“You’re so smart!”
“I’m not smart.”
“Everyone is smarter than me.”
Do any of these statements sound familiar? Many kids get stuck on the idea of being smart (or not!), but when asked to define the word “smart,” they are uncertain of what it truly means. We believe that kids need to learn about “smartS” rather than someone being “smart.”
Talk with your kids about how everyone has Brain SmartS and that these come in all categories, shapes, and sizes. Our brains have SmartS about everything and some of those SmartS are stronger than others. With practice, we can build and strengthen our SmartS in any area. Maybe your child has strong Lego SmartS, biking SmartS, history SmartS, or baking SmartS. Maybe you have challenges with your movie SmartS, math SmartS, art SmartS, or running SmartS. Talking about these strengths and challenges with your family will normalize the idea that we all have areas of strength and challenge within our brains and that if we work hard and practice, we can strengthen any of SmartS.
Use the worksheet below to talk with your family about each person’s unique Brain SmartS. Brainstorm which SmartS each of you want to work to improve and how you will help each other to achieve this goal (this will support your child in building their Helping SmartS in the process!).