High IQ is not a stand-alone quality that sets a child apart nor is it a requirement for a successful future. That said, all things being equal, maximizing your child’s intelligence is not only possible but it’s a “smart” thing to do.

Here’s how it works and the best 15 ways to boost your child’s IQ.

It’s All About The Brain

While tests that measure IQ can be debated, what is generally accepted in this realm is the importance of healthy brain development in children and beyond.

No question there is a massive surge of growth from birth until age 4-5 but it doesn’t stop there as most researchers had once thought.

The brain is plastic; this means it continually integrates new information, experiences, and changes throughout one’s life.

THE POINT… caring for your child’s brain is the foundation for not only IQ, but also millions of other processes required for a healthy and happy life.

While it’s tempting to chalk this “brain stuff” up to genetics, we’re more in control than we may think. It’s time to start considering a lifestyle that incorporates activities to support our brain health not only for its positive benefits today but also for the protective effects later in life.

The Best 15 Ways to Boost Your Child’s IQ

Create A Close Connection

In experiments children more securely attached to their parents scored higher on IQ tests than did insecurely attached parents.

Breast Feed Your Baby

When it’s possible, breastfeeding offers nutritive advantages as well as enhancements in connection that benefit a child’s developing brain.

Let Them Go Deep

Although you may be getting tired of their 30-minute foray into block building, don’t let your boredom pull them away from building their architectural dreamscape. Allowing their brain to “go deep” into the world they’ve created is a brain booster many miss out on.

Praise The Effort

It’s “normal” to fall prey to this parental trap. I’ve done it many times and even though I’m hyper-aware I still do it! Praise the action and effort, not the child.

Instead of saying “You’re a good girl”…say “I love the way you picked up your toys and put them away.”

Without knowing what they did to deserve the praise you risk creating confusion and impacting their self-esteem in a negative way.

Increase Their Dietary Fats

The brain is made of fat and ensuring the body has access to the correct building blocks is essential to its development. Add a high-grade fish oil supplement and don’t shy away from avocados, coconut oil, or butter.

Challenge Their Memory

This could be with games or it could just be by asking them to remember. When you ask them about their day at school don’t let them off the hook with the typical “I don’t remember.”

Let Them Solve Problems & Do It The Hard Way

Stop trying to save them the pain and make their life easier than yours. You’ll be doing a disservice in the long run. Give them a chance to solve problems for themselves and don’t correct them if they want to do it the hard way.

Seek Novelty

The brain learns through new experiences. Take on the task of giving your children opportunities for unique and novel interactions.

Read With, Not To Them

Not only will this increase their brain stimulation but the pro tip here…it’ll boost yours too and increase the chances you’ll stay awake until the end of the story.

Avoid Sleep Deprivation

Miss this one important fundamental and everything else you’re doing right becomes mitigated.

Music

Active involvement with music over passive listening is what really matters and makes the difference. Sing to your child, play or listen to live music, and even add instruments into the mix.

Exercise

Do we really need to talk about this one? Movement is a MAJOR source of brain stimulation and development. It’s a requirement. Movement needs to become a staple in your child’s life.

Peer Group

Who your child spends time with is as big a predictor of IQ as any other factor. Pay attention and be diligent with this one, it matters.

Believe In Them

If you want to boost their self-esteem and build their brain, give them the one thing children want most…your belief in them. Few things will crush your child’s development like a parent who doesn’t think their child has the potential to be successful.

Care For Their Spine

This is a missing link for most kids. Although science reinforces the role of the spine’s movement in healthy brain development, few are up to date with this knowledge and even fewer understand the role of a chiropractor in supporting this process.

Start by auditing your existing “brain boosting” activities. 

Are there ones you already do? 

Are there things you need to change right away? 

Dr. Steven Gall has been offering exceptional chiropractic care to infants, children and adults for over 25 years. He has spent his life learning, and improving his knowledge, skills and ability to provide his care. As a public speaker and health coach he strives to assist people in seeing and attaining a life of extraordinary health. Contact the office to join others who have started the same journey.

Chiropractic is the world’s largest drugless health profession and continues to change and transform millions of lives for the better. However, along the way, a handful of myths have emerged that inhibit people’s understanding and therefore the inclusion of chiropractic into their regular health-creating routine.

Let’s put these misunderstandings to rest and help millions more experience the incredible benefits that come from a clear brain-body connection.

Dr. Steven Gall has been offering exceptional chiropractic care to infants, children and adults for over 25 years. He has spent his life learning, and improving his knowledge, skills and ability to provide his care. As a public speaker and health coach he strives to assist people in seeing and attaining a life of extraordinary health. Contact the office to join others who have started the same journey.

How can you maximize your health and minimize your guilt this upcoming holiday season?

Simply follow these 6 steps in our By Design Holiday Survival Guide.

Dr. Steven Gall has been offering exceptional chiropractic care to infants, children and adults for over 25 years. He has spent his life learning, and improving his knowledge, skills and ability to provide his care. As a public speaker and health coach he strives to assist people in seeing and attaining a life of extraordinary health. Contact the office to join others who have started the same journey.

When workstations are set up properly you will be less likely to experience problems such as headaches, eye strain, neck and back pain, as well as prevent bursitis and tendon problems linked to repetitive movements.

Set up your own optimized space with these 6 steps to design a pain-free workstation.

Monitor Height

Start by setting up your monitor such that the top of your screen is at eye level. This can be done most easily with an adjustable height desk or desk topper.

If a new desk is out of the question, you can always add a stack of books under your computer monitor.

Note, if you’re using a laptop, you will need to have an external keyboard to meet optimal ergonomic criteria.

Monitor Distance

The monitor should be between 18-36 inches from your eyes. A single monitor can be placed closer to the 18-inch mark whereas a dual monitor system would be best placed closer to the 36-inch position.

Blue light blocking glasses can also be beneficial to reduce eyestrain.

Keyboard & Mouse

The keyboard and mouse should be placed beside one another, at the same height, and close to the front edge of the workstation.

The desk or keyboard holder needs to be adjustable in order to compensate for any necessary modifications in the wrist angle.

Desktop Arrangement

The frequently used items (pens, pencils, paper, etc.) should be placed within arms reach to avoid excessive reaching, bending, and twisting.

Chair Design

While it’s common thinking to focus on a chair with extra lumbar support, I prefer the opposite.

Similar to shoes in which too much support reduces the strength development and mobility of the feet, using support from a chair silences the spinal musculature and causes abnormal pelvic tilting.

By moving towards the front of your chair and not using the backrest, you’ll require the more consistent activity of the muscle that supports the spine.

Sit up tall, keep the shoulder back and down, knees bent between 90 and 120 degrees, and position your feet on the floor or footrest.

To Sit or Stand: That is The Question?

There is potential for a standing workstation to be a better option than sitting, although some of the research gives us conflicting information depending on what parameters are being measured.

Some of the advantages are:

• Reduced Leg Weakening
• Less Hip Flexor Tightening
• More Glute Activity

The final advantage and the main reason why a standing station could be a great choice is more overall movement.

When standing, it’s more likely you’ll be inclined to move versus while working from a seated position.

How much you move, regardless of a sitting or standing desk, is a determining factor for which choice is the healthier one.

Either way, taking micro-breaks is very important.

Getting up and walking around for 10 minutes at the end of every 30-60 minutes can make a world of difference over the course of long days, weeks, and months working away in front of a computer.

Have you set up your pain-free workstation?

Dr. Steven Gall has been offering exceptional chiropractic care to infants, children and adults for over 25 years. He has spent his life learning, and improving his knowledge, skills and ability to provide his care. As a public speaker and health coach he strives to assist people in seeing and attaining a life of extraordinary health. Contact the office to join others who have started the same journey.