Tips for Parenting an Extrovert

When your kid keeps screaming Hi and you just want to hide

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

A peaceful morn, Anytown, USA

A young woman emerges from the morning mist, peacefully pushing a stroller and listening as birdsong breaks in gentle waves over the tranquil silence. Perhaps a gentle coo or giggle passes the lips of her small child’s angelic lips. Suddenly, a shrill cry from nearly two miles off pierces her morning reverie:

Will you play with me?

My son, he of lungs like a velociraptor, shatters the tranquil ambiance of our quiet town in his quest to befriend another of earth’s inhabitants. Only 6.9 billion to go.

If you happen to be an introvert matched with an extroverted child, you know how draining it can be to keep up with your child’s people-loving ways. I know I do. My husband and I happen to have adopted our son, but this mismatching of personalities and social preferences happens regularly in the genetic pool as well.

Here are some things I’ve learned in my illustrious four-year career as an introverted mommy to an uber-extrovert.

Give yourself plenty of breaks

My son is an only child, so on the days he’s home with me, I’m his sole source of human…