Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Having smart children is often the dream of many parents. To the point that many parents are willing to dig deep into their pockets to send their children to expensive schools, in the hope that their children will grow up smart.
In fact, expensive schools are not a guarantee. Many experts advise parents to really stimulate their children from the early stages of growth. This is because the emotional intelligence, social skills and cognitive-linguistic capacities that emerge in the early years are important factors that can influence success at school and in the workplace in the future.
Neurologist and psychologist from Harvard University, Lisa Feldman Barrett, provides 5 tips for parents so that their children's brains develop.
1. Don't force your child's interest
One thing parents need to remember is not to force their children to become the person they want them to be. Because it will make children not like activities that are forced on them.
Children must be freer to try many opportunities, so that they can finally find out what their interests are. Parents need to take a 'gardener' approach, so they must understand the types of plants they have and provide suitable soil so they can grow well.
This means that parents must understand their child's interest in something. Next, they need to provide a suitable forum so that children can develop their interests.
2. Teach children a variety of vocabulary
Parents are encouraged to teach a variety of vocabulary for neural foundations. Because the study, entitled Linking Language and Cognition in Infancy, explains that children aged several months do not understand the meaning of many words.
Children need to be taught emotional words, such as sad, happy and frustrated. According to him, this will make children acquainted with emotions and will make it easier to behave appropriately.
3. Give the child an explanation
Children must be given an explanation about something. That way, the child's brain can build concepts about actions and oneself.
For example, when someone lies, don't say 'he's lying'. You can explain why someone is lying and continue discussing this with your child, so they will be trained to think critically.
4. Encourage children to imitate their parents
Children will usually learn by imitating their parents, as well as watching and playing. Therefore, parents must carry out positive activities.
For example, children can be given a small broom or garden shovel. So they can clean the house with their parents, and children will know the importance of keeping the house clean.
5. Introduce children to the surrounding environment
This activity can be done before the child reaches toddler age. According to research, babies who frequently interact with language speakers can maintain critical brain structures, which can enable them to learn other languages in the future.
Apart from that, there are benefits to babies seeing lots of faces. Namely being able to adapt to distinguishing and remembering more variations of faces.
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