All parents want their children to grow up happy and well adjusted to society. They do their best to help their children prepare for life and succeed as they grow. Parents read parenting books, learn about the best strategies for parenting, and seek advice from friends, family, and even education experts. However, Sometimes the advice and suggestions they receive are of little use when children are introverts.
Being an introvert is NOT being shy
Introverted children are often mistaken for shy children, but being introverted and being shy are not the same thing. Parents can see that their child does not seem to socialize like many other children do. Your child may prefer to spend time alone reading or participating in other individual activities rather than anxiously seeking the company of other children.
Wanting to have a child well adapted to society, these parents can apply tips that can help shy children to be more sociable, but will not change the nature of an introverted child. If you think your child is an introvert, what are the best ways to help him?
Understand introversion
The first thing you will have to do is understand what it means to be an introvert. Understanding what it is will help you understand how to raise an introverted child. You can learn the most common traits of introverts to help you see some traits that your child has that are normal in an introvert personality, so you shouldn't worry that your child is happy like that. For example, If your child may prefer to spend time alone in his room with the door closed or that it is not easy for him to share his feelings easily.
People often worry that a child who spends time alone and does not talk about his feelings has some form of emotional distress such as depression. It is true that this behavior can be a sign of depression, but in this case, what we are looking for are changes in behavior patterns. Introversion is not a response to outside influences; it is a personality trait. In other words, An expressive, outgoing child who becomes withdrawn and silent does not suddenly become an introvert.
It is probably concern about emotional well-being that leads many parents (and teachers) to try to get introverted children to "open up" and socialize more with other children. Learn about introversion first, and you can better educate your child.
Respect their preferences
Their preferences will not be the same as yours, but you will have to respect them. Once you have a better understanding of what it means to be an introvert, you can better recognize your child's preferences without being alarmed. Once you understand what your child's preferences are, you will need to show respect for them at all times.
For example, introverts tend to have (and need) few friends. If you see that your child has only one or two friends while seeing other children with five or more friends, you may think that your child has socialization problems. You may feel like you need to motivate your child to make more friends and help him do it ... But if your child feels like they don't have a problem, you shouldn't have it either!
You have to understand that introverted children are happy with few friends and that not having a group of friends is not a socialization problem, it is a choice and preference. Forcing your child to spend more time than he wants with other children and trying to get him to have more relationships will not make him more outgoing. This will only drain her and make her more irritable (which may make you think you are right that she has problems). Instead, You can let your child take the lead on who they want as friends and how much time they want to spend with them.
Accept your child as he is
Accepting your child for who he is shows him that you really love him. Think about how you would feel if the same responses were made to your behavior. If you want the best for your child, then you must respect his preferences even if you think he should have more friends to be better. That is your thought but it is not your reality. SIf you make him feel that his behavior is somehow not normal and that you think he is a problem, that will translate into emotional problems that should not have arisen if you had respected him from the beginning. Your child may start to think that he really has a problem and that you love him less because of his personality.
Introverted children can be more emotionally sensitive so it may feel like they are not emotionally close. Don't try to change him because he will think you don't really love him.
Support your child whenever he needs you
When you have finally understood the introverted nature of your child, you will notice that you have begun to do the best for him and you will also feel how your emotional bond is being strengthened almost as if by magic. For example, a teacher may tell you that your child has trouble socializing because he doesn't like working with other students in group activities.
The teacher may be pressuring your child to participate in group activities against their will. This is a difficult situation because group work has become an integral part of education. You will have to support your child, understand him and validate his emotions, but do not try to convince the teacher to exclude your child from the group. Regardless of the personality of your child, he must learn to deal with this type of situation all his life.
You will only have to help the teacher to understand why your child does not enjoy group activities, no problem, it just works best in small groups or with a child or two at the most.