I actually think Austin's advice is pure genius. But I'm concerned that a nine year old doesn't have the life experience to pull it off. Austin, could you really have come up with that when you were nine?
How hard is it? Does it have to be conscious?
I loved football/soccer when I was in school. I made lots of friends on the field that otherwise I would not have. These friends followed me back into the classrooms and playgrounds. At a new school, I always showed up for the pick-up games, got picked last, but proved myself. After a while I was 2d/3rd pick most of the time.
Same thing would occur at summer camps, scout camps, etc. The first two or three days would be rough as the bullies tried to use me as a whipping boy - probably because I would go off and read during non-programmed moments - I would plop down and read where ever I could. Then sports would start up and the need to win would arise and I'd be accepted.
What was I doing?
The trick is to find the common interests that join kids together. Videogames are big one today. Sports are another. Movies. You name it.
a GT kid can be motivated to analyze people and how they interact just as they would do for any subject. There are lots of books on Social Intelligence. Once a kid knows how to start up small talk, then he can interview the peer to see what they have in common.
