Raising smart kids amid pandemic: Georgina Wilson gives tips
MANILA, Philippines — Georgina Wilson is a picture of a smart woman. Apart from modeling, she also handles her own businesses with able partners and takes care of her and husband Arthur Burnand's growing family with baby number 3 along the way.
It's no wonder that she is meticulous with parenting and taking care of her children. One way to ensure that she's rearing well-rounded yet smart children is through brain development.
Studies show that 90% of a child’s brain development happens in the first five years.
“When I read this, I was blown away. I told myself that I need to take this seriously and do everything I can to help Archie maximize this crucial phase. Five years can pass by so quickly, so I make sure that he has everything he needs to support his brain development,” she said.
Archie is her four-year-old first born. Georgina could not be any more proud of her boy who inherits his mom's "alpha" traits — he’s self-aware, knows how to think on his toes, and he thinks for himself.
On raising a fast thinker and a leader
She and her husband have agreed to avoid overprotecting Archie so that their firstborn will enhance his thinking skills and leadership capabilities.
“Children are so much smarter than we give them credit for. He’s learning at a much rapid pace at this age. For Archie to develop his thinking skills, I need to respect his intelligence. He can already process what’s going on when things are explained to him properly,” Georgina said.
Because Archie is allowed to think for himself, he has grown to be a natural leader. “When he’s with his group of friends or during activities in his online classes, Archie always steps up to lead the others.”
Just like her, Georgina noted that Archie is sociable and easy to talk to. "Archie is not afraid of being in various situations. He loves talking to other people. I love how sociable he is. He’s not scared of anything or anyone."
On creating the right environment for him to fly
The soon-to-be mom of three including Alfie, Archie's younger brother, also finds wisdom in limiting Archie's screen time. She shared that Archie has more activities instead of being glued to his gadgets, like most kids his age have fallen prone to.
One of Archie's activities is reading, which Georgina proudly says "he reads a lot." Reading and storytelling have been found to promote imagination and brain development in preschoolers. It also develops language and emotions as well as strengthens relationships.
She added, “He’s very interested to know how things work. Currently, he’s interested in animals and trucks, and he dives deep into these subjects and learns everything he could."
On raising a well-rounded kid
According to psychologist Angela Duckworth, author of “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance," a combination of grit, ambition, self-control and reliance are great predictors of a positive outcome than intelligence alone.
Georgina believes in the importance of helping Archie develop grit by placing him in different activities outside of his comfort zone. Before the pandemic began, for instance, Archie took swimming lessons, and he was already quite good at it. Now, Archie is looking forward to learning how to ride a horse.
Georgina does everything she can to help her child reach his full potential. Apart from practicing her parenting strategies, Georgina ensures that Archie gets a balanced diet and has a healthy lifestyle. She also knows the importance of giving Archie the right milk for brain development such as Promil Gold Four.
"I recently looked up Alpha-Lipids, and these are proven to speed up brain connections up to 100 times faster," she shared.
“I believe that every child can be smart and it’s up to us moms to give them the right nutrition and the right environment for learning."
