This is the 7th post in the series I am doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts. You can find the first six posts here: Nature-Smart Kid ,Word-Smart Kid, Logic-Smart Kid, Picture-Smart Kid, Music-Smart Kid and Body-Smart Kid.
For an overview of ALL the multiple intelligences, make sure to check out this post: Multiple Intelligences: Discovering the Way Your Child is Smart.
This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).
This post is all about the people-smart kid.
A quick word before I dive into the profile of the people-smart kid…
It’s easy to group extroverts as people-smart and introverts as self-smart (self-smart is the final smart I will cover in my next post!) However, it’s not that simple.
One can be an introvert AND be people-smart.
Don’t assume that just because your child (or yourself) is introverted, that they are not people-smart. They are just someone who needs to THINK with others but is ENERGIZED by time alone. Alternatively, if you are an extroverted people-smart person, you will need to THINK with others, and also be ENERGIZED by being with others.
We are complex beings, not easily boxed in. 🙂
What A People-Smart Kid Looks Like:
- Thinks with people.
- When excited they talk more to people.
- Processes ideas with others.
- They get joy from sharing knowledge with others and understanding others.
- Aware of other’s emotions (if they’re angry, sad, or happy) and responds appropriately to those emotions.
- Intuitively know to befriend someone who may be feeling sad or lonely.
- Wise in friendship. Knows who is a good friend, and who to keep a distance from (whether temporarily or permanently.)
- Likes to bounce ideas off others. Clarifies thoughts when talking with others.
- Works well in groups. Good at organizing others and keeping the peace, too.
Possible Careers for a People-Smart Kid:
- Administrator
- Pastor
- Counselor
- Politician
- Lawyer
- Social worker
- Nurse
- Missionary
How You Can Nurture People-Smart Kids:
- People-smart kids will have difficulty with too much alone time. Provide opportunities for them to share ideas and think with others (whether that’s family or friends.)
- Incorporate role-playing and discussions into their learning experience.
- Read biographies and autobiographies of people they want to learn more about.
- Talk with them, not at them.
- Ask them questions, and answer their questions. Mull over ideas with them.
How to Strengthen Kids’ People-Smarts
- Put down the devices and interact more with others.
- Watch movies/shows together and talk about the characters and their emotions.
- Set your kids up for success by providing smaller groups for them to interact where they don’t shut down. This can also boost their confidence.
Games/Resources for People-Smart Kids
