5 Habits Of Successful Parents

Raising happy, healthy children who contribute to society instead of taking away from it is certainly something to strive for as a parent. While there’s no one way to raise children correctly, there are numerous things successful parents do. Let’s review some of these things to boost your parenting IQ.

Talk To Your Kids

Some 88 to 98 percent the words children use by age 3 come from their parents. So talk to your kids–the more you do, the better their vocabularies will be. Research shows a real link between average conversation length and reading ability/children’s IQs.

Read To Your Kids

Did you know your child’s reading level by third grade predicts their high school success level? Reading to your child for at least 20 minutes every day can put them ahead in school by a whole grade level by the time they reach age 15.

Limit TV Time

Limiting the amount of time your children spend in front of a screen–TV or computer–is another effective parenting habit. If your children are under the age of 2, do not let them watch television. Research states television overloads the visual part of the brain, which severely impairs creativity. Studies also indicate children who watch more than one hour of television per day have more difficulty concentrating and doing well in school.

Let Them Play

Giving your kids plenty of time to play encourages executive function skills, or enhanced reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and task flexibility. It also increases children’s ability to self-regulate. Finland is a great example of the benefits of play. The country has one of the top-ranked education systems in the world and gives kids 15 minutes of playtime for every 45 minutes of learning.

Keep these habits in mind to enjoy parenting success! Remember to snuggle with your kids too, as affection is paramount to healthy, developed brains.