What do scientists know about the best way to raise smart, happy kids? If you want to know ... and want a fun, engaging book to learn from, then Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina is for you!
Medina discusses the key elements researchers have found for developing young children's abilities. He weaves stories from raising his own sons along with other parents' stories to explain various research findings. Discussing some parenting research, he writes
"They studied families who consistently produced terrific kids, then analyzed what their parents did that was so darned nourishing. They wondered if perhaps these parents had a few things in common. In other words: did certain parenting skills correlate so strongly with the hoped-for outcomes that they could predict how any kids turned out?
Yes, it turns out. Though the data are associative, they are sophisticated. Regardless of race or income, parents who end up with great kids do similar kinds of things over and over again."
If you're interested in understanding the common parenting elements involved in producing terrific kids, start by reading this book.