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by Stephanie Wilkinson – Texas Trainer Registry #1499

According to my personality test I am an ENFP. What does that mean? It means that I need people and I am creative, passionate and spontaneous.  Those are the good qualities. The down side is people often disappoint me and I have a hard time staying focused on the task.  I always think there is a better way to do something and something more fun lurks around the corner pulling me away from the mundane daily work that needs to be done.  How many of us beat ourselves up for the way we are? Well that’s the way God made us and we contribute to the world in our own unique ways.  What makes my business work is that I am the creative energy and my business partner is the focused task completer.  In fact, I am going to have him take this personality test soon so he can understand me better.  I bet he is pretty much the opposite of what I am. That’s what makes our complicated world work.

It is important to realize the children we work with are different from each other.  Each child probably has different levels of comfort in certain situations.  Take for instance the Extravert versus the Introvert child. According to What Makes an Extravert and Extravert by Jacki Christopher, “Research has shown that people with high extraversion are more attuned and sensitive to rewards than Introverts, and intentionally seek them out more.” Think about that when working with children. We often use rewards for good behavior. Our extraverts will probably respond to this well and work to attain the reward but will our introverts? According to the blog, introverts don’t long for the reward like extraverts so they are less likely to work to attain the reward. They may need to be dealt with differently.  According to For Extroverts: 15 Ways to Be a Better Parent to Your Introverted Kid, by Jennifer Granneman, “Introverts’ and extroverts’ brains use different neurotransmitter pathways, and introverts and extroverts use different “sides” of their nervous systems (introverts prefer the parasympathetic side, which is the “rest and digest” system as opposed to the sympathetic, which triggers the “fight, flight, or freeze” response).”

What makes the introvert tick? They often feel overwhelmed or anxious in new environments so as child care providers we must introduce them to new things slowly and not expect them to jump in the middle and be excited by other children. They will probably cling to momma more when being left whereas the extravert will be excited to see all his or her friends. Don’t punish an introvert for not participating but reward and acknowledge when he or she does participate. Always encourage participation slowly and remind them how much fun they had when they finally participated in a fun activity.

I find this kind of information helpful in both teaching children and learning about my own needs and wants.  Finding out what makes us tick makes us better teachers, spouses, parents and employees.  Want to know what your personality type is?  Click here to take a personality test and unlock a wealth of information.

I just recently started this blog offering child care providers and directors tips for their personal and career needs.  I offer Online Pre-Service and Annual Child Care Training at www.stephanielearning.com and other tips on our Facebook page.  If you would like to discuss personalized training or have any questions, please call me at (806) 410-0947 or send me an email to stephwilk@live.com. I am a registered trainer with the Texas Trainer Registry and look forward to helping you with your training needs.  Stop at our Facebook page and let me know what kind of training you are looking for. We are adding courses regularly to meet the needs of our customers.

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