Now that it is back to school time it got me thinking about how different child with different Types have different needs. I will focus this post on just Introversion and Extraversion.
Understanding your child’s temperament can make a huge difference in your understanding of your childs needs.
Extroverted and Introverted children need to be treated differently.
Understanding YOUR Type can help you determine how you relate to your child BUT understanding their Type and temperament can help you understand what THEY need! Many parents treat their children as they would want to be treated but understanding both your Types can help both of you thrive.
Introverted children need some time to decompress when they get home from school, just as introverted adults need time to decompress when they get home from work. Give them some time to hang out in their room or play in the yard before you ask them questions about their day. Introverts, adults and children alike, need some time to decompress and be alone to recharge themselves before they jump into the next daily activity. Extroverted parents, DON’T take it personally. This is why understanding both your Types can be SO helpful.
Extroverted children, on the other hand, may need to verbally download their day the minute they walk in the door. They may want to tell you all about it before they can move on to the next daily activity so carve some time out to give them your undivided attention when they need it, just as an introverted child might want to download later (if at all).
We all need to be heard, seen and loved and Extroverts and Introverts often need it in different ways so do some research on your child’s behavior, find out their temperament (I can help with that) and then adjust your behavior to their needs. You might be amazed at how you can improve your communication with them by understanding your Types and changing just a few behaviors to fit their interpersonal needs.
Happy Back to school! Thanks for reading and would love to hear any comments!
Jessica Butts MA, LMHCA
p.s. I embrace my imperfection so please try to ignore any grammatical errors:)
as we’re just heading back to school, this is a GREAT reminder. I’m a verbal processor so I immediately bombard my boys with questions. One of them loves to talk back and one of them doesn’t. I need to remember that simply just being in the same room, quietly with my introvert often is all he needs before he spills some important information. thank you for the reminder.