Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child

Finally I have finished reading 'The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child', by Marti Olsen Lancy. I would like to recommend to parents who have an introvert child. It gave me solid knowledge of 'temperament' -- a person who tends to eit
her side of introversion or extroversion does not relate to his/her personality, but how the neurological system works. To make it short, it is hardwired and cannot be changed.

We had encountered many difficulties when my elder boy attended kindergarten, since he was an extreme introvert. Introverts are always misunderstood especially in schools because we live in an extroverted society. For example, kids around four to five should go through round and round of interviews if their parents want to send them to private schools. Children are also encouraged to attend interest class after class to beef up their 'portfolio'. If a child is shy and laid-back, they are labelled as incompetent, dreamy, etc. Obviously, such environment is not favourable to introvert children.

The middle part of the book tells readers the gifts an introvert would have. They are considerate, they love to learn things in-depth, they may not have many friends, but they treasure each of them. It also advises parents how to nurture guide an introvert kid to make them flourish.

We should celebrate the differences of each child instead of forcing them to conform to the shape of a mould.