Are you an introvert? Do you find that spending your days in the constant presence (and conversation) of your children is physically and emotionally exhausting? Have you ever wondered how other mothers make going to activity after activity look so easy? Have you ever locked yourself in the bathroom to get some peace and quiet (at least for the two minutes until someone starts beating on the door or you hear screaming in the other room)? If you are nodding as you read this, you need to read Introverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy by homeschooling mom Jamie C. Martin.
Martin had three young children (one biological; two adopted) and found that “the sudden increase in noise and in chaos kept my nervous system in overdrive every day.” Like many mothers, she quickly found that her “kids didn’t get the memo that they should try to accommodate [her] personality type.”
Introverts process internally rather than externally. We live a lot in our minds. Being with people drains our energy. “As introverted moms, we spend much of our time meeting the needs of others. Because we’re internal rather than external processors, it makes perfect sense that we need quiet with our inner selves to process and sort through our day.”
Martin writes from an evangelical Christian perspective, but 95% of this book applies to Catholics as well. She offers concrete ideas on how to take care of ourselves as introverted moms and how to get the quiet and rest we need to function. We do our families no favors if we are so depleted that we have nothing left to offer them. “Our kids cannot flourish in our homes if we constantly live on the edge of our God-given personalities. We are all connected within these walls. That means we must do whatever we can to recharge on a daily basis.”
One unique feature of this book is that Martin shares quotes and inspiration from the lives of four much-loved introverted writers: Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery, and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Reading Introverted Mom is like sitting down with a good friend who understands exactly how you feel and offers great advice on how to cope with your challenges. Jamie Martin wrote the book that she wished she had as a young mother and in doing so has created a valuable resource for the rest of us.
