One of the things I miss the most from when my children were young is reading to them before bed. I knew it was a quiet, bonding moment but, at the time, I did not realize that it had the added benefit of encouraging them to become lifelong readers and instilling in them the idea that reading is a normal part of life. Reading also sparks children’s imaginations and provides them with skills for success in life and school.

Here are some additional ways to encourage brain growth and life skills in your children:

When they are old enough, ask them to read out loud to you. Reading out loud will help increase their confidence in public speaking.
Work on puzzles together such as board puzzles, brain teasers and mazes. Working puzzles will increase their problem solving skills.
Read and discuss age appropriate news headlines and current events. This will broaden their perspective about the world around them and sharpen their critical thinking skills.
Play board games with them. Board games are not only a fun way to spend time with your child, they also help your child master new skills and concepts such as number and shape recognition, counting, letter recognition, eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity. Additionally, they help with such social skills as communication, sharing, waiting, and taking turns.
Introduce the idea of a “Word of the Week” when they are young. Help them learn a new word each week and encourage them to use it in sentences throughout the week.
Have a world map and/or globe handy so you can refer to it when a new city, or country is mentioned in news. This helps children with geography skills and helps them gain a perspective about the world as a whole.

Most importantly have fun and enjoy your children. Children love to have their parents’ one-on-one attention and will be having such a good time playing with you that they won’t realize they are learning.