This is the 8th and final post in the series I am doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts.
You can find the first seven posts here: Nature-Smart Kid ,Word-Smart Kid, Logic-Smart Kid, Picture-Smart Kid, Music-Smart Kid , Body-Smart Kid and People-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 self-smart kid.
Just as one can be an introvert AND be people-smart, one can also be an extr0vert and be self-smart. One can also be both people-smart and self-smart (people that are this way can often confuse themselves and others!) It is not a “one or the other” thing. And we can all grow in any of these 8 areas!
Learning about the smarts should be used as a tool to help us understand our natural giftings more. It should empower us to be who God created us to be. But it should aslo not prevent us from growing and trying new things, and growing in those areas that aren’t as natural to us!
What A Self-Smart Kid Looks Like:
- Thinks with reflection.
- When excited they like to spend time alone, thinking.
- May struggle with decision fatigue.
- Relate learning to their own lives and may come across as self-centered.
- Wants to know things in depth.
- Wants to understand and consider everything before answering a question. (which presents itself as a slow thinker)
- Tend to be quiet and independent.
- Aware and cautious.
- Know what they believe and why.
- Thinks about the future often.
- Tend to be more critical of themselves and others. Tend toward perfectionism.
Possible Careers for a Self-Smart Kid:
- Sales
- Research
- Entrepreneur
- Private Investigator
- Writer
- Counselor
- Pastor
How You Can Nurture Self-Smart Kids:
- Allow them time to be alone.
- Provide individualized teaching and independent study.
- Give them time to think before answering.
- Encourage them to participate in groups, even though it’s uncomfortable for them (not only is it good for them to build confidence in sharing with others, but others will appreciate their unique perspective on things!)
- Allow choice and options when it comes to what they are learning.
- Provide a suitable environment for learning (since self-smart kids think with reflection, they may be distracted by people.)
- Encourage and assist them in finding friends (this is harder for self-smart kids.)
- If a self-smart kid wants to participate in a sport, but is uncomfortable with the idea of a team sport, consider an individual sport (such as running, tennis, swimming.)
- Use alternate ways of communicating to connect with them (texting, journaling back and forth, etc.)
Resources for the Self-Smart Kid
- Puzzles
- Books
- Legos
- Journals (My daughter and I use this one to write back and forth to one another!)
- Big Life Journal (focuses on growth mindset)
