[email protected]

Forgot to say...
Sometimes there's a genetic characteristic of not being overtly talkative and
conversational. But I thought of a couple of suggetions. One is
restaurants. Go to a cafe even just for a soda or tea, and go when it's not busy so you
can sit and talk without inconveniencing other customers. If there's
nothing else to do but talk, talking comes easier.

In the car, maybe don't put the radio or CD on a soon as you get in. Leave
it quiet. Or start a conversation based on a song or commercial, and turn the
radio off to discuss it. (This happens in our car all the time.)

And side-by-side opportunities to talk have been the best side-effect of our
"strewing" here. Two people playing with magnets are likely to talk about
things other than the magnets after a bit.

http://sandradodd.com/truck
has lots of other ideas like that.

Sandra

mamaaj2000

--- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
> Forgot to say...
> Sometimes there's a genetic characteristic of not being overtly
talkative and
> conversational. But I thought of a couple of suggetions. One is
> restaurants. Go to a cafe even just for a soda or tea, and go when
it's not busy so you
> can sit and talk without inconveniencing other customers. If
there's
> nothing else to do but talk, talking comes easier.

And the results may not be immediate. Dh is quite the introvert and
can easily get annoyed at me trying to talk to him about his
interests. But he knows that I will listen to him when he wants to
talk about something, that I will learn about a new topic to try to
keep up with him, etc.

It's easy to get discouraged if you try to talk about something
several times and don't get much response. Lol, it's like strewing
your attention in front of someone--if they want it, they can take
it, but it shouldn't be taken as an insult if they don't! Easier said
than done, esp. with grumpy introverts...

--aj

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/1/05 1:36:45 PM, mamaaj2000@... writes:

<< And the results may not be immediate. Dh is quite the introvert and

can easily get annoyed at me trying to talk to him about his

interests. But he knows that I will listen to him when he wants to

talk about something, that I will learn about a new topic to try to

keep up with him, etc. >>

Drawing on placemats has filled some quiet time for me before, not with my
kids so much, but with adult friends who really wanted to talk but had a hard
time getting started. We would doodle together in silence a while. Maybe if
it's too quiet, doodle or color. Maybe take your own paper and pens just in
case.

Sandra