Some new mothers said that "My baby is very smart, he/she can hold his head just few days after birth" or "My baby is 2 months old and he/she can roll over"
Some not so new mothers with their 2 year old kids said " My girl is very smart, she can talk in sentences" or My 2 years boy can read mama and papa when I write in the paper"
Some mothers with their 6 years old kids said " My girl is very smart, she can do Primary 1 math even before entering the primary" or " My boy is very smart, he can memorize all countries flags"
Are those mothers wrong to say that their kids smart ??
Well, they are not wrong but they are just partial smart.
Why ?? Let break it down, what SMART kid is
S - Social Smart
Meaning, that your kids are smart enough to handle social life and problem with peers and friends.
How they can get along with friends, how they can solve the problem when they are bullied and how they behave socially.
This is very important, because young kids are very unstable and can be shaped depends on the social circle.
If you as parents neglect this, it will affect them when they grow up.
How do you help them to be social smart ?
When your kids are very young less than 3 years old, you need to interfere their social life. Parents need to explain what should and shouldn't.
When your kids are more than 3 years old, when they have problem with peers, watch them first how they solve the problems, this is also your chance to see whether your kids understand what you taught them before. If they still can't solve the problems, do interfere again. First 5 years of life is very important for parents to interfere kid's social life.
M - Money Smart
Some parents said that they only give money to their kids like once a week or every day but they limit the money.
It's not wrong but parents must teach them also the value of money, what money is all about? How do you do with money? Spend, Save and Invest.
How do you help them to be money smart?
As young as 18 months old, you can teach them about money of course in simple way through play and games.
For eg, insert the coins into coin bank. When they ask for kiddy ride, give them coins but limit them to 3 plays maximum and explain to them that you can play again tomorrow otherwise when you finish all the money you can't play anymore.
When they have more understanding ability, teach them buying and selling and how we get money from
A - Attitude Smart
This is very important aspect that some parents neglect. Attitude is way important than brain.
When they fail in the exam, how they can get back on their feet and move on or when they can't complete the task or in the undesirable situation, how they handle this.
In the real world, when your kid got interviewed, some interviewer will never ask how old are you when you can read or write for the first time ? They rather ask have you ever handled crisis?
How do you help them to be attitude smart?
As young as 1 year old, when they start walking. When they fall down, don't quickly help them, let them stand again by themselves. When the kids cry, don't quickly ran into them but let them settle down by themselves.
Those are just examples how to build good mental to the young ones.
When they are older, of course you can modify the method.
R - Religion Smart
Religion is very important in your kids life. Even though young kids don't understand much about faith because they are more objective person rather than abstract. Parents still need give them good value and moral to their life.
How do you help them to be Religion Smart?
Explain to them not to lie or steal other's belongings when they are young. Don't need to explain so much about God yet 'cos they won't understand anyway.
Give them value what's right and what's wrong is more important than knowledge about God.
When your kids get older and gain more understanding in the abstract world, you can slowly input knowledge about God
T - Thinking Smart
This is the last aspect that parents push so much to their kids.
Yes, brain is very important and the first 5 years of kid's life is where the brain cells develop very fast.
But as previous said it's just one aspect of the kid's life. No matter how smart your kids if they don't have value in their life, they will grow with emptiness.
How do you help them thinking smart?
Give them chance to solve the problems in reality.
For eg, when the family members want to go different places for holiday, let the kids try to solve the problems with their own analysis.
Enrichment and tuition can help too but don't give them too much from what they can take. Because it also limit their creative thinking.
Last but not least, Remember parents
It doesn't matter whether your kids can talk, read, write early or late. As long as they grow normal, they will pass those stages.
Don't make your kids become your objects of unfulfilled dreams, meaning that when the parents were not top students before, they have tendency to make their kids top class.
Let them grow naturally happy and smart as a whole not only the brain.
Have fun raising S.M.A.R.T kids
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