The world is filled with extroverts. Doesn’t your child want to mix with society and is an introverted kid? While other kids love playing in the play zone, does your child like to stay close to you? If the answer is ‘yes’, I can understand what kind of concerns you are facing while raising an introverted child. So, before I start narrating to you about how to understand better your child, let’s know a bit about the behaviour of introverted toddlers:
These kids usually love to spend time alone or with only their parents or close family members. They hardly admire the arrival of guests at home and feel lost in social gatherings. When they encounter an outsider, they hide behind their parents or stay quiet rather than show any excitement. They don’t easily mix up with other children of their age and barely have any friends. Understanding an introverted toddler is always complicated because they usually don’t express their sentiments through words or gestures, but, at the same time, introverted toddlers are more imaginative, reasonable and intelligent.
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Tips For Parents To Raise An Introverted Child
There are a few helpful tips for parents to understand their introverted toddlers better and make them ready to face this extrovert world.
Let Them Take Their Time
Introverted toddlers take more time to be comfortable in front of unfamiliar faces. So, you don’t need to push your child to say hello or stay around the guest; you can ask them once. If they are not comfortable, let them take their time for creating an opinion about that person. Introvert children use their intelligence to determine whether it is safe to talk to that person or not. Similarly, before participating in any activity, they like to take their sweet time to observe and understand it.
- Do encourage your toddlers but don’t force them; they might never make an effort if you push them to do what they don’t want to.
- Proudly accept that it is your child’s nature; they take time to welcome a new person or new activity into their life, and it is not bad at all. Gradually, they will learn it by observing you.
Teach Your Child Way Of Expression
Introverted children find it difficult to express their emotions through words. They might seem upset and sad, but even at that moment, they like to stay alone rather than talk to you about how they’re feeling. That’s why sometimes, they feel frustrated and annoying. In all such times, you have to understand your child’s emotions. Understanding these emotions are usually complicated because your child is not interested in talking about them. So, why don’t we start teaching our children other ways to express their emotions! There are a few ways that might be helpful for them:
- You can create a few games that demand your child make different facial expressions or sign for various emotions.
- Read stories for them. “The way I feel” is a wonderful book for toddlers that help them to understand and express their feelings. During storytelling, you can guide or ask them about how each character would be feeling at different stages and why.
- Teach them to draw smilies or use colours.
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Talk To Them
If your introverted kid doesn’t make any effort to talk to you, it’s your turn to take the initiative. They must know how to initiate the talk and how important it is to share what they think. They might not be interested in answering any of your questions if you ask them directly about how they’re feeling (or simply not able to describe). Here are a few ways to communicate with your introverted child:
- Answering in one word is usually more helpful, so you need to frame quick and short questions for your child.
- Play games like teacher-student, doctor-patient or any kind of role-play. (Don’t ask them to perform in front of others, they might hesitate.)
- Praise them every time they initiate the conversation. Also, if you scold your kid much, read here some tips to maintain your calm.
- Gift them some toys, which demand them to talk. Various talking toys for kids are available on Amazon or your nearby toy shops.
Help Your Toddler To Make Friends
Your toddler used to hesitate approaching other kids. Also, when other children try to initiate the conversation, your child hardly gives any positive response. Gradually, the other children get bored and give up being friends with your introverted child. In such a case, initially, you have to help your child and show them how to make friends. Here are a few ways to help your child to learn how to make friends:
- Show them how to initiate a conversation through a role-play or some video.
- Invite one or two kids of the same age to home. Your child might not like playing publicly in the park, but he or she will surely enjoy the company of one or two friends.
- Be a role model for your child. Children learn most things by observing their parents.
- Appreciation is an important step when your toddler successfully makes their first friend.
Preparing Your Child For Playschool
Being parents of an introverted child, you are well aware of your child’s nature. Your child doesn’t like to stay with unfamiliar faces. It is the hardest thing preparing your introverted child for playschool. The first day is surely going to be very challenging. They would cry a bit more and clinch to you. But this time, you have no choice else to separate them. So, here are a few tips for separating your introverted child for playschools:
- Start Preparing them for playschool a few months ago by telling them exciting school stories. They must know that going to playschool is nothing else than enjoying a day with their favourite toy.
- Keep smiling at the time when you drop them off, even if your child is crying. I know it’s difficult, but you don’t want to convey to your child that they’re going on an impossible mission.
- Assure them that you will stay at the school entrance and not go back home all the time.
Try To Enhance Other Strengths
Usually, introverted children are more intelligent, imaginative and talented than other children. Instead of pointing out their insufficiencies, talk about their strengths. Don’t ever feel ashamed of your child’s slight social skills and less-active behaviour.
- Don’t talk to your guest about your child’s social skills in front of your child.
- Encourage your toddlers when they create imaginary stories or draw something expressively.
- Introvert toddlers have good learning skills. So, you can teach them origami, other crafts or various skills at an early age. It will help them express emotions as well.
To Summarize
I hope these tips help you to understand your introverted child. Despite all the above suggestions, I would like to remind you that the most famous personalities in the world are introverts in their childhood. Don’t forget to tell the stories of these famous personalities to your child and always feel like proud parents. You can also check this introvert’s guide to parenting an extrovert child.
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