How to Prent in a Brain-Friendly Way
Brain-Friendly Advice for Parenting, Work, and Self Care
An interview for Motherhood Moment with Friederike Fabritius
What are neuro signatures and how do they impact the way we are motivated?
We each have our own individual combination of four brain systems: the dopamine system, the serotonin system, the estrogen system, and the testosterone system. The way that this combination presents itself, the systems which have more or less activity patterns, determines our unique neurosignature! This impacts everything from our different preferences in the way we work, in the way we think and the way we feel. And this, of course, also impacts how we are motivated.
What do parents need to know about empowering the kids to work in ways that are best for their own unique traits?
Very often parents think that their kids should be like them, when in reality everyone is different. It can be hard to reflect on that as a parent sometimes, that different neurosignatures and personality traits can make it so that your kid is very different from yourself. Having a basic understanding of neurosignatures and allowing (and encouraging) your kid to develop in line with their own unique strengths is the best way to go!
If your child has a high dopamine neurosignature, allow them to be adventurous! Allow them to follow many interests, to change their minds, and to try novel things. If your kid has a high serotonin neurosignature, ensure that you create a calm, ordered, and organized environment for them, and respect that your kid might cherish traditions or have a lot of interest in rituals or systems. In practice that may look like making sure that for this child you consider having the same kind of event on their birthday every year, while for a high dopamine kid, you may want to try to do something different year to year.
If your kid has a high estrogen neurosignature, you will want to create a very warm, nurturing environment. You will also allow your child to possibly have pets, and really allow them to go in a direction where they can share their high capacity for empathy. You’ll want to be aware that your child may also be more sensitive if they have a high estrogen neurosignature so it’s important to not expect them to be cutthroat and tough – and humanity needs these kinds of people! A child with a high testosterone neurosignature may have an interest in technology, so you can foster that by encouraging them to be innovative, and they also may be a bit more tough-minded than some of the other kids. They will be the type to “tell it to your face”, so maybe you can allow them to express themselves in that direction. So rather than expecting your kids to be like you, allow them to develop their personality in line with their neurosignature – that is the number one most important thing!
The full interview can be found on Motherhood Moment
Want more brain-friendly tips?
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