The 3 Types of Parents Who Are Their Children’s “Guardian Angels”

The study tracked 42 families over 2.5 years, including 13 affluent and six low-income households. During the study, they recorded the quantity and quality of daily conversations between parents and children. By age four, children from affluent families had heard 30 million more words than their less fortunate peers.

Additionally, children with a rich vocabulary tend to exhibit superior language skills and academic performance.

Interestingly, this study did not indicate a direct correlation between family economic status and children’s intelligence. Instead, it highlighted that parents from affluent backgrounds tend to prioritize the quality of daily communication with their offspring.

When children are immersed in a linguistically rich, accurate, and vibrant environment for an extended period, the neural connections in their brains strengthen, naturally enhancing their comprehension, expression, and cognitive development.

Hence, behind every highly intelligent child are parents who are “language masters.”

These parents utilize precise descriptions, engage in rich conversations, and interact regularly to foster academic excellence and support their children’s future endeavors.

Vocabulary serves as the foundation for a child’s intellectual development.

Parents as role models: Elevating the ceiling for their children’s potential

What children need during their academic journey is a source of inspiration.

Where does this “fire” come from? Essentially, it means parents focusing on their self-improvement and subtly influencing their children.

Dr. Yi Ge, a psychologist from Peking University, shared his personal story. He recounted a period in his life when he was addicted to gaming, which negatively impacted his academic performance. At this critical juncture, his father refrained from criticism or scolding; instead, he worked on making changes within himself.

Firstly, Yi Ge’s father started by imposing self-discipline and modifying his unhealthy lifestyle habits.

Secondly, he paid closer attention to his son’s academic development and psychological motivation. He read books and, whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, he humbly sought advice from his son, Yi Ge.

These adjustments in his father’s behavior profoundly influenced Yi Ge, guiding him back on the right path and ultimately leading to his acceptance into a prestigious university.

In reality, when parents strive to become better versions of themselves, actively seek self-improvement, and set a good example, it silently impacts their children.

As parents enhance their fundamental abilities to acquire knowledge, it naturally gets imparted to their children. Gradually, the ceiling of their children’s potential rises invisibly.

Parents who continuously improve themselves naturally impart knowledge to their children.

Shaping their children’s thinking: Parents are cultivators of their children’s cognition

Neuroscientific research reveals that parents’ metacognitive abilities are transmitted to their children through mirror neurons.

When parents excel at analyzing problems, breaking them down into manageable steps, and drawing inferences from examples, their children’s brains naturally emulate this thinking pattern. And at the core of it all is cognitive ability.

So, what is cognitive ability? Simply put, when faced with novel problems, the brain generates corresponding solutions.

Parents play a pivotal role in shaping their children’s cognition.

For instance, when children see an object composed of four wooden bars and a plank, their brain instantly concludes that it is a “table.”

Therefore, parents with strong cognitive abilities will expose their children to a broader range of experiences, theories, and vocabulary in their daily lives. These elements collectively expand their children’s cognitive and thinking capabilities.

As the educator Sukhomlinsky aptly stated, “Every child is a reflection of their family and the soul of their father. When parents set a good example, their children’s academic journey will be smooth and empowering.”