Because opposites attract, it’s likely that you and your child’s other parent may each fulfill a different role as the resident Extrovert and Introvert in your family system.

 

Introvert: a shy person : a quiet person who chooses alone time and has a few good friends

Extrovert:a friendly person who likes being with and talking to other people : an outgoing person

To whatever degree parenting or other influences can effect a child, psychologists and development specialists almost universally agree that people are born with certain propensities, or personality types.

Knowing whether your child is an Extrovert or Introvert can go a long way in anticipating their social needs and facilitating their social emotional development!

Use this questionnaire to help guide your understanding:

  1. When dealing with other people, does it describe your child better to say that they
    -need approval, and are very upset if someone expresses dissatisfaction with them
    -seek approval, but can function without it
    -do not care what others think
  2. When meeting new people, is your child more likely to
    -be shy until they get to know them
    -be friendly and unafraid, and enjoy meeting the strangers
    -observe from the sidelines for a short while, and then be friendly and unafraid
  3. Does it describe your child better to say that he or she
    -seems to always be talking
    -is more quiet
  4. When interacting with others (NOT the parents), is your child more
    -affectionate and cuddly
    -reserved and doesn’t really like to be fussed over
  5. Is your child generally
    -calm and quiet
    -loud and full of energy
  6. When playing or doing activities, is your child
    -tolerant of distractions, such as TV and other people talking
    -irritated by distractions, and prefer to work alone
  7. When approaching a new situation, is your child
    -ready to jump in and try anything
    -willing and eager to jump in after they have watched for a short while
    -cautious and reserved, but interested in joining in
    -cautious and reserved, and unlikely to join in
  8. In a group of strangers, is your child
    -comfortable with being the center of attention
    -more comfortable with being in the background

Assess your child’s norms: are they more

Extroverted: talkative, affectionate, energetic, busy, fearless, and brave?

or

Introverted: reserved, quiet, reflective, still, cautious, and thoughtful?

Check back later this week for expert ideas on how to accommodate and encourage your Extroverted or Introverted child!

This test is based on the Myers-Briggs personality test, a test stemming from Jungian Psychology. For more info, check out the site.

Remember, as the pioneers of the famed Myers-Briggs personality test put it,

“Each type has its own path to excellence, and its own pitfalls.” Isabel Myers