8 traits of a smart kid you can possess too

Updated on April 22, 2021

Every kid is unique, blessed with its distinct set of strengths. A child who is an expert in Maths does not necessarily imply that he/she will score well in Geography also, and vice versa. However, there are some basic habits that all smart kids possess, irrespective of their strengths. I have compiled a list of 7 below:

Instead of goals, they set action items

If you wish to clear that SSAT exam in the first attempt, without any clear action item, chances are you won’t succeed. Your goals must be divided into clear action items. Get help with a planner and create a step by step plan of how will you get there.

Most successful kids around the world always have a plan in place. They know where they want to go and how will they go there. They create action items, followed by deadlines. Their idea of success lies in doing one task at a time. 

They don’t strive for Perfection

Yes, it always feels good to do more than what is expected but then, can you define perfection? Most of us can’t. The idea is to know when to stop. If you will spend days completing one task, how will you save time for others?

Intelligent kids around the world know that no matter how much they avoid, mistakes will happen. With every mistake, they learn something and perform better in the next try. So if you too want to succeed, start embracing imperfection too. Make mistakes, learn from it and try again. At the end of the journey, you will know more than everybody else around you.

They have the “I can do it” attitude

Confidence is the key to achieving great things in all aspects of life and it is also one of the key characteristics of a smart kid. A smart kid will believe that he can do better irrespective of his past performances.

So, the first step to being a smart kid is to leave that ‘I can’t do this’ attitude behind and believe in yourself. 

They don’t compare themselves with other children

We all have compared ourselves with that most popular kid in school, right? It is our natural tendency to compare ourselves to someone we consider to be better than us. This habit develops during childhood. Inferiority complex is very real but smart kids don’t get disappointed by such things. In order to be a smart kid, you too will have to rid yourself of this tendency and focus solely on your growth and capabilities.

Know that you are your best competitor. Always try to do better than your previous performance. Got a 60 in maths? Aim for 70. Got 10 points in a game? Aim for twenty. Setting smaller targets of improvement for yourself will make it easier to achieve them and you will become smarter at a steady pace.

Books are their best friends.

Don’t read a book just for the sake of passing a test. Read to learn something new. Reading is one of the most important activities you must develop in order to gain the desired edge over others. Make it a habit to read for pleasure. By reading books, I am not suggesting you to read those subject specific books. Instead start reading books that can help you develop your personality. Whether it is a nice story book or a book that improves communication skills, books are always your best buddy.

Read all kinds of books at first. Soon, you will find what type of books that interest you the most and then you can filter your choices. The more you read, the more it augments your knowledge levels and enables you with the ability to express your ideas better. Reading more and more books will put you at par with the other smart kids in your class.

They don’t procrastinate

It is quite natural for children to postpone the tasks that they do not need to complete urgently. For the time that they postpone the task, they mostly spend in unproductive activities. Infact, it’s so prevalent in college students that a study reveals that about 25-75% of graduation students procrastinate on a regular basis.  

What sets a smart kid apart from such kids is that they will complete the task in time and then utilize the remaining time in learning something new.

Procrastinating never helps in the long run. If you leave a task for the last moment, you are less likely to complete it on the given deadline. Make a schedule for yourself and follow it strictly. This will help you in completing all your tasks before time.

They know the balancing act

Smart kids do not become smart because they spend hours with their textbooks and re-reading their class lessons, but because have mastered the art of balancing. Trust me, it’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.

If you want to become smart, you must learn to manage your time well and allocate specific hours for all sorts of activities during the day. Spend a few hours on self-studies and homework, allocate the evening time for physical activities and relaxation. Time management is a skill that will help you throughout your life.

They know when to take additional help

Smart kids know when to ask for help. They speak up when they don’t understand something. Nowadays, a lot of online tutoring platforms like etutorworld are available that help kids not only with their curriculum but also with other essential skills of life. Joining an online tutoring program will help you get a few steps ahead of other children your age. You will get a clear understanding of different concepts and gain a lot of knowledge. You can also be specific about the type of online tutoring program your child would join, an online maths tutoring when your child struggles with maths. Help from online tutoring ultimately makes you smarter than others. Recently one of my friend’s daughter started taking help when she was preparing from CogAT test and you won’t believe, but it did wonders. You can try the same too. Never, I say never, hesitate in taking extra help.

Now that you know the secret behind being a smart kid. Get going!

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