An introvert's guide to parenting an extroverted child

How to meet their needs without wearing yourself out

A girl jumping on a bed.
(Image credit: Choreograph/iStock)

When my daughter was in fifth grade, she got the flu and stayed home from school for three days. Like me, she's a bookworm and an introvert, so she spent most of her time at home in her room, reading silently in bed while I worked. It was like spending the day with a well-behaved cat.

The day she went back to school my 7-year-old son, Gabriel, got the flu. He's an extrovert, and he made a bed on the couch and for two days issued nonstop dispatches from the living room.

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Hilary Achauer

Hilary Achauer is a writer and journalist based in San Diego. She writes about parenting, health, and fitness, and her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Greatist, Men's Health, and Eating Well. A former boxer, she now spends her free time surfing, lifting weights, and buying dog beds for her Boston Terrier. Follow her on Instagram.