Have you ever heard the terms extrovert and introvert? They are used to sum up a series of personality characteristics which make a person relate to one of the types mentioned. If you are interested in learning further about this deeply interesting subject, I suggest you research the terms and you will discover endless psychology related articles that will help you understand human nature. For the purpose of today’s entry I will summarize these two types to the best of my knowledge, the extrovert person being one who gathers energy from outside sources (people) and the introvert being one who recharges from within (alone).
When we speak of an introvert or extrovert we are more often than not referring to adults, but do children exhibit signs of each, and if so, how do we raise them to embrace their personality type?
Now if you’ve been reading my entries on Beiruting Kids then you know by now that I’m a mother of two, a boy and a girl. My children exhibit widely different characteristics in the way they interact with others, the way they play alone, dealing with “stress” and in their preferences, which leads me to be a firm believer of each being a type. My daughter, the eldest, is an extrovert and my younger son is without a shadow of a doubt, an introvert.
I hadn’t noticed the difference until my son was born but my observation made me aware of how to deal with each child in a way where my message would get across. My daughter loves people, she shares toys, loses toys more often than not, is very messy (a sign of creativity), enjoys sports, is a chatterbox, talks to herself or to her imaginary audience if she has no one around to talk to, yells when confronted and nags if I don’t take her out. My son on the other hand, although does love company, is perfectly comfortable playing alone, arranges toys back in their place, throws tantrums when I disturb his calm playtime to dress him and take him out, and cries when confronted. I’m not referring to either as an ideal set of characteristics, and I’m fully aware that children have a lifetime to develop their character, but these root differences between them are hints of how their brains are wired, how they process their surroundings and how they react. My daughter recharges her inner battery by being around people and takes after her father, while my son if overwhelmed would slip into a quiet room to be with his thoughts, much like myself.
I find it truly fascinating how our children inherit our personality traits, of course with developing their own with time, and it’s even more interesting to understand why they behave a certain way so we as parents can cater to their needs. I do my best to deal with each of my children in a way that would get through to them and I never nudge them towards changing their ways. I will always encourage my daughter to keep on being the outspoken extrovert she is, and I will always accept my son’s sensitivity and compassion, and all I hope is that I’m doing a good job at allowing them to be who they are. How about you fellow parents, have you noticed defining traits in your children, and if so, how are you dealing?
Maria Najem
Photo: dreamstime.com
