The power of quiet and the upside of living in a family of introverts

I've been reading a fascinating book lately, Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. This wonderful book has helped me to see (again) that we live in a world where extroverted behaviour is rewarded, whilst introverts quietly go about their business. Ok, so maybe that's a bit of a wild generalisation, but bear with me. At school, the bubbly outgoing kids can attract a lot of attention. From teachers, from other students, for opportunities. Quiet kids on the other hand are kind of easy to overlook. I've been guilty of thinking that a happy kid is a boisterous, outgoing kid. A classic example was a few weeks ago when I made the parental error of encouraging one of my boys to 'get out more' at lunch time, after he told me for the fifth day in a row that he had spent time in the library with his mates.  Without even meaning to, I had assumed that he wasn't having a good time unless he was running around playing footy at lunchtime like his little brother. Over the weekend that followed, I noticed that while he was an active little kid, he was also pretty quiet and introspective. He really seemed to be quite content lying on a beanbag reading a book. Totally at peace with himself and the world. I also noticed that both myself and my husband, the lovely Big A, also sought out quiet space. And that my friends is the upside of living with introverts.  There are times, believe it or not, where everyone is happy just quietly reading or playing. Even with two adults and four kids, we all like to take some time out for quiet. So I got to thinking. Maybe, by the time it gets to lunchtime, after a busy morning of PE, drama, writing, what my little boy actually craves is quiet, and peace. I can't really argue with that can I? Enjoy xx