17 Ways To Increase Your Baby’s Intelligence

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You can put away the flashcards. The key to enhancing your baby’s mind isn’t found in hours of mindless rote memorization. Instead, if you want a child who is adept at a multitude of subjects and has the ability to excel at them all, the secret is not what you may think. It has been proven that children and babies alike learn best from hands-on, multi-sensory activities and play. By involving your child in your day-to-day life, and engaging them in a wide variety of simple educational activities, you will have left an irreplaceable impact on their minds and intelligence.

Involving your child in your routines, and finding simple educational activities does not have to be difficult. You do not need any sort of special program, product, or a degree to take the time to take an active role in the development of your child’s intelligence. In fact, you do not even have to take the time to gather up the information. We did that for you. We took the time to gather the facts and bring you 19 of the best ways to increase your baby’s intelligence. If you are ready to ditch the flashcards and learn these quick and easy tactics, keep reading and get started today.

Respond To Your Baby

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One of the simplest, most effective ways to increase your baby’s intelligence is to simply respond to them. By responding to them when they have a need, you are teaching your baby that they can trust you and that they matter. Babies have basic needs that need to be met before they even have the ability to process and retain new information. Responding to your child also helps them to feel safe and secure, giving them the confidence they need to assert independence later in life. Strengthening your baby’s emotional bond with you allows them to develop stronger thinking skills by stimulating their brain.

Introduce Them to Books

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It is never to early to introduce your baby to the world of books and reading. Reading to your baby every single day will prove to produce amazing benefits. Reading to a newborn allows them to listen to the sound of your voice which is soothing to them. Your infant can also learn and begin to differentiate between the different tones and rhythms that your voice produces. Babies who are read to are introduced to a wide vocabulary. Experts agree that the more words a child is exposed to the faster they are able to start reading on their own.

Breastfeed

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While we agree you should feed your baby in whichever way works best for you, many experts will tell you that school kids who were breastfed as infants tend to have slightly higher IQs than their formula-fed peers. There are even studies to suggest that adults who were breastfed as a child perform better on intelligence testing and grow to be more successful. If you are unable to breastfeed for any reason, choosing a formula that is iron-fortified and containing essential fatty acids such as DHA is the next best thing. One thing to remember is breast milk or formula, as long as you are providing your child with the nutrition they need and an environment of love, you are giving them everything they need to grow and thrive.

Teach Sign Language

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Teaching your child sign language is a brilliant way to improve their communication skills and vocabulary. While many people believe that teaching your child sign language will hinder their ability to speak, studies have actually shown that babies who were taught sign language tend to speak at a younger age than their peers. Teaching your baby sign language improves both cognitive and emotional development. It also increases the parent/child bond as your child is better able to communicate with you what they need. Babies who are taken care of emotionally will naturally be in a better position to raise their intelligence.

Make Eye Contact

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Look at your baby. Make eye contact with them, and do this often. By looking at your baby you are giving them the opportunity to study and memorize your face. This in itself can improve cognitive skills. Each time your baby looks at your face he is increasing his memorization skills. Your baby is also developing the ability to read and understand the emotions that your face reveals. When you smile, and your eyes light up, your baby is slowly beginning to relate that to happiness. They may even begin to smile back. Being able to read emotions, and respond appropriately to them is a skill that all babies need to be exposed to.

Give Alone Time

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As important as bonding is with your baby, it is also important to allow your baby to have some time to be alone from time to time. We are not suggesting that you leave your baby alone to fend for themselves, or to cry. Rather, let your baby lay quietly if they would like. Give them some time to stretch out and take in their surroundings. If you are constantly waving toys at your baby, singing songs or trying to engage them in educational activities you will wear them out before they even have a chance to increase their brain activity. Babies who are overstimulated will have a hard time retaining any new information.

Stick Out Your Tongue

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What does sticking out your tongue have to do with your babies intelligence? Imitation that’s what. It may take more than a few tries, but if you stick out your tongue at a baby as young as two days old, they will imitate you by sticking theirs out as well. Babies are born ready to learn and imitation is one of the first ways that they reveal this to us. When a baby imitates your physical action of sticking out your tongue their cognitive abilities are growing at a rapid rate. The baby takes the movement, and stores it in their memory, and tries to copy it. This cognitive ability is an excellent way to boost your child’s intelligence. So while trying to raise your child’s IQ, don’t forget to stick out your tongue.

Sing A Song

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You do not have to be an amazing singer to sing for your baby. Honestly, you do not even have to carry a tune. Your baby is more interested in the sound of your loving voice. Singing is an amazing way to bond with your baby while also increasing their intelligence. Songs can be used to increase your baby’s language and comprehension skills. Through singing your baby will also begin to pick up new words, and memorization skills. Given the time babies will also begin to learn the rhythm and rhyme from songs and it won’t be long until your baby is singing the songs back to you!

Be A Narrator

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While you may feel silly doing it, and you are likely to be met with blank stares, at least for a little while, your baby will learn an enormous amount just by listening to you talk about your day. Include your baby in everything you are doing throughout the day. Narrate step-by-step as you switch the laundry, sweep the floor, wash a dish, change their diaper, pick something up off the floor… (you get the picture). Not only will your baby pick up dozens of new words during this narration, but they will also begin to correlate spoken word with actions and objects. This is crucial in their language and development. So talk to your baby all day long. They love to listen to you!

Use Diaper Time for Learning Time

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Babies mean diaper changes and lots of them. Make the most of diaper time by using it as a chance to improve your baby’s cognitive development. Explain what you are doing while you do it. Hold up the objects as you are using them, and name them for your baby. Use diaper time as an opportunity to teach your child their body parts. Touch their little belly with the diaper wipe, label what they may be feeling. “The wipe is cold, it is touching your belly”. Simple sentences such as these coupled with an experience enhance your baby’s intelligence by building on their cognitive development.

Unplug

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Take the time to unplug both yourself and your baby from technology. Ideally, you should take the time to unplug at least once every day. While there are of course several educational television shows and games, none of them can compare to real human interaction. You have the ability to enhance your child’s intelligence and IQ in a way that a computer program, application or television show cannot. Your baby needs 1-1 interaction to increase their intelligence- interaction that you cannot provide if you or your baby are in front of a screen. So take the time daily to unplug and give your baby your undivided attention, and reap the benefits it provides.

Explore New Places

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While you can provide plenty of opportunities for your baby to learn right in your own home, your baby’s brain also craves the experience of exploring new places. Find a baby wearing device or wrap that both you and your baby enjoy and go on a walk. As you are walking, talk to your baby. Tell them about the new place you are exploring. Take the time to describe what they may be feeling as well. Hold your baby’s hand out and allow them to touch things as you go along, use vivid words and description. Your baby will pick up new vocabulary and the ability to describe sensations and emotions. Not to mention both you and baby get a chance to get out of the house! Win/Win

Play Peekaboo

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When you play peekaboo with your child you are doing so much more than just passing on a game that your parents likely played with you as well. Peekaboo has been around for ages, and it is one of the first games that a lot of young children learn to play. While the game is familiar to many people, the educational benefits behind it are not. Playing peekaboo with your child is one of the first experiences they have with the notion that when things disappear, they have the ability to reappear. Babies are not born with this knowledge and it is something that they have to be taught. Through games such as this, babies are able to develop this ability and in turn, increase their intelligence.

When They Drop it, Pick it up

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We all know this game as parents. Babies everywhere seem to be hardwired with the idea that everyone loves this game. They will throw things from their highchair, out of the bathtub, out of their crib, and even out of the car window. When babies do this, they are learning about the laws of gravity. It is our job as parents to continue this learning. So while you are absolutely positive your child is only doing this to drive you up the wall, play along. You can even one-up them and actually provide them with an object to throw down, and possibly even a target to drop them into.

Count Everything

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Count with your baby. Count absolutely everything you come into contact with and everything you do. If you are walking to the car, count how many steps it takes you. While changing their diaper or getting them dressed, count the objects as you pick them up and label them to your baby. Let them know you are putting on one diaper and two shoes. If you are warming a bottle count how many seconds it takes. Count their fingers and count their toes. Count their sneezes, and bless them every time. It goes without saying the benefits of doing this. By counting constantly your baby will learn numbers, and how to count. They will also begin to pick up basic math concepts and 1-1 correspondence.

Sensory Play

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Although I know its difficult for some parents. This is a big one! Allow your child to get messy! Sensory play has countless benefits for your baby including language development, cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills and problem-solving (among a few). Sensory play is a hands-on activity that stimulates your child’s senses. Sensory activities also encourage children to explore and use scientific methods while they play, investigate and explore. So give your baby some water, paint, edible playdough, or something even messier if you are feeling up to it. Step back, and allow their brains to grow.

Nursery Rhymes

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Recite nursery rhymes to your baby. Since nursery rhymes are repetitive your baby is often exposed to the same word three or more times. This isn’t something that they experience in normal everyday conversation. This gives them the opportunity to learn new words quicker and also increases their ability to use their memorization skills. Nursery rhymes are also short and allow your baby the chance to increase their listening skills while not becoming bored with the storyline. This is often the beginning of paving the way for a baby’s love of books and literature. Take the time to recite your favorite nursery rhymes with your baby every day, and watch their intelligence (and their love for reading) grow.

What about you? What are some of your favorite simple ways to interact with your baby and increase their intelligence? Let us know!

READ NEXT: 16 Interesting Habits Babies Inherit From Their Mothers

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