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20 of the Best Words to Describe a Child in Terms of Their Traits

20 of the Best Words to Describe a Child in Terms of Their Traits

A huge part of parenting is being active in your child’s life, whether it is his/her school or person life.

Whether you choose to do it by helping with homework and projects or meeting regularly with teachers, it’s important to participate in your child’s life.

During these meetings, you will have to describe your child so that the teacher can understand any challenges that he/she might be facing. It can also simply allow the teacher to get to know your child more.

These words to describe your child should include good traits and bad traits. Other words to describe your child can also be based on your child’s quirky characteristics.

Here are 20 words to describe your child; you can use these words for any child:

 

7 words to describe a child’s good traits

 
There are so many things to love about your child, from the things he/she says to the things he/she does.
 
Here are seven words to describe your child’s good traits; you can use them when describing your child to teachers and/or anyone whom you feel should know about your kid’s good qualities:
 

01Clever
 
The word clever is used to describe someone who is smart or intelligent. This means that your child can apply whatever knowledge he/she has to situations in order to come up with impressive solutions.
 
It is good to use this word with other words to describe a child when you want to show the teacher that your child will be a good student.
 
E.g. “Tommy’s pretty clever for his age. He doesn’t even ask for help. In fact, he mostly just figures stuff out on his own.”

 

children having their exam girl holding pencil answering test paper
Photo by Arthur Krijgsman from Pexels

 

02Creative
 
Kids are known for their very active imaginations, but some kids can channel all of that into being creative.
 
When you use the word creative to describe a child, it means that he/she can come up with ideas that are out of the box, and yet, they will likely be feasible too.
 
It can also mean that he/she is good at art or can come up with great stories.
 
E.g. “If I leave Alice here with a pencil and a sheet of paper right now, her creative mind will surely wow me when I get back.”

 

boy in white tank top holding blue green paint painting a bird house with another kids

Photo by Rashid Sadykov on unsplash

 

03Focused
 
Teachers often have a hard-enough time keeping kids settled long enough to learn. They are very thankful for the ones who are focused; it makes their jobs as teachers a bit easier when their students are focused in the classroom.
 
A focused child is one who pays attention in class and isn’t easily distracted. He/she isn’t very chatty and likely won’t cause any disruptions.
 
E.g. “When Yara is interested in something, she’s super focused; she will get all of her tasks done.”

 

04Gentle
 
The word gentle is good to use if your child is mild-natured, careful, or cautious. It means that he/she considers others’ feelings, and he/she will not do anyone any harm.
 
He/she takes care of things and is not destructive.
 
E.g. “Greg is a very gentle boy. He wouldn’t hurt a fly!”

 

05Kind
 
A kind child is one who is caring and generous. He/she shows compassion and isn’t selfish.
 
He/she is likely to share with friends and even strangers; more importantly, he/she won’t say or do hurtful things to others.
 
E.g. “There’s not a bad bone in this little girl’s body. She’s very sweet and kind.”

 

spiderman kid wearing red hat holding hand

Photo by Dingo on Reshot

 

06Outspoken
 
An outspoken child is one who isn’t afraid to say how he/she feels about a situation. He/she is honest and direct, and she/he does it without the intention of being malicious.
 
It means that others will know exactly how he/she feels at any given time.
 
E.g. “I have a strong feeling that Michael is going to be a debater or politician in the future. He’s outspoken, and he never holds his tongue!”

 

07Polite
 
When you use the word polite to describe your child, it means that he/she is well-mannered or well-behaved. He/she is respectful; he/she is considerate of others’ feelings and has a high regard for others.
 
E.g. “I’ve never had a complaint from any of her teachers. They always say she is a polite and well-mannered girl.”

 

 

7 words to describe a child’s bad traits

 
While your child may be mommy/daddy’s angel, he/she will have traits that may rub others the wrong way or even get him/her in trouble. These are word to describe your child’s bad traits.
 
The following words can be used without meaning to say that your child is bad; in fact, everyone has bad traits. Here are seven words to describe your child’s bad traits to someone, like a teacher:
 

08Careless
 
The word careless may be used to describe a child who doesn’t give much thought to anything, and this often can lead him/her to do harm or make a mistake. This likely makes him/her forgetful and/or prone to getting in trouble.
 
A careless child may leave his/her toys in the hallway, and this can cause others to fall if they step on one.
 
Another example could be that the child leaves leave his/her tablet outside, and it gets wet because it rains at some point.
 
E.g. “Tanya isn’t a bad kid; she’s just careless at times.”

 

kid in yellow clothes sitting on white chair yellow wall
Photo by Anna Shvets under pexels license

 

09Chatty
 
A chatty child is one who is always speaking, and it’s sometimes to the point that it becomes annoying to others; a chatty child can distract other kids in class as well.
 
He/she is very lively and always wants to engage in conversation.
 
E.g. “William is quite a chatty boy. We’d call him a chatterbox! Sometimes, I tell him that his mouth goes a mile a minute!”

 

mother hugging her child smiling

Photo by acworks on photo-ac

 

10Energetic
 
You can use the word energetic if your child is high-spirited and full of energy. It is good to use if he/she is always playing, racing across the room, and trying to engage others in different activities.
 
At some point, this high-energy can get him/her in trouble, and it can also become annoying to others.
 
E.g. “Kayla is very energetic, and it’s often hard to get her to stay focused.”

 

11Naughty
 
A naughty child is one who often misbehaves. He/she may act rudely with adults and his/her peers. He/she constantly defies authority, which means he/she is very disobedient.
 
This often gets him/her into trouble or disagreements with peers. Here’s how you can present him/her to the teacher using this word:
 
E.g. “Kai is often misunderstood because of how naughty he can be.”

 

short haired kid wearing violet long sleeves wearing apron thinking what color to use

Photo by Christopher Ryan on unsplash

 

12Spoilt
 
A spoilt child is what we might call “a brat.” He/she doesn’t take no for an answer, and he/she wants things to be his/her way. In his/her view, it’s his/her way or the highway.
 
He/she is used to having things handed to him/her, making him/her feel entitled.
 
E.g. “When Maya was younger, I used to work a lot, and she often stayed with her grandparents. I guess that’s why she’s so spoilt now; it’s because they did everything for her and rarely said no to her.”

 

13Sneaky
 
A sneaky child is as sly as a fox. He/she is secretive, hides things, and does things that he/she knows he/she is not supposed to do.
 
E.g. “You have to watch Hosea very closely. He’s a very sneaky boy!”

 

14Stubborn
 
Stubborn is a good word to use when your child is not easily moved or swayed, even if he/she is being corrected.
 
With a stubborn child, it is difficult for him/her to accept a new idea that isn’t the one that he/she has already accepted.
 
He/she just loves having his/her way, and he/she is determined to stay that way.
 
E.g. “Anastasia is a stubborn girl. She would prefer to fail a hundred times over asking for help.”

 

mom with sunday hat with her child sitting on the rice field

Photo by I. C. on reshot

 

6 words to describe a child’s quirky traits

 
Your child’s quirky traits are what make him/her unique. These traits aren’t necessarily bad, but they can be a little weird when compared to other kids.
 
Here are six of the best words to describe a child based on his/her quirky traits:
 

15Awkward
 
You can use the word awkward to describe a child who isn’t graceful, meaning he/she can be a bit clumsy. He/she may fall easily or accidentally knock things over.
 
It can also be used to describe a child who is introverted; therefore, he/she isn’t good at starting conversation or making friends.
 
E.g. “Ryan keeps to himself mostly because he’s a bit awkward and shy.”

 

 

16Curious
 
Curious is a word that you can use to describe a child who always finds him/herself in some sort of mischief; it’s often because he/she is very inquisitive.
 
This child will go out of his/her way to investigate something that he/she has no business knowing about, such as a bird’s nest.
 
Another example can be that the child asks very personal questions about others’ personal issues.
 
E.g. “My daughter is naturally curious; she will ask questions from sun rise until the sun has set!”

 

04 photo of woman playing with her children whisk
Photo by Elly Fairytale under Pexels

 

17Silly
 
You can use the word silly if your child doesn’t take him/herself or situations very seriously.
 
He/she will find the humor in situations, or he/she will do funny things to make others laugh, like making a silly face or making fart sounds with his/her arms.
 
E.g. “Frankie will likely have a future in comedy because he’s such a silly and funny little boy!”

 

18Spontaneous
 
Spontaneous is one of the best words to describe a child who is adventurous. He/she may enjoy being random. He/she doesn’t think before he/she acts; and he/she may do things for simply the fun of it.
 
He/she is fearless and impulsive in nature, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing.
 
E.g. “Carol is a spontaneous child who will do the most random things to have a good time.”

 

19Vibrant
 
A vibrant child is one who is full of life and energy. His/her personality may be described as larger than life; he/she is generally the most enthusiastic in any given situation.
 
E.g. “Peter has the most vibrant personality of anyone in our family, and we encourage him to express him/herself in whichever way he pleases.”

 

mother carrying daughter while kissing her nose child blue sweater

Photo by Magdalena Smolnicka on Unsplash

 

20Whimsical
 
If your child is a bit peculiar, unpredictable, or extremely playful, then you may use the word whimsical to describe him/her to someone, like a teacher.
 
He/she may come off a bit odd to others, but his/her personality is often appreciated by others instead of being rejected.
 
E.g. “Sometimes, I wonder if Sarah is in another world altogether because of her whimsical personality.”

 

Lastly

 
These words to describe a child can be used to describe your child to a teacher, family members, friend, or even a coworker. If you choose the right word and the correct phrase, you will be able to communicate exactly what you mean!