Raising an Einstein is complicated. Every kid is unique, with special innate abilities and personality traits. Yet, there’s no doubt that environmental factors determine one’s development, so parents play a crucial role in raising an intelligent child.
But what is intelligence? Is it about getting high grades at school, having impressive IQ scores or retrieving complex memories? Well, the truth is that there’s no consensus about the definition of intelligence. Philosophers have tried to discuss its nature, neuroscientists have tried to explore the neural networks involved in intelligence, and psychologists have tried to create valid tools to measure IQ. Still, nobody can define this invisible creature.
The only thing that’s certain is that there are many forms of intelligence. From social skills to logical thinking, everyone is smart. What’s more, parents can boost their child’s skills by praising their efforts, dancing with them, and promoting their learning. In fact, some celebs, such as Angelina Jolie and the Kardashians, have tried to foster their children's talents by taking them to different classes and promoting a growth-mindset.
In the end, there’s a genius inside all of us. As Socrates said, "I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing."
25 Is IQ Fixed At Birth?
The nurture-nature debate is one of the most controversial scientific topics. Psychologists claim that a person’s IQ is not fixed at birth. What’s more, according to psychologytoday.com, IQ scores do not necessarily reveal people's native intelligence. Although we all have innate abilities and talents, children absorb their surroundings and learn new things at a rapid pace.
Therefore, parents should provide a stimulating and safe environment to help kids play and learn all at the same time. After all, there are various forms of intelligence and every kid is unique.
24 Are Boys Smarter?
The biological differences between men and women are obvious. Yet, when it comes to people’s cognitive development, research shows that it's only environmental factors that impact gender-based differences in brain structure. With trends like gender-neutral parenting, more and more parents wonder if our gender differences are not artificially created.
Although grades can’t be the only factor to reveal one’s intelligence, data shows that girls perform better at school. Sadly, teachers and parents still praise boys more. The myth that boys are smarter still exists. Did you know that Google searches for "Is my son gifted?" are higher than those for "Is my daughter gifted?"
23 The Duggars: Buddy Teams and Social Development
The Duggars are perhaps one of the most famous and controversial families around the world. With their strict beliefs, harsh upbringing, and "different" family rules, you might think that the Duggars are not very smart. Yet, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have managed to teach their kids (and counting!) responsibilities and values in order to create an empire.
The Duggar buddy teams, or the creative method used by the Duggars to raise their kids, had helped the Duggars gain vital social, intra-personal, and emotional skills.
22 Reading Improves Speech Development
Intelligence is a complex concept. There are many forms of intelligence. Linguistic intelligence, for instance, is the ability to process information through words. Reading, in particular, can be extremely beneficial. It engages our brain, and apart from making verbal connections, it fosters visualization and imagination.
Therefore, experts encourage parents to read to their kids. It’s never too early to start reading to your newborn; even only 15 minutes a day can make a difference later in life. What’s more, reading can improve a child’s literacy and speech development.
21 Memory Games & Intelligence
Intelligence and memory are two different constructs. Juggling many memories at once is a sign of high intelligence. Interestingly, according to livescience.com, working memory can predict one’s IQ scores and even social intelligence. Researcher Steven Luck said, "I could predict an individual's overall intellectual ability essentially with 79% accuracy if you tell me what their working memory capacity is." Which means that if one improves their working memory, they can improve their intelligence.
Therefore, parents can play memory games with their kids in order to help them develop different cognitive abilities.
20 Jim Carrey: Is It Bad?
Jim Carrey is definitely highly talented and artistic. Unlike the Duggars, Carrey does not have 19 kids. The great comedian and his beautiful daughter Jane Erin Carrey, have always had a good relationship. He’s always been a supportive dad who's helped Jane create a growth-mindset. In fact, Jane used her own skills to find her fame in life.
However, we may wonder if Jim Carrey is like his character Lloyd Christmas. His views on medicine have triggered numerous debates. Carrey Tweeted he doesn’t support vaccines due to the compounds they contain.
19 Playing With Blocks Leads To Better Spatial Intelligence
Spatial intelligence is another crucial form of intelligence. It’s the ability to create images in your mind and navigate space. Spatial awareness is crucial in driving, for instance. In addition, according to serioslyaddictivemaths.com, recent studies show that spatial skills support arithmetic and science abilities later in life.
Therefore, moms and dads should encourage their kids to play with blocks, puzzles, and crafts. No doubt that such games do not have gender. Girls should be allowed to play with Lego pieces, just like boys with Barbie dolls.
18 Measuring IQ: Pros & Cons
IQ tests are controversial. The reason why immigrants in the 20th century did not score well was simple, though: they couldn’t speak English. On the other hand, experts claim that non-verbal tests favor men.
So, instead of measuring your child’s IQ, parents should understand that there are two forms of intelligence: fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence. Fluid intelligence is defined as the innate ability to reason and adapt. Crystallized intelligence, on the other hand, is the accumulation of knowledge.
17 Physical Activities Benefit Motor Intelligence
Physical intelligence means a lot. It’s the ability to understand and love your body. Physical activities, stretches, sports, and healthy food can only benefit one’s physical intelligence. What’s more, hiking and outdoor activities can be great bonding activities. In addition, having a healthy life is essential for child development.
Motor skills, on the other hand, are vital. Parents can support their child’s fine motor skills by playing with blocks and Play-dough with them. Let your child create a mess and explore their skills and surroundings.
16 Angelina Jolie: International Life And Homeschooling
Angelina Jolie is definitely a beautiful mom. Her kids Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox enjoy being home-schooled at their expensive mansion in Los Feliz, CA. Angelina is trying to boost their knowledge as well as talents. The actress is encouraging all types of intelligence, so her kids are learning languages, reading, acting, and so on and on.
What’s more, Jolie travels the world with her kids. By exploring new cultures, languages, social phenomena, and various issues, her kids can gain high existential intelligence.
15 Love Can Create A Growth-Mindset
Since one’s surroundings affect their intelligence, parents should provide a loving environment. Creating a growth-mindset can improve a child’s social and emotional skills. Believe it or not, only by praising your child, you can improve their IQ scores.
A study showed that words can be powerful. Elementary school teachers told a group of students they were smart. By the end of the year, the "smart" children got higher IQ scores than the other kids. So believe in your child, mama, and tell them you love them.
14 Plant The Seeds Of Natural Intelligence
We all have heard of artificial intelligence, right? While tech advancements are wonderful, natural intelligence is also a crucial type of intelligence. Biology and nature play a vital role in our talents.
Kids with high natural intelligence are naturalists. They love learning about animals, plants, and planets. They love tending plants and caring for animals. Spending time outside can also improve a child physical or bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. So, let your child play with mud and eat ants. And who knows, maybe you can raise another Darwin!
13 Emotional Intelligence Means A Lot
Emotional intelligence is perhaps the most important form of intelligence, described by the famous psychologist Gardener. It helps people understand other people’s feelings and motives; it also facilitates communication. Interestingly, not all geniuses are emotionally intelligent, and vice versa. Note that people who score above 160 are considered to be geniuses.
By talking about feelings and interactions, parents can foster their little one’s social and emotional skills and increase their emotional intelligence. Self-awareness and intra-personal intelligence play a crucial role, so give your child the chance to explore their identity.
12 Katie Holmes: Can Money Buy IQ?
The jagged relationship between Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise can’t change the fact that their daughter Suri is adorable. In an attempt to stop Tom Cruise from indoctrinating their kid with his beliefs, Katie enrolled Suri in a private Roman Catholic girl’s school.
According to puzzups.com, now Suri attends another expensive school where she enjoys high-tech learning and foreign languages. With an annual fee of $40,000, we can only wonder if money can buy us intelligence!
11 The Melody Of A Child’s Mind
Newborns and children love music. In fact, music has a soothing effect already in the womb. Therefore, we can’t ignore the importance of musical intelligence. Musical intelligence is defined as the ability to recognize sounds, tones, and rhythms.
It’s been proven that both talent and practice matter, so in order to improve your child’s musical intelligence, parents can let their little one choose an instrument or a dance class. Funny enough, although I can’t sing at all, my 23-month-old is great at copying melodies and even singing.
10 Math Can Improve Logical Thinking
Logical skills and abstract thinking are essential. Interestingly, expert Flynn said that IQ scores are increasing as people today have to deal with hypothetical situations instead of immediate dangers. Logical intelligence is defined as the ability to think abstractly and solve problems.
Math can improve one’s logical thinking, so encourage your child to solve math problems. Show little kids shapes, objects, and numbers. Interestingly enough, physical activity can also improve a child’s intelligence as it leads to the release of beneficial hormones. Simply make math fun!
9 Existential Questions & IQ
Existential intelligence is a curious form of intelligence. It helps people think about life, it makes them question the universe and a higher power. Of course, kids do not have high existential intelligence. According to verywellmind.com, the famous psychologist Piaget defined four stages of cognitive development in kids. The last stage, the formal operational stage, is when teens can actually start thinking abstractly and deal with moral and philosophical questions.
So, do not be afraid to talk about social issues with your teen. Help them find their place in life.
8 Talking Improves Inter-Personal Intelligence
It’s not a secret that emotional and social intelligence are two factors that can lead to smooth communication and better well-being. People who are aware of their own feelings and thoughts can understand the world better. As explained above, intra-personal intelligence - or self-awareness - is vital.
Interpersonal intelligence, on the other hand, is also connected with one’s intra-personal intelligence. Inter-personal intelligence is defined as the ability to understand other people’s opinions and communicate with them. In fact, chatting and storytelling can help parents foster their little one’s verbal and social intelligence.
7 The Power Of Languages
Although learning a language is hard, it's one of the most efficient ways to keep your brain flexible. Learning a foreign language can increase one’s intelligence and prevent cognitive delays in adulthood. In addition, studies show that bilingual kids perform better at school.
Therefore, parents should encourage their kids to learn a second language in order to boost their knowledge, verbal fluency, and social skills. Last but not least, a new language can help kids understand the world they’re living in and pop their social balloon.
6 Do Smart Kids Succeed At School?
Experts today know that IQ scores and performance at school do not necessarily correlate. Edison even said, "I was at the foot of my class." Yet, as mentioned above, knowledge acquisition can improve a person’s crystallized intelligence. By reading, solving math problems, and even exercising, kids can become better individuals.
Help your kid do their homework with love and laughter. Praise them and encourage them to take risks. Learning from past mistakes can only improve one’s reasoning. As explained above, boost their growth-mindset and self-esteem.