Gardner's Eight Intelligences: Interpersonal

This is an eight-part series covering Gardner's eight multiple intelligences and applying the theory with my children in every day life. 

Interpersonal Intelligence is "people smart" or rather, when someone has an understanding of others and communicate well based on his understandings. Textbooks normally name Oprah as the greatest example of someone with interpersonal intelligence.

Both of my children are so young and I don't think it fair to judge their interpersonal intelligence at this point. They interact with other people. Za mostly slobbers on people and smiles. She doesn't yet differentiate strangers and family. Ty of course looks at people differently and has a few friends.

Ty doesn't like to share--typical of his age. Sometimes (normally when family reminds him) he will look at his counterpart with understanding. I hope he realizes that yes, my friend wants that toy as well.

Does he have a greater understanding of emotions, effects of histories and backgrounds, race relations? No, not at this age. I hope to raise him with an interpersonal understanding. I read him stories about different facial expressions and we identify with people with an extreme display (crying, mad, laughing). It is a start to building his interpersonal intelligence and one I hope pays off. People that understand and get along with other people succeed more than those who don't.