It's easy to assume that our children are either born with a high level of intelligence or they're . . . not, and as parents, there's not much we can do to influence how brainy they'll turn out to be. However, research has shown that intelligence is about a 50/50 split when it comes to nature vs. nurture, meaning that parental influence can have a great impact not just on how smart our kids believe themselves to be, but also on how intelligent they actually are.
That doesn't mean you need to inundate your children with math drills and foreign-language classes before they're out of diapers. Rather, focus on behaviors that foster a developing mind and intellect instead of praising a child's innate acumen or talent. Yep, intelligence can be grown in your children, and here are 10 ways to start planting those smart seeds.