Episode 58

Sandra interviews Jess, an ESTP parent of two kids aged 7 and 8, who works in pharmaceutical sales. 

Full show notes: 

For background information on the Insightful Intuition function in parents, check out episode 47. 

If you’re wondering what a cognitive function is – listen to episode 39: Intro to Cognitive Functions or check out my cognitive function cheat sheet.

Sandra introduces Jess. She’s an ESTP parent and old friend with two kids aged 7 and 8. She lives in the Bay Area in CA and works in pharmaceutical sales.

Jess talks about her experience as an ESTP parent:

• She doesn’t currently resonate with the general Responsive Sensing trait of being “in the moment” because during the pandemic she has felt a lot of anxiety about the future and Sandra talks about how ESTP stress-response can sometimes be to catastrophize
• She and Sandra (INFJ) made a good team on the board of their kids’ cooperative preschool because of their opposite strengths. Jess describes being a “bullet point” person and a person of action. Sandra handled the more strategizing and future planning parts. Jess could handle the more difficult interactions with staff by being able to be to-the-point, where Sandra had a hard time with that emotionally.
• As a working parent she tries to separate work and home and when she is home really be present but she finds it more challenging to be “in the moment” at home than at work because of the emotions involved
• Her favorite parts of parenting are their “fuzzy” bodies and spending the day with them
• She values being honest with her kids which Sandra attributes to the Precise Thinking function used by ESTPs
• She lets her husband (who acts as the “primary” parent in their house) lead the charge on discipline because she is both inconsistent and a softy. She feels that she would probably be more traditional in her approach but her husband is more open-minded and she finds that his approach works, so they stick to that
• She does yoga for self-care but doesn’t stick to a schedule, rather just fits it in when it works

Write in or leave a comment: Are you an ESTP parent or do you know one? – do you notice these themes in your parenting? Tell us about that.