Life
It might seem like "helping your child become talented" is an oxymoron. Talent, after all, is inherent, right? Sort of. In one sense of the word, talent is certainly inherent. But in another, perhaps even more important sense, it's largely dependent upon the child's environment. So even though some children are definitely born with inherent abilities and gifts, there are lots of things you can do everyday that will help your child be talented later in life, in one form or another.
Parents have the incredible, intimidating job of raising their children, drawing out their talents, and encouraging them in whatever their passions may be. And amazingly, you don't have to wait until your child realizes their own talents to implement this kind of nurturing environment into your home. You can start when they're young — babies even — by being mindful of the things you introduce them to, what you bring into your home, and the environment you create around them.
You don't have to expect your kids to grow up to be tiny prodigies, but you can implement an environment that encourages exploration, growth, creativity. In essence, all of the things that talent, inherent or not, is made of.
1
Read To Them
It's almost impossible to count the benefits of reading to children. You can start when they're babies as well, which according to Kids Health, encourages early language development, increases cognition, and introduces concepts like music, shapes, number, letter and communication.
One study noted that low literacy is a pediatric problem, which means that if a child isn't reading well by the time they're at the end of third grade, they may never catch up. Today's Parent suggests that frequent reading to your child from infancy drastically increases the chances that they'll be avid readers, communicators, writers, and more as they grow up.
2
Play Music Around Them
According to Parents, all babies are born with the potential to become musical. It depends on the parents to hone in on this through early exposure to music. Furthermore, playing and listening to music does amazing things for cognition and developmental developments. Whether you play music around your child, give them instruments to play with, sing with them, or do a little bit of it all, you're giving your child a leg up.
3
Let Them Explore
The New York Times noted that babies aren't simply "defective adults" who have to grow into their abilities to learn. On the contrary, they're essentially tiny sponges, soaking up every new thing that crosses their paths. Letting your child have free-play, room to explore new objects, and encourage them to try new things is one of the biggest things you can do to teach them to hone in on their individual talents later in life.
4
Let Them Make Mistakes
Contrary to some parent's instincts, letting your child fail is actually essential to their growth. As hard as it is to watch your child (or even baby) make mistakes — it helps them become independent, self-sufficient, and not enabled by our constant interference. This is not to say that parent shouldn't help their children or let them always fail, but like one article from The Huffington Post stated, mistakes can be learning experiences more than anything else.
5
Listen To Their Leanings
As you notice your child excel in different ways, pay attention. If your child is able to pick out songs on the piano by ear, enroll them in piano lessons. If your kid can tell captivating stories, has an undeniable ability for sports, can dance like nobody's business, or makes your artwork blush in comparison, encourage them and create opportunities for them to do more of it. And then step back and don't be surprised as they succeed.
