Parenting Styles for Smart Kids

No doubt, parenting can be quite a tough job. Parents are exposed to the challenge of rearing their children the most proper way. They are tasked to help and guide children throughout their young lives in order to grow as responsible adults. Anything less or wrong when it comes to guiding the little ones may already have a huge impact on their development.

So, what if you were blessed with smart kids? What kind of parent are you supposed to be in this particular case? How should you then manage your children’s growth? To help you fulfill the demands of this duty, here are parenting styles appropriate for your intellectually gifted kids:

• Nurturing – Studies show that higher IQ scores during childhood are often traced back to a parent’s affection, warmth, and praise during the preschool years. For younger children, this parenting approach involves a lot of hugs and kisses and holding them often. While for older toddlers, this means being encouraging and emotionally responsive.

• Involvement – This refers to direct and one-on-one interactions with your child where both of you give your focus on the same activity. Research studies reveal that there is a positive correlation between a child’s IQ or academic prowess, and the amount of time he experienced shared activities with his parents.

• Responsiveness – For babies, this does not only mean promptly responding to feeding, diapering, and sleeping routines but also attending to their intellectual requirement via interaction or stimulation. Overall, this involves being sensitive to your little one’s unique needs and responding to them appropriately.

• Demanding – Know that this does not exactly equate to “pressuring” your child. While promoting your child’s self-esteem by supporting him is crucial, this can sometimes lead to discipline problems. Studies show that parents who placed high expectations and who were responsive at the same time had children with fewer behavioral issues as they grow.

With all these parenting styles blended well and properly applied, you can definitely increase your chances of having well-shaped and highly promising children. They will hopefully develop into responsible, kind adults especially when they also become parents.