Rashidul Bari has some simple advice for parents: Listen to your children to find out what interests them, and do whatever's necessary to help them explore those interests.

Bari is the father of Suborno Bari, a 12-year-old from Lynbrook, New York, who graduated from high school in June. The younger Bari is set to begin college in the fall at New York University, where he plans study mathematics and physics as a commuter student.

Bari and his wife Shaheda have another son, 21-year-old Refath, who graduated from college earlier this year and is headed to Brown University to work on a graduate degree in physics.

"Try to discover what your children, potentially, what they like and what they love. Once you discover that, you try to serve their needs [around those areas of interest]," Bari tells CNBC Make It.

Bari downplays his and his wife's roles in their kids' academic achievements, but Suborno credits his parents for proactively feeding his curiosity at a young age. They gave him access to "a huge stack" of advanced math textbooks, despite the fact he hasn't yet finished elementary school, because they recognized his intellectual curiosity early on, he says.

"Honestly, it's all definitely the work of my parents, even though they don't want to say it," says Suborno.

Advanced courses for a curious child

Suborno started speaking at 6 months. By age 2, he'd memorized the periodic table of elements. When they realized just how advanced their young son was, Bari and his wife did everything in their power to keep their insatiably curious child from getting bored.

First, Suborno's mom, an elementary school teacher, taught him math. When he was age 2, his dad — who'd already obtained a degree in political science, and was studying for a bachelor's in math and physics at Lehman College at the time — took over.

"When he was four or five, the challenge was so overwhelming that I even gave up. Because I can only do so much," says Bari, who now teaches physics at Brooklyn Technical High School and is a doctoral candidate in physics at Columbia University.

Instead, Bari took Suborno with him to college classes and introduced his young son to his professors. "I took the responsibility of driving him around instead of being his teacher," he says.

The Baris have now spent years escorting Suborno to universities around the world, from Brooklyn College to Mumbai University, where Suborno served as a guest lecturer in physics at age 7.

Determined to still give him a relatively normal childhood, the Baris also enrolled Suborno in their local public school for kindergarten. They worked to get him a tailored schedule that included both playtime with kids his own age and time for advanced courses.

Suborno skipped from 4th to 8th grade in one year, and then went directly from 9th to 12th grade before graduating last month. His career goal, he says: Become a teacher like his parents, and spread his love of math and physics.

Parents showing interest boosts kids' self-esteem

Most children don't memorize the period table at such a young age. That shouldn't alter any parent's approach, says Bari: Listen to them and do everything you can to support their interests.

"There are many different ways of serving their needs," he says. "You don't have to choose math or physics."

Children tend to perform better in school when their parents are engaged in their studies, research shows. That could mean reading to them early on, or going on field trips and volunteering at school when they're older.

Spending quality time with your kids and showing genuine curiosity about their interests signals to them that their thoughts and feelings matter, child psychologist Tovah Klein told Make It last year. For parents, raising successful children is "always about the quality of the relationship [and] the quality of the interactions," Klein said.

You don't need multiple degrees in math or physics, or whatever subject your child is passionate about, Bari adds. Just be present and make an effort.

"When your child is solving a math problem, and you are not a math person? They will be very inspired just having you sitting next to them," he says. "This simple act of parenting can change their life."

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