As a parent you want only the best for your children. You desire for each of them to reach their full potential. But what if one child seems withdrawn, isn’t as active or loud as kids are ‘supposed’ to be? Barring any serious issues, they might just be introverted. You might think they are shy and try to change their behaviour to make them confident. Well, that’s a waste of time since personalities are hard wired into each of us from the onset.
Research shows that 25% of people are introverts. People with this personality have the following traits: they prefer spending time alone, need solitude to recharge after social interactions, don’t share their emotions easily, take time to process answers before responding to questions, learn by observation, select activities thoughtfully, among many others.
Since introverted children are highly creative, one way of engaging them is providing avenues for creative expression. Encourage them to read a book, play creative word games, ask them to make up a game, challenge them to come up with alternative uses for common household items, and other activities along those lines. It’s fulfilling for them to explore their innovative abilities. Just ensure you give the child enough time to get acquainted with each activity before introducing the next.
An introverted child is very sensitive emotionally. They are not open to sharing their feelings and challenges. Be patient with them when they make mistakes, since they tend to be hard on themselves after failing. Encourage them that mistakes are a normal part of life.
Don’t scold the child for spending a lot of time in their room, unless it’s excessive, of course. Introverts need time away to recharge often. Have structured quiet time for them especially if the house is full of activities.
Introverted people in general like taking things slowly. Allow your child enough time to answer questions, for example. They need a no-pressure atmosphere to allow them share their thoughts. Usually they have unique insights since they consider issues from a different perspective.
Let your child know there’s nothing wrong with being introverted. This personality type has incredible strengths they can draw from. They aren’t ‘freaks’ or ‘weird’, just different. And that’s wonderful.
