Not only am I the eldest of six children, but my mother owns a preschool, so I grew up around a lot of kids! In fact, my first job was babysitting, my clientele was from my mom’s preschool, and I provided services on the weekends and at night. I am not an expert, but with years of interacting and observing kids, I have come up with some tips on how to raise a smart kid. Oh, and being a mother myself has really helped as well!

Read, Talk and Write

As a writer, I tend to read a lot. Before my son Max was born, I would read out loud, so he could hear my voice and get used to hearing words. I read to him the morning after he was born and I haven’t stopped. Although, Max’s vocabulary is still in its elementary stages, he is on his way to being a great communicator. Reading is an important activity that makes kids smart.

I also talk to him a lot. I am constantly communicating with him which not only forms a stronger bond, but also encourages him to communicate with me.

Max already has a “journal”. Whenever I journal, he does too. He has one crayon and scribbles in his journal. Not only is he getting used to using a writing tool, but it is a quiet activity we can do together that is stimulating his mind.

Interact and Love

Loving, cuddling, hugging and attention are all needed for brain growth. Why? Well we are human and we need interaction. If we don’t get it, we can become depressed. It is no different for children.

Play and Exercise

Interacting and playing helps your child develop intellectual, social physical and emotional skills. When your child interacts with other children, they learn to express, combine ideas and learn that other kids have feelings too.

Not only is exercise good for your child’s body, but it increases blood flow to the brain and builds new brain cells.

The really cool thing about raising a smart kid is that they need you to help them along. They need the love and support of you. Personally, I think this is one of the greatest things about being a parent because I am becoming smarter too!