Intelligence is largely objective and is characterized by creativity, curiosity and even genetics. There is no one way to embody, measure, or aspire to high intelligence, even if you are a professional. “Intelligence reflects the general ability to process information, which promotes learning, understanding, reasoning and (and) problem solving,” Linda S. GottfredsonPh.D., and professor of education at the University of Delaware in Newark, told WebMD.
However, there are ways parents can help all the traits that influence intelligence flourish.
Here are the seven ways to promote high intelligence in your children, according to a college advisor:
“I have been surrounded by incredibly smart people, in high school, in college, and even in graduate school,” college counselor YJ Heo on TikTok explained in a recent video on cultivating intelligence. “I’m not a parent, but this is what I learned from these very successful people.”
Heo offered specific guidance for parents who want to prioritize learning and science activities for their children.
1. Embrace worldly dinner table conversations
Of course, children are children and they deserve to have carefree fun. At the same time, there are situations where you should talk to your children as if they were adults.
They may not fully understand it, but simply sitting at the dinner table and listening to complex discussions between their parents can help them absorb current events. It will also teach them how to appreciate and participate in healthy discourse.
Encourage them to contribute. Share your problems at work, as parenting creators Janyl Smith and her husband at the end of the day with their daughter Summer.
“It is absolutely inevitable that these children will become smart because they talk about the world around them,” Heo explains. “They are forced to find out what is going on, to report on it and to talk about it.”
2. Encourage reading
Children from families that read a lot are more successful with reading comprehension and early cognition than their peers.
Particularly as technology grows and the consequences of screen time become more apparent, these children will enter school miles ahead of their peers – grounded in curiosity and with a strong practical foundation for learning.
“Over time, this knowledge building, information processing, background and understanding of how other smart people think allow children to process information more efficiently,” Heo said. “But you want to let your child read material that he or she is interested in.”
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3. Introduce them to new things
For Children who do not have innate curiosityHeo said that parents should make efforts to introduce them to learning opportunities.
Whether that means taking them to museums, playing classical music around the house, or openly embracing your own hobbies, you need to make the leap between your children’s potential and success.
Stand up for your kids and stand up for yourself, even if it means educating yourself on a few worldly issues, reading your first book in a few decades, or make room for your own hobbies.
4. Discuss popular topics in entertainment and media
Of course, not every moment of your life and routine can be focused on reading or completely focused on a curated learning experience. Pop culture is also important to discuss.
“You’re not just there to be entertained; you are there to find out the meaning behind it,” Heo noted. “All the movies, all the books, all the articles… talking about them activates a child’s mind.”
More importantly, teach them that learning is fun.
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5. Be a hands-on coach
The most creative and intelligent children often come from supportive environments where they were coached in embracing their authenticity, achieving their goals and creating healthy habits.
“The parents seem like a coach. They don’t just play the game for the child…They tell the child how to play the game”, Heo said. “They are practical enough to coach the student as if he were a player.”
Parents need to be more than just their child’s cheerleaders; they must coach them into versatile and eager to learn young adults.
6. Teach them not to take things personally
Creativity, curiosity and authenticity come from empathy: how can you learn from someone else’s perspective, from a non-judgmental and shame-free place? That starts with your parents, specifically how they approached conversations with other people and resolved conflicts at home.
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“You try to make them understand that you can process the world around you and have discussions without taking things personally,” Heo explained, adding that Highly intelligent children also have emotional intelligence to support their social interactions.
7. Don’t be judgmental
“I couldn’t just discuss everything with my mother,” Heo said, “because she was a bit more extreme in her reactions. While my father was very open to hearing what I had to say…he withheld judgment to process things with me, and we had deeper discussions.”
Children who grow up in judgmental households not only have difficulty integrating healthy habits into their lives and nurturing intelligence, but they also experience higher rates of depression, anxiety and social struggle in adulthood compared to their peers.
“If a child has a parent who seems to judge him or her, he or she will cut off communication that will hinder his processing,” essentially halting his cognitive growth and curiosity.
You don’t need a lot of resources, money or support to instill a love of learning in your children.
Of course, some children grow into very intelligent adults even without encouragement and resources – some even say so, like Heo they succeed ‘despite’ their circumstances.
Ultimately, intelligence is objective: all we can do is support our children, create safe spaces where they can thrive, and communicate openly without the fear of “not knowing” or looking strange.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations and policy and gender studies, focusing on psychology, relationships, self-help and human interest stories.