"This summer has been a season jam-packed with a rapid succession of family reunions, road trips to visit far-flung loved ones, and hosting what a friend impishly refers to as "house pests." As a non-parent introvert, I'm saturated. The extended immersion in family gatherings involves everyone else's children. Doesn't matter if the kids are absent or in attendance. They're still omnipresent, mentioned frequently as a main topic of conversation."
"I sit largely on the sidelines as witness to the importance of family. Without my own kids or living parents, I listen much more than I talk. I feel more like window dressing than clan member. It's been this way for years. Granted, it can be interesting to watch how the different family units interact with one another. The parents with young children operate much as they do when at home, focused almost exclusively on overseeing, entertaining, and managing the movements of their kids."
A non-parent introvert experiences a season filled with successive family reunions, road trips, and hosting relatives. Family gatherings repeatedly center on children, whether present or absent, making children omnipresent in conversation. The individual often listens more than speaks and feels like window dressing without personal children or living parents. Parents with young children focus on overseeing and entertaining kids, while older children occupy center stage and receive attention for accomplishments and romances. Adolescent cousins share digital trends apart from the group, and some performances charm while others bore or annoy, increasing social distance for non-parents.
Read at Psychology Today
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