School is a busy place. From morning meeting until dismissal, kids learn, interact, work hard, and move from task to task. They have a few small breaks here and there, but they don’t have much downtime.
The introverts in the classroom crave downtime. They need time to close their eyes and think about that beautiful sunset last summer or check out while they draw something calming. They need Legos, puzzles, or building blocks. They need writing that is their own.
And yet, they don’t seem to get it.
For an introverted child, sitting in the classroom and coping with all of that stimulation and interaction is emotionally draining. If your introverted child comes home exhausted and near tears at the end of the day, it’s because it takes a lot to hold it together through all of that.
Forget about the homework. Dial back the activities and play dates. Focus on factoring in that downtime. Downtime, in the mind of the introvert, is recovery time. I would know. I’m the master of turning it on and then heading into recovery. Recovery is essential.
For more on helping introverted children thrive in an extroverted classroom, please head over to HuffPost Parents and check out, “The Introvert in the Classroom“.