At 16 months old, my little boy’s personality is getting clearer and clearer. He is silly, snuggly, and sweet, with a heart for the outdoors, books, and balloons. And with each day that passes, he seems to be more and more interested in other people. Strangers at the coffee shop? He’ll go wander inches from their table and look up at them with wide eyes. Other kids at the playground? He’ll stand still and watch, challenging them to the cutest staring contest ever. Grandparents visiting? He’ll wave from the window the moment they arrive, exert himself running around as they gleefully chase him, then wave until their car drives away. I may still be new at this parenting thing, but one thing’s for sure: He can’t get enough of being around people who aren’t his parents.
I’m technically an extrovert too, albeit apparently not as much as my kid. Our little is cautious when it comes to communicating with strangers (so far, this isn’t a bad thing) but his fascination is so apparent that I’m thinking he is an extrovert in the making. Here are the main reasons I think he’s destined for a life of getting energized by others:
Their Insatiable Interest In Other People
Once he’s warmed up to a new place, he wants to explore it, and everyone in it. I’m not sure how long he’ll be able to get away with this, but thankfully he’s still in that adorably curious phase (as opposed to seeming invasive and annoying, which is likely what his behavior would come off as if he were any older) so strangers are endlessly patient with his interruptions. That said, I’m at least hoping it’s curbed by the time he’s even half my size, otherwise I’m going to need to do some sprint-training to be able to keep up with him.
Sharing Things Like A Pacifier Doesn’t Phase Them
While at coffee the other day, my friend’s kid popped my son’s pacifier out of his mouth to inspect it. I expected a stronger reaction from my guy, but he was more curious as to what the other kiddo was doing than what was happening to his beloved binky.
Pointing And Waving
Yes, there’s a person! Good job, son! Yes, there’s another person! Yep, those are people, too. Everyone you see around us at this park is, in fact, a person!
They Love Images Of Other People, Too
A few weeks ago, we introduced him to video chatting with family members who live at a distance. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and was at first a bit hesitant to break the rigid “no screen time” rule we’d established. However, he seems to be really into it, racing to the phone when it rings and gleefully showing off his new skills to his grandparents, like dancing and pointing to his nose.
They Get Tired Of Staying Home
Despite the fact that nearly every room in our house has more toys than he could ever need (thanks, grandparents) he still likes to get out as much as possible. Sometimes it’s less about what we’re doing, and more about the fact that we’re out and about and that something other than lap-sitting is happening.
They Get Grouchy When Grandparents Leave
I haven’t actually admitted this to my parents yet, because I don’t want it to go to their heads, but the day after they leave town, their grandson is always a bit down. While it may have to do with the extra love, attention, and snacks he gets while they’re here, I think that…wait, no. That’s exactly what it has to do with. There's nothing a budding young extrovert loves more than having a bounty of extra humans around to interact with and get attention from.
Images: margejacobsen/Instagram; Giphy (4); Wifflegif (2)
