Find out how your extrovert or introvert personality can impact your relationship with your child. Pick up a copy of the March 2005 issue of Canadian Living and read What's your parenting personality?
Bridge the gaps
Whether you are dating or in a committed relationship, the most important aspect of communication between introverts and extroverts is learning that because of your differences in temperament, you have different ways of expressing yourself. Often what's English to one is Greek to the other. Neither style is right or wrong; each offers advantages and disadvantages. If you understand both styles, you can "translate" and begin to work together. Let's take a look at how this works:
The introvert's communication style
Introverts tend to:
• Keep energy, enthusiasm, and excitement to themselves and share only with those they know very well. Hesitate before sharing personal information with others.
• Need time to think before responding. Need time to reflect before reacting to outside events.
• Prefer communicating one-to-one.
• Need to be drawn out or invited to speak, and may prefer written to verbal communication.
• May occasionally think they told you something they didn't (they're always going over things in their head).
The extrovert's communication style
Extroverts tend to:
• Share their energy, excitement, and enthusiasm with almost anyone in the vicinity.
• Respond quickly to questions and outward events.
• Share personal information easily.
• Communicate one-to-one or in groups with equal ease and enjoyment.
• Think out loud, interacting with others, and, in the process, reach their conclusions. In addition they often don't give others a chance to speak and don't always attach tremendous meaning to what they say.
• Prefer face-to-face, oral communication over written communication.
