So You Want Your Child to be A Genius?

What is a genius? A genius is defined as someone who has “exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability.” Some people may be born with these innate abilities, however, anyone with drive, can work and achieve the level of someone who has genius status.  They can do this by exerting hard work to improve a specific skill. When we persist longer and work harder at something, our competence and our skill level increases. The key to working hard is staying motivated and persisting longer in order to reach one’s goals.

Psychologists Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan of the University of Rochester state that we gain motivation to complete a task when we feel in charge. This idea came from studying students, athletes and those in the workforce. When we feel like we are in control of a situation, we are more likely to pursue a goal fiercely. It should go without saying that completing a task under stress is taxing and working on a task you enjoy is exciting! These studies found that people who were given a choice on what course of action to take, persisted longer in completing a task.

So no matter if you want your child to be a genius in school or in music or sports, it all depends on how motivated they are and how much time they put in. If they don’t have the natural skill, it comes down to practice and hard work. Help your child by letting them choose an instrument they enjoy. The amount of practice they will put in will determine their skill and prowess.

If you want to have a child who is a genius in reading, help them to choose a book that is exciting for them. Want your child to be a genius in sports? Help them to choose a sport that means something to them. When we help our child to have a choice, assign values and practice at any of these things, they can become exceptional or achieve genius status.