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Help me turn a quiet DD into a chatty one

22 replies

ThingsWeDo · 15/01/2013 14:33

She is 7 and a half and does a range of activities and studies alright. But she only just nods or mumbles one word answers. Avoids public speaking and struggles to explain things in detail.
Help me turn her into a chatty one please.

OP posts:
Flisspaps · 15/01/2013 14:37

You might never make her 'chatty'. If it's not her nature, then why force her into being something she isn't? Some people are naturally shy/introverted - that's fine Smile

jennybeadle · 15/01/2013 14:38

DD1 has just turned 13, and we've finally accepted that that's just the way she is. Teachers say it isn't a problem in school though. So it's just us she won't talk to... and she's very expressive in her writing.

ThinkAboutItOnBoxingDay · 15/01/2013 14:39

Can't you just let her be herself?

There's a new book out celebrating introverts, might be worth a read to appreciate her perspective.

I'm a very happy introvert, not lacking opinion or too shy to state it, but neither do i see much value in the constant wittering of chattier types.

ThingsWeDo · 15/01/2013 14:45

I totally agree.
But she has got debates, public speaking, group discussions, interviews... more personal battles to face.

So any other good mums who have a suggestion, please help me with it

OP posts:
OldBeanbagz · 15/01/2013 14:46

I would just let her be herself so long as it's not causing problems at school.

I have an 8 year old DS who's similar and i have come to the conclusion that it's not in his nature to be 'chatty'.

I can't shut him up at home and he's perfectly happy talking with his peers and teachers at school. It's just the smalltalk with strangers he doesn't get.

ThinkAboutItOnBoxingDay can you link to the book please? I'm another happy introvert too!

OldBeanbagz · 15/01/2013 14:48

ThingsWeDo how about a drama class if you're worried about debates/public speaking etc. in later life? It might bring her out a bit.

DottyDot · 15/01/2013 14:54

we have a hugely introverted ds1 here who's now 11. I know what you mean re: life ahead, but then I look at the introverted people we have at work (in the NHS) and they've got where they are because they're good at what they do - although they might not be able to instantly show it in the same way, we've spotted it and they've each found their niche!

I'd love ds1 to do some kind of drama/singing but there's not a hope in hell. His first Christmas play at school he stood facing the wall while the rest of the class faced forward doing what they were supposed to do Grin

Ds1 has to put up with me, dp and ds2 being manic extraverts so at least he'll have got used to being with loud, chatty people!

LittleBallOfFur · 15/01/2013 14:55

I was always "too quiet" and then became so self conscious of being "too quiet" that I became even more so, so I would say don't make an issue of it.

With regards to the debates/public speaking etc I'm not sure this would be of any help but:

I had some interesting media training at work a while ago, and my boss showed me (interviewing someone else) the difference between how somebody speaks when talking about something they're nervous about, or are worried about being 'caught out' (e.g. an issue at work), and when they're talking about something they love (e.g. their children) - with the latter they become much more enthusiastic, chatty, natural and open. The difference can be quite dramatic.

Are there things that she loves doing or any interests that you could engage with and get her to open up to talk more?

It might get her used to talking more and realize she does have a lot to say (disclaimer - I too am a happy introvert so no expert on these things!! But I will speak up when I need to).

3birthdaybunnies · 15/01/2013 14:56

She's only 7 and a half, unless you are planning to put her through private school selection procedures, surely things like debates, interviews etc can wait? She might become a chatty teenager. Does she seem happy? Maybe see what the school thinks. You could look for assertiveness classes, drama, public speaking classes, etc, they might help her, or she might feel more that she is trying to be made to be something she isn't because she isn't good enough as she is.

DottyDot · 15/01/2013 14:56

My one top tip, for what it's worth, is to talk to your dd while you're in the car - all facing forward. Ds1 isn't very good at eye contact (although he practices it, bless him, as we've told him it's really important) so he talks much more when we're in the car - no-one's looking at him!

I get the most information out of him when we're on drives so it's worth a shot if you ever want a chat with your dd?

suburbophobe · 15/01/2013 15:13

She sounds like a HSP - and nothing wrong with that! Lots of us around.

(Highly Sensitive Person).

www.hsperson.com/

Vagaceratops · 15/01/2013 15:15

But she has got debates, public speaking, group discussions, interviews

Now??

ThinkAboutItOnBoxingDay · 15/01/2013 19:22

Hmm, so no, the link didn't work!

link

ThinkAboutItOnBoxingDay · 15/01/2013 19:23

I even quite like the title - Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking

ThinkAboutItOnBoxingDay · 15/01/2013 19:26

Really thingswedo i don't think you are doing her any favours trying to force her to play against her personal style.

Some of the most impactful people i know are introverts. They don't talk much but when they do choose to say something, people bother to listen.

NewYearsEvelyn · 15/01/2013 19:37

DD is 12 now and for years I hosted more playdates with more kids than you've had hot dinners. As soon as she started at High School I wasn't around to suggest playdates or facilitate them easily, they dried right up. Little Miss Sociable now makes her own choices and is not as interested in having people back home as I'd thought! Go figure! You can't force them to be what they don't wanna be but you can waste a hell of a lot of energy trying to encourage them to be more outgoing!

pinkhousesarebest · 16/01/2013 17:02

NewYearsEvelyn I feel your pain. I have given up now, but used to turn myself inside out arranging playdates for my recalcitrant two. They both have a few good friends, are not group people ( like their parents), and seem fine. My ds is a bit wistful at times that he is not one of the "cool" ones, and it is true that life seems easy for those unselfconcious, ebullient types. I spent my childhood being told I was an oddball by my equally oddball-but-in-denial parents, so I think it is important to tell your dd that it is ok to be quiet.

ThingsWeDo My dd does drama. She had selective mutism as a small child, and didn't speak for two years at school. It has done wonders for her, and really helped her overcome the terrible anxiety she felt when speaking in front of anyone.

Sorry, I am rambling. I am off to buy this lovely book.

Eskino · 16/01/2013 17:05

If you can't make it, fake it. I can understand her being an natural introvert, perhaps drama coaching might help her 'act' like a condfident speaker? It has worked for many people. She's very young though. And "chatty" isn't, to a lot of people, a particularly endearing quality.

NorksAreMessy · 16/01/2013 18:47

introverts thread here

NewYearsEvelyn · 17/01/2013 08:28

Thanks pink. I've stopped fussing about it now. Second term in and I figure it's time to give the kid some space. She's in drama club, but didn't try out for the play, she's supposed to be joining jazz club, playing piano, and she's pretty comfy in her own skin.

I think, sometimes, we try to put right the things that weren't o.k. with our own lives right for our kids. In my case, I had no friends through school, due to a number of issues, and I was bullied horribly during secondary school. From in utero, I was thinking of how I could stop this from happening to dd. I looked at what my mum had done, no friends at home, lots of negativity and not much love, and I did the opposite.

Et, voila. I had a houseful of kids from the time DD joined school. She had playdates with 80% of the class, I'd say. The 20% she didn't invite were the kids whose parents I didn't get to see every day whose kids dd didn't play with! I love kids, luckily, so enjoyed playing hostess. DD loved playing, but really wasn't fussed who it was with. She ended up with one really close friend and 3 or 4 quite good friends. The rest of the crowd she just jogged along with.

I console myself that she will be, if not sociable, at least socially flexible, and that does seem to be the case. She's positively yoga-like when it comes to friendship and mixing :D

qumquat · 17/01/2013 23:09

Another happy introvert here. For most of my life I beat myself up about being quiet, it's only in my 30s I've come to accept it and not regard myself as boring and dull.

Drama has always been my passion and IMHO the best actors are introverts, being someone else can be so liberating. I have no problem with public speaking, interviews or performance- I'm now a drama teacher so have to do all that every day! I'm still quiet as a mouse 'off-stage' though.

Having said that, if she's happy the way she is then I wouldn't worry, or force her into drama if it's not her thing, it's the worry and the feeling something is wrong which causes quietness to affect confidence I think.

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