mommy intelligence

I have felt unintelligent before. I'm a stay-at-home mom of four and homeschool the two older ones. I put all my efforts into raising and teaching my kids, while saving some time and energy for my husband! Very little left for just me to do what I want to do. I mean, how much intelligence does it take to do a load of laundry or turn on the dishwasher or change a diaper?? If you have felt like this before, I have hope for you.

You need to read The Success Journey by John C. Maxwell. Books by him, in my opinion, aren't usually geared for the mom types. I used to think that they were mostly for the corporate business minded types. But lately I've been very glad to have them around. I was cleaning the living room (miracle!) and came across The Success Journey. He has a section on "Steps to Building a Strong Family." In this section, he states that there are certain tools for us to help us appreciate each family member's uniqueness and to enhance our ability to see each other's natural talents. One of the tools is Thomas Armstrong's book, Kinds of Smart.

There are seven kinds of intelligences in Kinds of Smart. Now, I do not have linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, or the few others that are mentioned. My husband is blessed with those! But what did catch my eye is the Interpersonal Intelligence. It is described as understanding and working with people. Armstrong says, "Those who have this intelligence are able to perceive and be responsive to the moods, temperaments, intentions, and desires of others."

I HAVE INTELLIGENCE!!! I know when my friends need someone to talk to. I know when my kids need a pep talk. I know when my three year old needs a spanking. (Ok, not rocket science.) I know when my husband needs me to be his sounding board for his ideas and thoughts. I am no longer just the housewife...I am MOM and I am INTELLIGENT!