I want a brilliant child! And of course, you do too. As intentional parents, we all want to know how to raise a brilliant child. And we want to know how to teach him or her to be smart and intelligent.
And, the main reason for us all wanting to raise smart kids is probably because guiding our children to brilliance gives us a sense of parenting accomplishment. It’s us, giving them the best possible head start to enjoy a fulfilled life. And isn’t that what parenting is all about?
Since we all want to raise smart kids, here are 8 genius tips you can start using today to boost your child’s development and life skills.
Everything you need to know on how to raise a brilliant child
Before you read any further, please know that this post is not about raising a perfect child but rather about raising happy and healthy children and helping them be the best they can be … To me, giving our kids the best we can is an integral part of being an awesome parent. So if you’re wondering how to make your child brilliant or how to make your child a genius, you will probably not find the answer here.
Today we will discover the answers to common parenting questions including:
In a nutshell
this post will help you discover easy yet powerful hacks to raise smart kids who are happy and healthy
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may be compensated when you make a purchase after clicking a link, with no added cost to you.
Save how to raise a brilliant child
Click here to save this post for later in your parenting board on Pinterest and remember to follow the best parenting boards on Pinterest
Brilliant child definition
The dictionary defines brilliant as
Sounds great! That is definitely what I want for my kids. You?
But we need to remember, being brilliant presents itself in different ways for each child.
And, irrespective of those presenting ways, we have to remember, all kids have the potential to be brilliant.
In other words
the level of brilliance and its scope will vary but children all have the ability. All you need to do is identify the exact vocation of that brilliant capability
A mouthful, I know, but let’s delve into understanding that and discovering clever ways to help you help your child be brilliant.
Identify your child’s talents
The best way for kids to discover their skills is by being exposed to various opportunities.
This will help them find the amazing talent they can pursue in life. They need to identify their special ability and then learn how to be smart with it.
FOR EXAMPLE
Some kids are brilliant musically, others in creative art. Some show excellent mathematical or intellectual minds, while others shine on sports grounds.
It’s not about the scope of the talent
Identifying and building on their specific skill is what matters most.
The talents they have and enjoy need to be developed fully with the appropriate support and stimulation for your brilliant child to thrive.
Join the popular Awesome Parent Challenge
- it simplifies parenting skills with easy but powerful tips and hacks
- is a free 7-day email course
- will be delivered directly to your inbox
- includes amazing printable freebies
Let’s now look at ways to do exactly that
Understand brain development
When we understand how a child’s brain develops and grows we can use this knowledge to find easier ways to teach our kids how to be smart.
So, in order to boost brilliance, we first need to understand the mechanisms behind brain development.
HOW TO DO THIS
The best advice is to invest
* firstly in your own knowledge and understanding and
* then in developing your child’s brain with smart hacks
To make this easy for you, here are some of my best recommendations for understanding brain development. Choose the one that is appropriate for your child’s age, read it, understand it and then follow the brilliant child hacks below.
- Brain rules for baby
- Flourishing in the first five years
- The teenage brain
Favorite brilliant child resources
When raising your child to his or her fullest potential is a priority you need to invest in the best resources, and the next three deserve a mention as they’re a must-have in any intentional parent’s toolkit.
1. Brain stages
An excellent book to help you
I highly recommend you have a look at Brain stages
2. The whole brainchild workbook
When you want to be really empowered with
The whole brain child workbook is a must-have parenting resource
3. The free learning styles guide
To discover your child’s learning styles and
With the free kids learning guide you will be able to help them learn easier and focus better. Grab your copy and get started today.
Although it will really help you to work through resources like the ones above, I will give you the gist of brain development to get you started.
Brain development summary
When kids are young, they are exposed to social, environmental and emotional experiences. These experiences influence your child’s cognitive and brain development.
When early years are spent in a nurturing environment with daily exposure to loving care, brain stimulation and support, a solid foundation is laid. This foundation is important to form a basis for future brain and skills development.
Kids starting life without a stable foundation, often have more difficulty growing and learning at the same pace as others’ who did start off strong.
So be sure to provide your kids with a solid learning framework when they are young. You will find it a lot easier building on this when they are older, as opposed to trying to create a base when they are already at their school-going age.
However, even when the younger years were not used optimally to lay a strong foundation, this can still be overcome with some extra effort and training. Just, realize the problem and then invest in finding compelling ways to correct it.
Now, that we have reflected on the importance of
- providing a nurturing environment for kids to thrive
- starting to help kids learn as early as possible
- then develop their solid foundation to
- discover their unique talents and
- help them be brilliant
it is time to discuss the important hacks to help you raise a smart child. This collective list will provide you with a sensible strategy to stimulate multifaceted brain development
You can use it as the starting point to
This is the magic of teaching them how to be smart! Do not underestimate the power of these simple actions …
First, give it a try, as you will be pleasantly surprised at the huge impact it can have when done correctly and repeatedly.
Time to delve into those 8 powerful actions on how to raise a brilliant child
8 Genius tips on how to raise a brilliant child
We all want to raise smart kids and here are 8 genius tips you can start using today to boost your child’s development and social skills. The combination of these 8 clever activities will reveal to you, the secret to raising a brilliant child who knows how to be smart.
When you expose them repeatedly to these brain development activities, you will be able to watch them grow and become bright and vivacious children. You can grab a free copy of the brilliant child cheatsheet below available in a convenient, easy-to-use and download PDF format.
The joint effect of these activities will
- armor them with essential life skills
- stimulate their brain development
- imagination
- intellect and
- mental well-being
Now tell me as a parent, that is not exactly what you want for your child …
1. Do arts and crafts
Creativity, as well as fine motor skills, are enhanced by doing different creative projects.
And it is not about giving your child some craft supplies and then leaving them to have fun … Even though this is also good practice from time to time to stimulate their independent working abilities, the benefits of doing a creative project together are boosted
- when you join your child and
- guide their paint techniques, color mixing, sculpting and scissor use.
TOP TIP
Remember, when you join them though, creativity needs a free spirit that should never be discouraged. Joining them does not mean leading them.
Allow your child the autonomy to express their own thoughts and feelings. Don’t do crafts with a first prize result in mind and refrain from subduing their creative minds by enforcing reality.
As an example, when their minds need to create a picture of you with purple hair or one of themselves with a green hand … So be it!
Allow them to explore, This is the way they learn to think for themselves and be smarter for it …
Always allow them to
- express themselves,
- enjoy the project and
- discover the power of their own imagination
whilst you are near to teach them new skills, guide them with different techniques and simply be present to offer support.
Great activities in this category include
Three of my absolute favorites
- Learning Style activities
- it is all about learning whilst having fun
- Freestyle crafts
- provide kids with crafts supplies and let them decide what to create
- whilst you are there joining in the fun
- Easy sewing projects
- using a mini sewing machine and
- these great sewing school ideas for kids book
More great activities and tools
- Coloring
- grab your Free Coloring pages now and
- try our favorite coloring pencil set
- Paper crafts
- make gift cards together
- Play with Clay
- Painting activities
- Cutting and pasting exercises
Remember to grab your free copy of the Learning Styles guide
- with worksheets and activities
- to help you discover your child’s learning styles
2. Share a book
Science has repeatedly proven that reading to and with your brilliant child, from a young age, has immense benefits
- it expands your child’s vocabulary
- stimulates resourcefulness
- teaches him or her to listen and
- boosts intelligence
Magic, right?
Reading also nurtures their imagination and allows them to revel in a new world that unfolds with each book. And when you enjoy finding the benefits of reading, you can read more here.
When you want to achieve these learning benefits, simply invest your time and do the activities below
- Read a book together
- not only at bedtime but also
- during the day and
- especially on weekends to get the most benefit
- Give them an opportunity to tell a story
- and try using story cards or games
- to stimulate their imagination
- Page through a book without reading it
- and let them tell you the story based on the pictures they see.
- this is a great way to spark their imagination and
- get a glimpse into their beautiful minds
When you’re wondering
How can I make my child’s brain sharp
Read this free resource on how do I make my child smart and confident.
3. Be smart with music
Music has so much brain development potential. It unites the body and mind and stimulates intellectual and emotional growth. Music also has the ability to enhance memory skills. A must-have to thrive during school learning years.
How brilliant is that?
In other words, music is a means of therapy to heal the mind and soul and knowing this, why do we not use it more to help our kids grow?
Not convinced of the exceptional benefits of learning with music?
A neuroscience journal published a great article proving
- significant developmental differences between
- children playing an instrument and
- those who don’t
Mastering a musical instrument resulted in fast-tracked brain growth
- in areas of language
- speech
- reading and
- sound processing
Did you know, music can have such a huge impact on your child’s brain development. And now, don’t just know this fact, also gift your brilliant child this impressive load of benefits by simply exposing them to music.
Here are some great examples of how to achieve this
- Enjoy music together
- having a funky portable CD player makes this activity even more fun!
- Expose your brilliant child to music lessons, using
- a beginner guitar
- digital piano or
- keyboard
- starter violin or
- fun fiddle violin – a great way to start
- these are all great instruments to introduce your young child to the magic world of music
- Use music therapy techniques
- like these ones
- Listen to music together
- try different genres
- Teach them rhythm and
- let them dance
- Do music activities
- try these kinds of games for example
Special Bonus
Grab a copy of the 101 Family Happiness and Kindness Hacks now and have some fun together
4. Get up and move
Most of us, already know the loads of bodily benefits physical activity has.
Just as a reminder, here are some of the important ones:
- strengthening the heart
- improving lung capacity and
- supporting the immune system to better fight off infection
TOP TIP
Of course, these benefits extend to both you and your children, so be sure to join in the fun and get moving with them.
Let’s look at fun exercise examples
- Stretch the muscles by imitating animals.
- Be as tall as a giraffe
- small as a mouse
- mimic a hippo or
- a crocodile or
- roar like a lion
- These are actions kids adore, and you can find more animal parade ideas
- Have fun outside
- Ride a bicycle
- unicorn skateboard or
- adjustable roller skates
- Enjoy sport and
- be part of a team.
- Shake your sillies out
- just get up and move
- few things will lighten the mood as much as this fun activity
- look at these fun dance activities for more inspiration
5. Relax and breathe
It is very important to make time and just take it easy. End the rush of day-to-day living for a moment and do something relaxing.
This time-out period will benefit the entire family, helping you be less rushed, more relaxed and patient.
Excellent options for this activity
- Do yoga with your brilliant child of any age
- For easy poses on a cute kids yoga mat – my kids adore these!
- look at this great yoga infographic and
- more yoga fun ideas for kids
- or great yoga and meditation ideas that really work
- Teach them breathing techniques
- to assist in de-stressing and
- coping better in demanding situations
- these techniques are very useful at bedtime to get those little minds to shut down more easily
- Smell a flower.
- an interesting article was published on the relaxation abilities of sensory stimulants such as rose oil,
- give it a try
Check out this free calming tool to help you calm your kids down anywhere and at any time
6. Get lots of fresh air
Allowing kids to play outside is essential and has immense health benefits, like
- improving their health
- boosting energy levels
- establishing good sleeping patterns and
- improving immune systems
How many more reasons do we need? Have them spend time outside, daily if possible, and they will learn to:
- embrace the beauty of nature
- appreciate the wonders of fauna and flora and
- experience all those health benefits above
Outside activities can include
- Play in the garden or on monkey bars
- Plant and care for flowers
- Visit a play park
- Ride bicycle outside
- Play ball, run, kick and jump
- Take pictures outside with an awesome kidizoom camera – my daughter does love hers!
- Do homework or a craft project outside
- Go for a walk in the park or forest and do an activity
- Gather stones, leaves, and flowers and do a decoupage activity
7. Play freely
Playing freely stimulates creativity, imagination and healthy brain development. It is thus vital to allow children the opportunity to play alone to teach them independence and the value of quiet time.
Depending on their age you can get your children started in an activity and then walk away as they get engrossed.
The best part of this action is giving you some much needed time to get things done!
Remember to resist the urge to coach them on how to play and allow them to learn from their own mistakes.
Playing freely is about allowing them to play alone or with a sibling, enjoying an activity they love.
Our favorite alone time activity
Coloring! and not just any pictures the ones we created ourselves … You can check out our own coloring book here
More free play activities
- Enjoy drawing and coloring
- Any favorite brilliant child playtime activity
- Build a puzzle
- Read a book
- Play with building blocks
- Play with their favorite toys
Leave a comment at the end of how to raise a brilliant child
and let me know if your kids enjoy free play activities?
8. Share the love with your brilliant child
This is one of the most important actions. Sharing the love is all about sitting down, picking your kids up on your lap, regardless of age and tell them how much you love them.
Beacause with this simple action, you will create a moment for your child to feel
- loved
- cherished and
- special
And, they need that to thrive! Strong family bonds are built by sharing family traditions like these.
They will quickly learn they can curl up on your lap for a couple of minutes whenever they need to be comforted or feel safe.
And, that’s exactly what we want. This simple action
- will create a situation where the kids know they can easily reach out and
- share their feelings with you
More family tradition activities to try
- Have fun together sharing a family movie night
- with yummy popcorn mix or
- enjoying some of the 101 fun family happiness and kindness hacks
- How to transform Easter into a family tradition
Let’s summarize how to raise a brilliant child
The top 8 powerful actions to help you raise brilliant kids include
- Do arts and crafts
- Share a book
- Be smart with music
- Get up and move
- Relax and breathe
- Get lots of fresh air
- Share the love
Brilliant right?
Your next steps
1. Implement the above strategies
as the first step on your path of stimulating brilliance.
Love your kids unreservedly and thereby allow them to blossom and be proud of who they are.
2. Use free tools and resources to guide you
3. Invest in effective parenting tools and resources
4. And the last but most important step
Love your child! And, let them be kids … Brilliant kids in their own unique way. Kids who know how to have fun, laugh and feel happy. Make amazing memories together and allow yourself to sometimes just be a happy parent, no worries, or obligations, or rules …
And if you want to know the secret to
How do you raise a successful child
or in other words, how do I make my child successful in life, here is some of the best insider tips to help you
Brilliant child references
and share your favorite brilliant child hack. Which of the brilliant child tips are you going to try first?
Read more top parenting tips
- Healthy parenting advice to stay safe and sane during confinement
- Help your kids to stop worrying – plus free guide
- How to discipline your child and stop defiant behavior
- Raise Smarter Kids using 7 Powerful Actions
How to Master Motherhood
Get access to this free course now and take control of your mom life
Share how to raise a brilliant child post
Click here to save this post for later in your parenting board on Pinterest and follow the best parenting boards on Pinterest here.
Hi
Thank you for such an amazing article. You have touched almost every aspect to raise a healthy child. In todays time we missed most of the fresh air due to our overindulgence in phones so our children is learning same from us, But after reading your article I realized that fresh air is most important for not only children but for all of us.
Thanks for such a nice and informative article about kids. Your article was long but not was boring. You shared some new points. Those I never think before. Some people get angry at her kids. They think their kids are not brilliant. But they should understand that sing a song, skill in sports also talent. If anyone not good as a student that doesn’t mean he is valueless. We should keep in mind and should nursing their talent. Thanks again for such a nice article. I would like to share your post link with my friends.
Hi Jhon, I’m glad you enjoyed the article. You are so right, all kids are brilliant in their own way and as parents we need to discover and improve on these skills to help them thrive. Thank you for sharing!
This is a great post! I’ve spread the word on my social media. I noticed you listed Brain Rules for Babies, a book for the first five years, and one about the teen brain. I also have enjoyed The Whole Brain Child that can be applied throughout childhood. I wonder if you’ve heard about Brain Stages: How to Raise Smart, Confident Kids and Have Fun Doing It, K-5 by Patricia Wilkinson (that’s me) and Jacqueline Frischknecht, PhD. Brain Stages was just released in November. It’s a grade-by-grade guide through the elementary school years using brain research. The book has heavily researched developmental, social, and emotion tendencies, academic expectations, and more than 150 games and activities parents can do in the car, in line at the grocery store, or while doing chores to nurture brain development, have fun, bring families closer, resolve problems, and raise successful, well-adjusted kids. I’d love to exchange blog posts and such as it looks like we’re on a similar mission. Thanks for all you do for parents and ultimately the next generation! Trish
Hi Trish, thank you for your comment and sharing the post. I will definitely look further into Brain Stages. Congratulations with the publication, love the science behind it. I definitely believe we can collaborate further, send me an email (Estie@HealthyFamilyandMe.com) and let me know what you have in mind in terms of exchanging posts. I am inspired to learn more about your work. It is always exciting to see the awesome parenting support other professionals share. Looking forward to us working together in the near future! Estie
“ no worries or obligations NO RULES “ Wow , it’s that simple …….. and yet we spend our entire parenthood making a big deal about being a parent . Forgetting all along , how we loved it when our parents just let us be …. gave us space . And what’s brilliant really ??? A happy child , what more would one want .