Triscuit's Personality Test

As the second year of our home schooling approaches, I decided that I REALLY need to learn a little more about Triscuit's learning style. I went to this website, http://www.personalitypage.com/home.html, and conducted a personality test on Triscuit. What I learned was simply AMAZING. Not only does this describe Triscuit to a "T", it describes my HUSBAND. As you read this, keep Weenie in mind (Weenie is my husband). The comments with an * next to them are my interjected thoughts on that particular point.
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Portrait of an ENP Child (Extraverted iNtuitive Perceiving)

ENP Traits

They have a lot of energy *(Spastic is a little more like it)
They're curious about everything, and seem to be always asking "Why?" *(He he he)
They have lots of ideas and love to talk about them *(or talk about anything and everything under the sun)
They always have several projects going on
They want to be original and interesting *(Oh...he's original, alright!)
They like to be leaders, and resist following
They're very social
They're very independent, and want to do things for themselves
They want to be the center of attention
They probably tend to be dramatic, and enjoy acting or performing *(Hit the nail on the head with THIS one)
They're outspoken and energetic, and may interrupt frequently, or finish people's sentences for them *(this is what his kindergarten teacher had problems with. In HER mind, the LOGICAL explanation was ADHD).

Potential Strengths

They're usually cheerful, optimistic, and fun to be around
They're enthusiastic and fearless *(fearless??? I wish Triscuit didn't have so MANY fears!)
They believe that anything is possible *(even jumping off the couch and flapping his arms like a bird so he can fly...he doesn't know physics yet)
They have very good communication skills and a strong ability to persuade others to come around to their point of view *(so true!)
They usually have a good vocabulary, and can express themselves well in written and verbal form
They're very clever *(How about "sneaky"?)
They show an unusual understanding of people and situations for a child *(I love this trait in Triscuit)
They have good people skills and are usually well-liked *("Charmer" is the PERFECT word for this)
They naturally see the possibilities of a situation and the "big picture"

Potential Weaknesses

They frequently forget rules, or else they never knew them in the first place *(You don't know how often I hear, "I forgot".)
They have a lot of projects going on at one time, and may be scattered
They frequently don't finish their projects
They're usually very messy, and dislike cleaning up *(isn't EVERY child?)
They tend to speak in a very loud voice without realizing it *("Use your INSIDE VOICE, Triscuit!")
They have difficulty making decisions, and often resist decisions
They are often unaware of their physical environment *(Shouldn't the word be OBLIVIOUS?)
They may not take good care of themselves
They're not usually very aware of time or schedules
They don't like being controlled by others, and may be rebellious
They dislike being asked to do anything, and will often act very "put upon" by any request *(I cracked up at this one. Rolling of the eyes, the sighing, the expressions on his face...DRAMA KING!)

ENP Learning Style

ENPs like to be busy and active, and need a lot of stimulation to keep from getting bored. They find tasks that require rote memorization intensely boring. They also don't do well with following pre-defined steps that someone else has come up with *(Weenie?). ENPs like to be involved in their projects. They will only put effort into things that they are very interested in doing, which typically means that they need to have come up with the idea or contributed to it somehow. Alternatively, they can be motivated to participate in projects if someone else has really sold them on the idea, and thus inspired them to be interested in the project. ENPs are distracted easily from the task at hand, and need to really develop their ability to focus in on what they're doing and close out environmental distractions. This is an acquired skill for ENPs. This does not mean that the ENP should be put in a room by themselves to work on their assignments. This would actually be detrimental to the ENP. They work best with others, and around others. They should be encouraged to work on their projects in the presence of others, but to remain focused on what they're doing.
ENPs have trouble finishing projects that they have begun. This is partially due to the fact that they are easily distracted environmentally, but also due to the fact that they quickly lose interest in their projects once they are past the planning phase. ENPs love to come up with interesting ideas and things to do, but find the process of actually implementing their plans to be tedious. ENPs will not finish all of their projects, and this should be understood, but the ENP should be encouraged to complete some projects all the way through to the end. This is an important step for the ENP, who needs to learn the value of following through.
The most valuable thing that can be taught to an ENP is the concept of narrowing their focus. The ENP has many ideas going on at once in their head *(Triscuit is SO much like Weenie in this area), and believes that they can do everything. They are not realistic in their scope. They should be told repeatedly "pick one thing and do it well". The adult who is able to impress this upon the young ENP will be giving them a tremendous gift.
ENPs are not very concerned with their grades, or with doing their homework *(Triscuit isn't so much like this. He seems to be VERY concerned about his grades). They will resist doing assignments that they find tedious *(THIS part is true. Once he has a concept down, he gets bored quickly). They are far more interested in understanding the theory behind a problem than they are in actually doing the problem *(I discovered this towards the END of the school year. Wish I would have known this at the beginning!). They learn best by theory rather than by example. They need to understand the theory before they can do anything. Teachers should communicate the theory behind the practical application in order to get through to the ENP.
Let's use division as an example. Some children learn how to divide numbers best by doing it over and over again. They learn by example and repetition. Once they have done a lot of different division problems, they understand how it works and are comfortable with dividing numbers. ENPs learn division best by understanding the concepting of dividing a whole number into smaller parts. They see a circle with a line drawn down the middle, and understand that the whole has been cut in half, or "divided" in half. Once they understand the theory, they can apply this to their division problems and they are comfortable with dividing numbers.
ENPs are goal-oriented, and do well when given the goal and left alone to achieve it in their own way. They don't like being told explicitly how to do things. They value their own ideas and competence, and treat explicit instructions almost as an insult to their intelligence. They want to be given a goal and a general theory, and use their own resources to fill in the blanks *(Um...Weenie? Does THIS sound familiar?).

ENP Special Needs

ENP children are extremely perceptive about people, and can determine someone else's attitude pretty easily. If a parent disciplines their ENP child reluctantly or with hesitation, the ENP will pick up on that immediately and perceive that they might be able to get away with pushing you to not discipline them. In general, the ENP tests their boundaries regularly, and will always try to push their boundaries out a bit further *(no truer words have been spoken). If they're supposed to be in bed at 9:30, they'll push for 10:00. When they get 10:00, they'll push for 10:30. Boundaries and guidelines need to be defined explicitly and firmly for the ENP child. ENPs believe that anything is possible *(one of these days, Triscuit will be the founder of individual human flight), so they have a hard time accepting that they can't get their way . This creates a problem for parents trying to create guidelines for their ENP children's behavior. ENPs believe that surely things could be worked out in any situation so that the ENP gets want they want, and consequently they have a really hard time accepting that they're not going to get their way. For an ENP, being told that they can't do something or have something is perplexing and troubling *(tell Triscuit "no" and you will hear ALL sorts of possibilities). They will push repeatedly and ask repeatedly for whatever it is that they're seeking *(this drives me insane). In order for them to accept their parent's judgment, they need to be told WHY the parent has set the rule or boundary. The rule needs to be defined explicitly to the ENP child, with no room for alternative interpretation *(He he he he he he...Weenie explains things to Triscuit with such PERFECTION! Now I know WHY!).
ENP children are very independent and find their greatest source of self-esteem from their abilities to do things well *(SO true). They want to do things for themselves, and resist having their parents or other adults telling them what to do *(THIS ASPECT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING TO ME). An adult can best encourage a growing ENP by showing interest in their projects and admiration for the ENP's ideas, and by letting the ENP figure out how to do things on their own without too many specific instructions *(I have some serious work to do in this area. I tend to be VERY specific in instructions and he instantly tunes me out). This is different from the approach that should be taken when defining guidelines for behavior. Rules and boundaries should be set firmly for the child, but specific instructions on achieving goals should be avoided.

The "Missing" Letter

Adult personality types contain four letters, while for kids aged 7-12 we use three letter types. What happened to the missing letter? It's there, we just can't usually determine what it is until after a person is around 13 years old. ENP kids will grow up to be either ENTP "Visionaries" or ENFP "Inspirers". At this stage in their development, it's not obvious whether they will choose Thinking or Feeling to complement their preference for Intuition. You will see the child practicing both Thinking and Feeling as they settle down into their preferred function. In some children, it's possible to distinguish their "missing" letter, but for many kids we just have to wait a few years to be sure.
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As you can see, I have my work cut out for me. I am the exact OPPOSITE of Triscuit and Weenie. I tend to be the wallflower of the group. I'm quiet and usually FOLLOW rules. I am a peacekeeper/maker and am very concerned about others. I always put other peoples' feelings/health before my own...so the above concepts are foreign to me. Because I'm his mom and want the very BEST for him, I am trying EVERTHING to gain better understanding of him. I fell in love with Weenie BECAUSE of most of the stuff listed above. He has strengths in areas I couldn't imagine having...and vice versa! I LOVE the fact that Triscuit is so much like Weenie, but being IN LOVE with this type of person verses MOTHERING one is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

For those of you reading this and have children between 7 and 12, this personality test gives you a "heads up" of just HOW to deal with your children! I know, as this school year approaches, I will be changing how I teach him!