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10 ways to boost your child's brain power
 Child psychologist Bernadette Tynan is the face of a new programme, Make Your Child Brilliant on Channel 5, which shows parents the ideas and techniques they need to develop their child's special talents.
We've persuaded Bernadette to give Raisingkids.co.uk readers the benefit of 10 top tips to help your child fulfil their true potential.
1. Let children in on the magic of their own mind with by sharing with them the awesome fact that they are born with as many brain cells as there are stars in the universe! 100 billion!
2. Boosting their brain power isn't all about sitting and writing. A simple but fun body and brain training activity used by NASA in fact is trampolining. Every time you land your brain has to figure out how exactly to land in the same place. Do this and your child is quite literally toning their brain.
3. Children are born with oodles of natural curiosity and so lots of 'why' questions. Manage them effectively and you are helping them develop logic and reasoning. The next time they ask you a question, don't just give them the answer: let them figure out the answer with you using a gentle and fun 'thinking conversation' . Example: why do hedgehogs have prickles? Answer with an open question: why do you think they might have prickles....? And reason it out together. That way they are building up connections in the brain that will help them remember things better.
4. The brain learns in different ways, for example seeing, doing, hearing, touching. Often children and parents will know just one way of doing things; like learning by rote. But that may not work for everyone. Change how they learn something and you give the brain a new way to access and remember information.
5. Never push children - always support. Praise their strengths and you set up a positive cycle in their brain that helps them to be confident in their learning.
6. Regularly get children involved in problem-solving activities like figuring out which colour to paint their bedroom, how many guests to invite to an upcoming party or how to ride their new bicycle!
7. Nurture their natural creativity. It is as simple as letting them choose which way they might like to decorate a cake - or even better adding their own ideas to a recipe. It's like giving a sunflower sun - it helps your child brain power grow and flourish.
| 'Let children set their own goals; the human brain likes what it owns and children are no different.' |
8. Never put a limit on your child, this keeps their mind open to what they can achieve. Always let them set their own goals; the human brain likes what it owns and children are no different. Help them set their own goals and straightaway they have a better chance of succeeding!
9. Help children to achieve their personal goals by breaking big goals down into little ones. This is the art of successful goal setting and works to map out a route for the brain to follow. No map and it's like driving a car; you might know where you want to go - but the important thing is how to get there. Helping children break down their big goals into little ones gives the brain a road map to sucess.
10. What's good for the body is good for the brain and that goes for exercise and diet. Our brains contain 60 per cent fat, even when we are run down. So that is why a balanced diet including fatty acids like omega 3 are really important for a healthy body and brain. When children come home from school let them give their brain a chance to recharge before launching into homework; playing a bit of footie or swimming for example can help release tensions, and get the brain in relaxed and alert state for learning.
 Make My Child Brilliant by Bernadette Tynan is published by Quadrille and costs £14.99.
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