People who are introverted have little to no problems with keeping to themselves. It gives us time to process and go over information without interruption. That doesn't mean introverts don't like being around people. There are many introverts who like to be around people but in different amounts. For example, I enjoy being around people and friends but, I'm okay with spending time by myself. We have friends and we enjoy going to gatherings and parties in certain quantities.
When it comes to group discussions, this could vary from person to person. An introvert is usually not going to be the first person to jump to an answer or comment unless they've had time to consider what to say and how to say it. When a question is asked, we need a little bit of time to gather our thoughts. Why? It's not because we're stupid or we don't understand the question or idea. It's because we have our own unrelated thoughts and ideas floating around in our heads. Introducing a new thought or idea that requires an immediate response will take some time for sorting. What makes it harder to communicate to the rest of the group is when there are a number of people in the group who blurt out the answer as soon as it's mentioned. That's when a thought process related to the subject can be interrupted to listen to the other person. (Introverts are good at listening and paying attention to details, too!) A lot of times whatever we were going to say gets said by someone else already. And we all know that can be a little annoying and counter-productive. :)
NOTE: When I refer to children, I'm referring to kids who are introverts because of their personality and how God made them to be. I'm not an expert, a psychologist, a teacher or anything. I speak from my own childhood experiences. If you have kids or are working with kids, don't force a child to talk if they honestly don't want to. Whenever I was in a group and forced to say something when I had nothing to say or didn't want to say anything, I felt as if everyone thought that it was wrong to be a quiet person--like I needed to be "fixed" and turned into a talker like the other kids. Those were the times I just wanted to listen and observe. If it's free time and they can do whatever, forcing them to be around people for a majority of the time only makes things stressful. Especially at an overnight camp setting. They're already surrounded by a lot of people. A lot of times, an introverted child will find a friend or a small group of people and will be fine. (I usually did this.) Please don't get me wrong, there's a time and a place for being around people and interacting. Sometimes you will need to enforce that. You can encourage them to speak or to interact more but don't shove it down their throats. Sometimes they will talk or interact on their own, you just have to be a little more patient with them. Sitting and talking with them when they're by themselves may help but, be prepared if it doesn't. When I was a kid, I found that having someone sit next to me when I wanted to be alone for a little bit, talking my ear off, and trying to make me talk was a little annoying. If you see some introversion in a/your child, embrace it because that's how God may want them to be for the time. If you've known the child long enough, you'll be able to gauge what works, what doesn't, and what to do in different situations as far as interacting.
So now you know and (hopefully) understand a little more about introverts and how we operate. Please don't think that introverts don't like friends or don't like being approached!! We do! That's how God created us all. He's created us to be around people and to have relationships with each other. That's a good and beautiful thing. One person can become more energized by being around people for a majority of their time, while another will become drained by that. There's nothing wrong with either person. I hope you enjoyed this little 2-part series. :D If you have any questions or comments related to this, comment below. I love you all!
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