Your child is special in many ways.
When our children are under the age of two, we imagine that there is no area in which they cannot excel, be that academics, sports, the arts, or more.
In time, though – usually by the age of three, particularly if they have started preschool – parents notice that their children have areas in which they excel, and those tasks in which they have difficulties.
None of us can really appreciate these differences without an understanding of the role that different forms of intelligence will play in shaping the future life of every child. But we can start by learning about those eight forms of intelligence, and the impact these various strengths and weaknesses often have in determining our lives as adults.
The eight different forms of intelligence are academic, emotional, physical, creative, artistic, common sense, intuitive, and gifted. Obviously, most of us are not just one thing with a total absence of the other seven. But as you know by looking at the course of your own life, there are areas that have interested you, and other areas of school, career, and social life that simply do not resonate for you.
Here are insights as to how they affect your child:
Academic Intelligence is just what you would imagine. These are the children who naturally excel at school. They have the ability to absorb information the first time they hear it and they can put it into the context of a larger field of study.
Emotional Intelligence is shown in children who from a very early age have great ease in social settings. They bond well with other children, they will often serve as the peacemakers on the playground, and they constantly are looking to broaden their circle of friends.
Physical Intelligence is seen in children who are naturally gifted in sports, and beyond that have a strong sense of their own physical appearance. Staying in great shape, and carrying themselves with confidence is very important for them.
Creative Intelligence is found in the kids who think outside the box and probably color outside the lines. They can be a handful because they will quite often challenge assumptions that their parents or teachers have long held. These are the new idea people.
Artistic Intelligence can be found in the kids of “Fame.” Dance, theater, music, painting, or writing, these children have to be nourished in their artistic endeavors or they become very frustrated in a very short period of time.
Common Sense Intelligence is found in the children who are best prepared to lead from day one. That’s because they see the logic in the material that they are suppose to study and they can put it together quickly. They often get bored with academics because much of what they are given to study appears obvious to them.
Intuitive Intelligence has some similarity to common sense but its implications are broader. Intuitive children, to borrow Bill Clinton’s phrase, can “feel your pain.” They not only sense the answer, they suspect the problem before it has even been discussed.
Gifted Intelligence is seen in children who are blessed with certain unique talents that sadly often become a burden in life. Why? Because their gift, whether in the arts or sciences, is so far above the norm that it tends to come at the price of doing other things that most of us see as part of a full life. The emotionally dysfunctional computer whiz, is one possible example of this child as an adult.
Of course in a perfect world, you might argue, we would all be a blend of these eight qualities, but just like the wiring of male and female brains differ, giving rise to the concept that men are from Mars, and women are from Venus; each individual excels in certain areas while noticeably lacking in others. Our important role as parents in helping our children to create a sense of balance is to nurture their strengths but never at the cost of their weaknesses. This only heightens the normal tendency every child has to focus on those areas where they easily win support and approval at the cost of areas where they are less competent.
We do our children no great service to encourage their academic skills, while ignoring the benefits of physical activity. Our ideal is not to raise a talented chemist, who is incapable of saying “I love you.”
While emotional intelligence may lag in one child, while another child struggles to think creatively, this does not mean we should not help them gain a greater sense of balance while respecting the inevitable outcome that all of us in time will discover.
It’s natural to encourage our childrens’ gifts – provided we don’t lose sight of our responsibility as parents to put them on a path in which they can grow into well grounded, and well rounded adults.
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Other MVL Parenting Articles:
How an Empty Nest Can Improve Your Marriage
Helicopter Parents: Grounding Your Natural Instincts
Sex Education, Part 1: What Both Parents and Teens Should Know
Sex Education, Part 2: Answering Tough Questions
The Five Essential Messages of Positive Parenting
Parents, Beware of the Feelings Trap
When Your Child Meets a Challenge
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