Smart kids always never fail to impress us. Being smart has a lot of its perks. Your children could be accepted in highly acclaimed schools, graduate with honors, and have a better future.

While being smart does not always equate to success, it is undoubtedly one of your child’s best assets in opening more doors of opportunities. So, it doesn’t hurt if you wished to raise a smart child.

But how do you raise smart kids?

1. Make your child read books.

Obviously, reading is top on our list. When your child reads books, either fiction or non-fiction, it helps expand their vocabulary and improves their communication skills. They encounter a lot of words and these words are engraved in their memories in one way or another. If you want your child to love reading books, encourage him to start reading at an early age.

2. Let your child have enough sleep.

Hey, how does sleeping make a child smarter? According to the book of Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman’s NurtureShock, a loss of one hour of sleep is equivalent to the loss of cognitive maturation and development. In other words, a lack of sleep diminishes your child’s ability to think and carry mental processes based on his age. You now know what to do? Make sure that your child sleep early at night!

3. Have your child maintain an active body.

Yes, let your child do sports and exercise. Exercising makes your child grow smarter because it helps pump blood towards the brain. The brain then receives oxygen and glucose which help boost one’s thought processes. Plus, it helps your child to be more focused on his studies and be more alert.

4. Interact with your child.

Do you know that simply talking to your child, hugging them, and playing with them helps make your child smarter? Based on a study, children who received great amounts of love and attention from their mother during their first three years of life grow up to be more successful when it comes to academics, as well as personal relationships. So, you see, a parent’s guidance really plays an important role for raising smart kids.

5. Let your child learn how to love music.

There are several studies that show that music makes a person smarter because music stimulates some parts of the brain which are responsible for memory, motor control, timing and language. So, if music stimulates memory, then it is no wonder why there are so many students who want to play music to help them concentrate studying.

6. Give them the right nutrition.

Of course, eating a balanced diet will also make your child become smarter. Some of the best brain-boosting foods include nuts and seeds, blueberries, avocados, eggs, turmeric, salmon, dark chocolate, celery, broccoli and most green, leafy vegetables.

Raising a smart child is almost every parent’s wish. Wouldn’t you like your kids receive medals and trophies in school?