A Snapshot of your child…

Adventurous Free Spirits love to have fun and tend to not take things too seriously. Rather than do things that are planned out in advance, they prefer to be spontaneous and respond to whatever is happening in the moment. As a result, they can be impulsive and take more risks than their parents are comfortable with. Many Adventurous Free Spirits are naturally competitive, like to win, and are usually not very concerned about how the person they defeat feels about their loss. Most of these kids tend to be quite physical, enjoying sports and being in nature. They also may like to take things apart to see how they work…and can usually figure out how to put them back together again. These are kids who don’t like being told what to do, and are likely to bend the rules, whenever they can get away with it. Although every individual is unique, research shows that Adventurous Free Spirits may have a moderate risk of developing anxiety and depression.

Have the conversation

If you have concerns about your child’s emotional health, it’s important for you have a conversation with them – even if it may be uncomfortable.

Choose a time and place where you won’t be interrupted – especially by electronic devices! Understand that most sensitive children have a hard time reaching out and sharing their feelings, so it’s critically important that you create a safe, quiet space and that your child has your complete, undivided attention. This sends them the message they desperately need to hear: “You are so important to me. I am here for you, and I can help you with whatever is troubling you.”

How to connect with your child

Parents and children whose personality types are quite different often struggle to communicate. When parents can meet their children where they are – and communicate more in the child’s style, the conversation is much more satisfying for both parent and child. Here are some tried-and-true suggestions about how to engage your Adventurous Free Spirit child:

• Use fun activities and treats to reward positive behavior; make chores a game and fun.

• Recognize that they learn best by experiencing things first-hand.

• Teach them how to take “reasonable” risks, that excite, but don’t injure them. 

• Don’t misinterpret a lack of affection as a lack of caring.

• Set crystal-clear boundaries; show them what you mean, rather than simply telling them.
  

Trusted Resources

Here is a list of trusted resources that may be helpful.

National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI 

Anxiety and depression in children: Get the facts from the CDC 

How to Help Children and Teens Cope With Stress and Anxiety 

The Child Health and Development Institute 

The Highly Sensitive Person 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

International Association for Suicide Prevention

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Crisis text line

For a deeper understanding of your child based on their personality type, preview Nurture By Nature – the most comprehensive resource about personality type and parenting by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron.

Evidence-based research

The TPI-C assessment and information shared in this report are the result of the most comprehensive original peer-reviewed study of its kind involving 10,500 subjects. It established a strong statistical correlation between inborn personality type and anxiety and depression and was conducted by Paul D. Tieger and a team of researchers at a leading academic institution. 

Have questions or comments?

Please contact Paul D. Tieger, creator of the TPI-C™. You can learn more about him here