9 Incredible Habits for Raising Smart Kids
As parents, we want the best for our kids. That best also involves them being kind and smart. We want them to be smart enough to achieve whatever they wish in their lives.
This is our biggest dream, isn’t it?
Raising smart kids those who are equally kind and genuine!!
Can we accomplish it? Of course, we can!
Sometimes, it really bothers me to see kids’ anger and frustration played out on TV and in movies like it’s the natural part of growing up. Although, this isn’t always true.
Spreading the lie that all the kids have some sort of attitude problem is basically leading to all the troubles we are facing these days.
We all want our kids to live up to their best potential and excel in all areas of their life, but sometimes we might need a little help getting there.
Raising kids can be hard – and it actually is, but raising smart kids is a tough job. But we must remember, as parents we are the single most important influence our kids have. How we parent them really matters!
9 Incredible Habits for Raising Smart Kids
Before starting off with anything one sentence we as parents should keep telling ourselves is, “They’re kids and their brains are under construction.”
It is in our hands how we mold them and raise them into smart kids.
So, instead of dreading over all of it here are some ways I’m sharing with you some of the ways to raising smart kids:
Be Present And Connect With Your Kids
What I mean by, is not being present physically. Rather what I mean here is to be an undistracted parent.
The confidence others respond to that makes them say, “Oh! What an incredible kid” or “You’ve raised a smart and amazing kid” typically comes from feeling of connectivity to family at your very home.
Now, I’m not saying to spend all of your time with your kids – you won’t be able to do that either! You might want to try and engage with kids as often as possible.
For instance, playing board games or watching a movie together, logging those hours of connection with your kids will help him go out in the world and connect with others.
This is what makes them smart and sharp!
One of the main reasons why I think this works in raising smart kids is because as parents our family is our first ministry. And making hard sacrifices really pay off.
If I give you my own example, I work as a blogger who works her butt off to work from home and build a business. All with a dream of earning an income that allows me to stay with my kids. Although I had a corporate job, I left because I love spending time with my kids.
Now, I don’t say to leave your job and sit with your kids, but spending quality time with them and having open conversations will help a lot in raising kind and smart kids.
Lead Them To Follow Their Passion
There is always a passion building up inside our kids, right? Since the time they’re young they have a dream to become something. This is their passion!
Different kids excel at things they are skilled at and in which they are interested. The reason why this passion is crucial for kids is that it serves to keep them focused on something that matters to them.
Most of the time this passion or interests manifest through what we call as a talent. Maybe your kid is good at football, or artistry or any other ability. If the kid is motivated and driven to grow in that particular ability – it transforms into a passion!
The biggest WIN with having a kid with passion is, they’re less likely to be influenced by peer pressure, low self-esteem and bullying.
Teach Teens the Value of Grit
If you’re struggling with raising smart kids or you want to, there is this one powerful quality to develop in your kids – Grit.
Grit is probably one of the most influential qualities kids can develop and grow to live their best life.
Angela Duckworth points out in her Ted Talk below grit as passion and perseverance over the long term.
Our kids absolutely have the power to create their own path if they are passion-driven and they take the right actions long enough. Developing the ability like grit supersedes intelligence, talents, and the ability to overcome one’s own fears.
Instead of teaching our kids about intelligence and giving emphasis to them, we need to encourage them to set and win their goals in the long run.
Grit determines whether you’ll stay where you’re and for how long. Although how to teach grit is still unclear, teaching them the value of grit is very powerful in order for raising smart kids.
Encourage Struggle And Bravery To Speak Up
If we want to raise smart kids, we should develop skills like struggle and bravery in them. We want them to be smart – so we should make them be resilient problem-solvers.
Instead of always lending a hand right when they are stuck in something, we should let them struggle a bit. You will be surprised to see by doing this, they will eventually learn to solve their own problems and can too – literally anything if they put their minds to it.
It is important to let our kids step out of their comfort zone and have confidence in trying new things. Bravery comes in handy on many occasions in life.
When you pass a scary dog on the street, to when you have to admit you did something wrong to when you need to stand up for yourself.
If you are raising smart kids, it is vital to instill bravery in them.
You must teach them to stand for themselves, and by teaching them to have the confidence to say ‘No’, you are setting them up to become not just smart and incredible kids, but smart adults as well.
When we see kids who car articulates their feeling and who can speak up for themselves, we come away thing how smart a kid is.
That’s because it’s incredible when kids can advocate for themselves. This skill comes from family members and teachers who encourage kids to speak up and speak about their feelings and emotions.
This one skill is essential to be taught to your kids when you want to raise smart kids.
Praise Effort Over The Results
If your kid is constantly getting C’s in school but they work hard and avail every opportunity to do well, they should be praised as same as the student go get straight A’s.
Why?
Because of the efforts they put into working hard. I always encourage my kids to do their best, rest is not up to them. We know our kids tried best, then we must praise their efforts.
Intentionally offering praise and encouragement to the kids to take the right action is a key to success. When they take an initiative to do a task on their own – for instance studying without prodding, cleaning their rooms without asking them to do we must take a moment to reinforce that behavior.
They might not do the task as perfectly as you like, but you should feel great they too an imperfect action. And I must tell you, imperfect action is better than no action at all!
Appreciate Your Kid’s Unique Qualities
Every kid is unique in one way or the other. Different things are unique in different kids – from their sense of humor to style, and the way they learn and adopt things – are all part of what makes our kids who they are.
These little quirks make our kids stand out in the crowd. These unique qualities are what make them smart and incredible. By encouraging these quirks, we give them the confidence to be comfortable in their own skin and find the compassion to appreciate the quirks of others.
Also, for raising smart kids, teach them the importance of trying to do something new and different. This unique quality is essential to get exposed to new and different – it may be something that they will get to love and accept as a new challenge and passion.
This will be slightly different than their regular life of consistent homework and studying. They will need a good time, to blow off some steam and relax – which is great for their little minds as well.
Show Kindness and Empathy
One thing that studies show most of the kids these days lack is compassion and self-love. If you want to raise compassionate and kind kids, it is important for you to be one. This is the easiest way!
We need to model both compassion and kindness to others in front of our kids and to them as well. These qualities show them the importance of being kind and generous to others and oneself.
If we expect to simply leave it to the world to teach this to our kids, then I am sorry – it’s not really going to happen.
Kids are like recorders walking around doing and saying what they hear and see people doing. I have personally witnessed this in my very home, where my bad I shouted on the phone, which pretty much I shouldn’t. The next thing I know I heard the same thing over and over again all day long.
This is what we call ‘kids’!!
Well, this is a simple example of how quickly kids learn what you say and do. The point I’m trying to make here we have to teach them what love and compassion are by giving them.
Because, we want them to be instinctively walking around and seeking out the hurting, left out and unloved. We need to model healthy self-love and self-esteem!
Fill Their Heart With Love
Let’s consider a child’s heart like a bank. We all love our banks and we all want to see it full all the time.
Am I right?
Consider your kid’s heart like a bank where you need to deposit love just like you would like to deposit cash in your real bank.
You would want to fill your ban with as much cash as possible, frankly speaking, everyone does! The same way our children need all the love to fill theirs.
Now, how can we fill their love bank?
It’s by showing them love through encouragement and showing up whenever they need us. Withdrawals and usual defiance happen when there is a lack of love or when we criticize more than we show love.
If you’re parents who suffer from kids’ defiance, read our article on How to reverse defiance in children.
Remember, it’s hard to be a kid who cannot express his feeling like an adult. Most of the time they are struggling with complex emotions themselves. And they really don’t know how to deal with them.
Some days being with them and helping them in their struggle, giving all the love they want from you will ultimately result in more confident and smart kid and later an adult.
Encourage Your Child To Teamwork
The ability of a kid to work as a team, itself is a smart action. Teamwork makes the dream work, definitely!
Teamwork can be anything, playing on a local GAA team.
Working on a school project or assignment.
It’s even doing a fun chore together at home with family members.
Basically, there are plenty of ways for your child to develop teamwork skills. It is so incredible to see a kid to is deeply connected to peers and friends.
This opens his mind to a variety of things that, somehow, isn’t possible doing all alone. Parents who put help in making kids stronger and have deeper connections with peers end up having smart have brave kids.
Final Thoughts On Raising Smart Kids
Rasing smart and kind kids need time and a lot of patience. So keep your cool and keep up the good work, mama. Teach your kids to be positive. Teach them the importance of teamwork and how important it is to surround oneself with positive people.
I really hope you liked some of these tips on raising smart kids. If you have some more suggestions or tips that you personally tried with your kids, let me know in the comments.
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9 Incredible Habits for Raising Smart Kids
I am the Wife, Mommy, & Blogger behind All Moms Blog learning to run my own home and raise up kids while chasing my dreams. I work to support, inspire, and encourage moms in the journey of motherhood to make their lives easier without losing your sanity.
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I like that you pointed out the need of undistracted parenting and Grit.
Hi, Sissy! Thank you. Grit is so important! Once the child learns the abilities and potential he has and his long-term goals, he has the courage to overcome all the obstacles. And this is what we want for our kids.
Great article! I especially enjoyed and agree with the section on appreciate your kid’s unique qualities
Hi, Sarah! Thank you. Our kids are different and this I learned to have two kids f totally different nature. It’s important to give priority to each one’s uniqueness for them to shine in their own way.
You are right. Grit wins every time. It is better than talent, money or position. Just staying in there will win.
Hi, Julie! Thanks a lot. I completely agree with you.
This is something I’m so worried about getting right with my kiddo! Thanks for this post!
Hi, Nikki! Thank you. I’m so glad you found the post helpful.
Great post! I enjoyed reading it.
Hi, April! Thank you so much. 🙂
I think it is important for kids to not only strive academically but also to develop all those skills you mentioned like perseverance, team work, empathy etc. Interesting post, thanks!
Hi, Jenny! I agree with you. These skills are essential for kids to thrive in their lives not only as kids but later as adults.
This post is everything I dream of for my daughter! Thank you so much for sharing!! 💗
Hey, Michelle! Thank you. I am so glad it was helpful 🙂