals, musical abilitiy, new discoveries, omega 3's, Pat Wyman, pavarotti, raising smarter kids, raising smarterchildren, smart, Smarter kids, The Mozart Effect, type II diabetes