The People-Smart Kid

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