The world is full of all types of
different people. Some of those people are introverts, some are not.
I'm here to tell you that becoming a parent does not magically make
you an extrovert, as nice as that would be some days. As some of you
are probably already aware, it can be really challenging sometimes
being an introverted parent, and I'm here to talk about my own struggles and what it's like.
If you have no idea what I'm talking
about, introverts are people who tend to like to reflect inwardly and
spend more time alone than others to think. This doesn't mean we're
antisocial, necessarily. We just need
more alone time to recharge our batteries, so to speak. Extroverts
thrive off of being around others, whereas being around large groups
(or even small ones for long lengths of time) wears introverts out
and can be mentally and physically exhausting.
So, now that we're
on the same page, what does any of this have to do with parenting? A
lot, actually. Parenting can be exhausting enough for obvious
reasons, but throw in an introverted personality and it can feel down
right impossible some days. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to
throw a pity party for us. I just feel like it's something that
should be talked about more because I have a feeling that it's a big
reason for “parent guilt” in some.
Parent
guilt is something that we, as parents, will all deal with at some
point in our parenting careers and, if we don't, we're probably doing
something wrong. Lol I think introverted parents deal with it more
than others. Why? Because we just can't
constantly pay attention to our kids and/or interact with them
constantly. This is obviously true of most parents, especially those
with multiple children, but I think you understand what I'm trying to
say here. It is just too physically, mentally, and emotionally
tiring, as much as we may want to.
That's not to say
we're bad parents. We try our best and I wouldn't say we're
neglectful by any means...but if we can't find ways to recharge and
have at least a little bit of down time for ourselves throughout the
day, or even have someone else watch the kids occasionally, we burn
out quickly. That's when we start getting cranky, tired, and
withdrawn.
Stay tuned for
part two where I share about my own experience and feelings
about being an introverted parent and ideas on what we can do to
battle it for our kids' sake!
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