3 Ways To Thrive As An Introverted Mom
Motherhood is tough as it is, but it can be even tougher if you’re an introverted mom. Learn how you can survive and thrive as as introverted mom.
Any introverted mamas out there?
I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty much the textbook definition of an introvert, and since becoming a stay-at-home mom, I’m definitely set in my ways.
I absolutely hate small talk and I’d enjoy being home with my family way more than being out and about with a bunch of people. Don’t get me wrong, I love people – just in small doses!
Besides, motherhood is downright exhausting sometimes and as an introvert, I need to be able to pull back and recharge when I feel mentally and/or physically drained.
I know for some of you this may sound a bit extreme but, I know I can’t be the only introverted mama out there that has struggled to adjust to having a little human attached to my hip 24/7.
Even with all of the joy and happiness that our children bring into our lives, it can sometimes leave an introverted mama like me feeling drained and in desperate need of some alone time.
This is ESPECIALLY true if you’re an introverted parent attempting to raise an extroverted toddler. I’ve learned from experience that my son has a need for social interaction that FAR exceeds my own (Can I get an Amen?).
While some days are more draining than others, I’ve learned a couple of tricks that can help us introverted mamas make the most of raising our little ones.
Schedule Time To Recharge
Sooo let’s just be honest, as a Mom, it’s a real struggle to find time for ourselves.
It’s just what we do – we put everyone else’s needs above our own. I don’t know about you but if I go too many days without taking some adequate time for myself, I become extremely impatient and irritable.
And you know what they say, if Mommmy isn’t happy, NO ONE is happy.
As an introverted mama (& mamas in general), it is crucial that we devote time to unwind and recharge so that we’ll be able to provide the best care and environment for our little ones.
A little me time doesn’t have to be expensive or take up a lot of your time either. For me, it looks like curling up on the couch with a glass of wine and binge watching Grey’s Anatomy.
It will look different for each of us but sometimes it’s necessary to take a break from being a Mom or a business owner and take care of the woman you are outside of that.
be flexible during playtime
Chances are, if you’re in a bad mood, your child will pick up on that. I have had moments where I’ve really lacked patience with my son simply because I was burned out and overwhelmed.
When you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed and aren’t able to schedule any time for a break, consider switching up the playtime activities.
If I’ve been having a rough day, I try to keep playtime quiet, yet entertaining for my son. I find that shifting to a quieter activity helps me decompress a bit and as a result, I’m less likely to become irritable or overwhelmed throughout the day.
Sensory activities are awesome for when you want to keep your little one entertained and in one spot.
Some of my favorite sensory activities for toddlers are sensory bags and bottles and window finger painting.
No-Mess Finger Painting
All you’ll need for this super fun activity is a ziplock bag, a couple of sheets of paper, and paint. Simply squeeze out a few drops of paint onto the paper and place it inside the ziplock bag. You could use it as is but I like to tape it to the window for fun!
Create Opportunities for Social Interaction
While I love hanging with friends, I could go weeks at a time without that social interaction and be just fine, however, the same isn’t true for my son.
Toddlers – and young children in general – thrive off of social interaction. It’s also a great way for your little one to become aware of different social cues and to learn to be comfortable in social situations.
I’ve found that being intentional about scheduling play dates and time with family members, I can provide an appropriate level of social interaction for him without depleting my own energy reserves.
And while I want to turn my home into a hangout spot for all of his little toddler friends, I believe that it’s also important to allow my son to enjoy interactions with his friends and family at home.
It doesn’t have to be often but believe me, your child will greatly benefit by having a social outlet on a more personal scale.
At The End Of The Day…
Motherhood is laced with its own unique challenges that vary from mom to mom, and when you’re an introvert, it can take a while to learn how to manage it all.
I hope the above tips help any mama that may be struggling to thrive in motherhood without feeling burned out.
Are there any specific things you do to ‘decompress’ as an introverted mama?
Let me know in the comments!
Amen! Yes, having some down time is important to me too. I find that as long as I balance our social activities with some quality “me” time, I’m good. My favorite is unwinding each night with a cup of tea and what my daughter calls my “mommy snack.”
Same here!! I love a good cup of tea too! Especially since I don’t drink coffee 😪
Here Here! This mommying thing can be so complicated sometimes that one can get so consumed with all the things that need to get done that you forget to take a breather. I’m learning to schedule in mandatory social interaction time as a routine self care.
http://www.wummyumude.com/authenticity-project/self-doubt/
Absolutely! It really can be a lot sometimes! I’ll be sure to check out your post!💕
So many great suggestions here! I am super introverted as well, definitely will be saving this article to reference back to!
Yes!! I love this! Thank you for sharing! 😊
I usually enjoy time to myself by indulging in a cup of coffee and watching my favorite tv show. It’s so important to balance me time and social life.
These are great tips! I’m pretty introverted myself, and it can be really difficult to create the opportunity for interaction with other moms but it helps sooo much!
It really does! I don’t do it as often as I should so I definitely have to get better at that.
So glad I found you blog!! I’m a text book Meyers-Briggs INTJ – extreme on the introvert. Married to an extrovert and still not sure where my child falls on the scale 🙂 I totally get the need to unwind and liking people, but it small doses!! Like tsp size doses – also, I live life without the coffee – not anti, just never found it appealing :/ probably to my loss 🙂 xx
Yay for another Meyers-Briggs Fan!! I’m an INTP which is supposedly super rare! My hubby is an introvert too but it’s looking like our son is gonna be an extrovert😳 I love people too but I get irritated easily so I need my me time haha and yes for another mama that doesn’t drink coffee! I tried in college but I hated it. Once I’m up, I’m just up! Haha
I need to show this post to my husband! He is much more of an introvert than me and he often expresses the need to be alone or have quiet time to recharge. I am the opposite and actually really enjoy being with people 🙂 My husband sometimes gets grumpy after a full day with the kids and I can see from what you wrote that you feel the same sometimes!
Oh totally! I get extremely irritable but only when I haven’t made any time to woo-sah haha
I am an introvert and have found that I function better as a SAHM than I did before giving birth working 40 hours a week in customer service.
Me too!!! I couldn’t deal with the office drama! It made me crazy!
Totally agree! It’s so hard being an introvert but we do need to make time to socialize
I’m totally an introvert! I can relate to you 100%. I realized my kids need more social interaction then myself too. It’s hard being an introvert Mom but it’s all apart of the adventure
This is a really good post. I never considered how much of my being an introvert directly affected how I was raising my baby. I know when I was pregnant, I was worried about not speaking enough to her since I’m a quiet person, but I didn’t think of how that translated into how we played. I honestly prefer that it’s either just us playing or her with other kids without me.
I totally understand how you feel! It was so hard for me after my son was born bc I just wanted to be left alone. But I’ve been slowly adapting. I believe we’ll both get the hang of it soon! Thanks so much for reading mama!
I’m definitely an introvert [mom]! Great tip about scheduling play dates, especially if he’s more outgoing than me (which I hope he is) LOL
I just had my son, but I am definitely going to try that window finger painting…great idea!
Hey Mama! My son is sooo outgoing! He never meets a stranger and it’s been… interesting for me – to say the least! I definitely don’t want to hold him back because of my ‘introvertedness’ so I’m learning to adapt! haha. Thanks for reading!
Infj here with a spirited extrovert daughter. She rules my house lol. Glad to see there are other introvert moms!
Hey Mama! I totally know what you’re going through! My son definitely tries to run things here haha. & Yay for knowing your MBTI! I love all things personality! Thanks for reading!
Wow, what a necessary post! I feel like a lot of stay-at-home introvert moms don’t know what is wrong with them. Of course, there is nothing wrong, but they feel that way nonetheless. I think that being aware of your energetic preferences, along with other personality traits, is crucial to thriving as a mama, just like you pointed out in this article!
Thanks for this!
B
Hey B!
Yes!!! Knowing your preferences and how introverted/extroverted you are go a long way when you’re tryna mom and not lose your sanity!
Thanks so much for reading!
I don’t drink coffee! Finally found another!
Finally!!! Feels good to know that I’m not alone!