Our days start promptly at 6:30am. I’m startled by the alarm, take a few minutes to wake, then proceed to get Branden moving. He grunts when I give him the “wake up” nudge. Then without fail, he looks at me and says “Mom, are you sure it’s not still nighttime?” After the typical morning scramble, we begin our walk to school by 7:35 am, and almost every single day Branden finds friends along the way. It is in these moments that I am reminded of the stories I was told about myself at his age and am happy to see he has developed my “people person” trait.
Whenever we are at his favorite park in Union Square and one of the children isn’t taking turns or playing nice, Branden is not afraid to speak out to let them know he noticed, as he works towards solving the problem at the same time. And without a doubt, he always meets new friends very quickly and has a made-up game going within minutes. He also has no problems speaking with the parents of these new playground friends, telling them who he is and what they are playing – under our supervision, of course.
It’s not just about being outgoing though, and having the effortless courage to speak to people without hesitation, but being able to really have a meaningful presence whenever these conversations take place.
Raising a people person wasn’t something that I started fretting about whenever he was growing inside of me the way I worried about getting all the right baby products and being the best example, but more something that grew in importance as he grew. I think it’s a trait where we don’t realize its level of importance until we notice that it’s missing.
As parents, we worry sometimes about our kids being too chatty, saying too much to the wrong people, and of course – talking to strangers. But to me, the ability to be able to strike up a conversation with almost anyone is an invaluable skill that will help him as he develops into a well rounded adult. Yes, there are numerous situations whenever saying too much can cause setbacks, but acquiring this basic skill at a young age has taught my son to know when to be more cautious and when to speak up – though sometimes those lines still get crossed.
Just like with anything else, it’s about helping him develop that happy balance between being cautious of people and being overly outgoing. To me, this is a trait that will help him succeed in life if managed properly and used to his advantage. After all, networking is essential in every industry, and learning basic people skills at a young age will only enhance that.
Are you raising a people person? Do you see chattiness as a good or bad thing? I would love to hear your feedback! Also, if you want to connect with more moms for more motherhood chit chat, please subscribe to become a Project Motherhood Insider!
Fashionably Yours,
Allison
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