Quiet As a Mouse: The Benefits of an Introverted Mom
When you think of the word introvert or hear that some is introverted, what comes to mind? A person who is shy, quiet, and/or reserved? Technically speaking, Intro comes from Latin intro-, “inward,” and vertere, “turning.” It describes a person who tends to turn inward mentally.
So what are the traits of an introverted mom? To me, an introverted mom faces a daily struggle. A solitude you just can’t get with kids. For instance, it’s balancing the preference to avoid crowds (taking toddlers outside of the house is so draining) against the desire to have your kids play with other children.
While there are challenges to being an introverted mom, there are some benefits. Here are a few of my benefits of being an introverted mom.
Online Mom Groups – The online community is great for an introvert. You can communicate on your terms. There are all types of Facebook groups, blogs, Instagram accounts, etc. Rather than comment on every post, you can simply read the posts (aka the Lurker Mom) or just like the post. Reading the stories of other moms is a sense of support, encouragement, and even entertainment. The social media community allows me to get engaged, but I technically do not have to “talk” to anyone.
No Regrets “Me Time” – As moms, it’s so common to put the needs of others before ourselves. One of my traits as an introverted mom is the need for alone time a.k.a. “me time” to recharge. Usually, alone time and being a mom are polar opposites. However, for me, it’s absolutely necessary to take a little time for myself each day. Now, let’s be clear. My “me time” is not spent in a lap of luxury of spa visits or staying in bed (on rare occasions maybe). Instead, I take what I can get and enjoy my “me time” during random times like my commute to and from work or a few minutes when the kids take a rare nap on the weekend.
Most of the time, my “me time” is after the kids go to sleep. Whether its thirty minutes on a Saturday afternoon or 12:55 a.m. on a Wednesday, I take my “me time.” And, I don’t have any regrets about taking it. For my peace of mind, it’s necessary to take my “me time” to recharge and be ready for the next day.
My Energetic Kids – Like most kids, my kids have a ton of energy. There are plenty of times where I want them to curl up with a book so we can all get some quiet time. How do you explain that to a three and one-year-old? Well, you don’t. My kids tend to pull me out of my isolated preferences. As an introvert, I’m cool with reading a book or shopping online while the kids play. That usually doesn’t happen because the kids want me to join their dance party or play a game with them. This is not a bad thing, it just takes me out of my comfort zone.
As an introverted mom, I get anxiety about going to the park or birthday party and making the typical small talk. However, I may just meet a fellow introverted mom who feels my pain! 🙂
Are you a fellow introvert mom? Drop a comment to share how you survive being an introverted mom.
I had never heard this perspective before, Vanessa! And you covered it beautifully! It made me realize that I was actually an introverted mom (my “baby“ is 31!), even though people see me as outgoing! ? I identified with pretty much everything you said herein! Thank you for sharing this thoughtful, very well-expressed post! (I do a lot of editing, and didn’t find even one error! ? Rare!)
Thank you so much Barb! I appreciate your kind words.
I feel like I’m totally both. I love making mom friends, but don’t go to a lot of places to do that. I agree about FB groups…i have a love/hate relationship with mom groups but they have provided the best support, encouragement, and even true friendships.
Thanks for your feedback Lisa!
Thank you for this. I am 100% an introverted Mom. However, it is important to me that my very outgoing 9 year old daughter have a healthy social life so I do what I can to ease my social anxiety to get her to her social functions. It is one of the hardest things for me to do but she is worth it.
Hi Dani! It’s amazing what we do for our kids, right? 🙂