Tender Loving Care

In my internet wanderings, I recently came across this post from the archives at Thoughts of Home. I have always been fascinated by personality and learning styles, so I was anxious to follow her link to the Parenting article What Style of Mom are You to find out how accurately I would be pegged. Choke, sputter... they know me. (Disclaimer: the article was kind enough to avoid any mention of the weaknesses each personality type was likely to possess.)

The tender-loving-care mother (ISFJ)
Gentle and kind, the ISFJ mom provides her kids with lots of affection and the comfort of daily routine. She is sensitive to their feelings, offering closeness and support. The ISFJ has a strong sense of duty and consistently puts her kids' needs first. She delights in taking care of the little things that matter to a child, making each one feel special. Aiming for a smooth-running, attractive home, she tends to the practical and domestic. She believes strongly in family traditions.
Stay-sane tip: Try to cultivate your own interests, and put your needs first every so often. Your baby may appreciate your unwavering attention, but in a few years, she'll need more independence.

Nurture by Nature: How to Raise Happy, Healthy, Responsible Children Through the Insights of Personality Type was my first exposure to the Myers-Briggs personality styles. Divided into sixteen distinctly different types, the Myers-Briggs seems like a window into a person's mind and spirit. Knowing why my son acts the way he does and why my husband and I seem to see things from completely different points of view has been extremely helpful in my family's relationships.

The article above links a very simple personality style 'test,' but if you're interested in answering a few more questions check out this free online test. Another great personality style website based on the Myers-Briggs is The Personality Page which has great descriptions of the sixteen personality types.

MotherStyles: Using Personality Types to Learn to Parent From Your Strengths sounds like an interesting book that I may need to add to my shelves. I would also recommend Personality Plus for Parents by Florence Littauer, The Way They Learn and Every Child Can Succeed by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias, and Dreamers, Discoverers, & Dynamos (if you happen to have one of those) by Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D.

Rather than using our personality types as excuses, it is important to use the information to be aware--highlighting our strengths and continually striving to improve upon our weaknesses.

If you happen to take the personality test, or already know your Myers-Briggs type, I'd love for you to leave a comment. What style of mom are you, and did they get it right?