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Extraverted Observant Thinking Prospecting
Entrepreneur

ESTP Personality

ESTP-A vs. ESTP-T

Entrepreneurs are savvy, energetic, and very perceptive people who truly enjoy living on the edge.

A scene representing the ESTP personality type (Entrepreneur). A famous male ESTP skier stands confidently in the snow, with pine trees and a mountain in the background. The skier is the center of attention, smiling while two fans – a male and a female – excitedly take his picture and ask for an autograph. The overall scene conveys a sense of adventure, boldness, sociability, and popularity.
E Extraverted S Observant T Thinking P Prospecting

Parenthood

In a lot of ways, people with the ESTP personality type (Entrepreneurs) are what many children would consider to be the perfect parent. Fun-loving and playful, flexible and understanding, ESTPs genuinely enjoy spending time with their children, and they know how to make sure that everyone is having fun. They have a natural curiosity and spontaneity that is perfectly matched to the wonder and insatiable desire to learn that young children have.

ESTPs tend to say that their parenting styles are more easygoing than those of their own parents.
ESTP (Entrepreneur) parents

Freedom to Explore

ESTPs love hands-on activities. This means that their children usually don’t have to stand around waiting for someone to play catch with them or to help them build a model for school. Sports, hiking, and other practical, hands-on hobbies are all welcomed and encouraged. At the same time, given their aversion to rules and schedules themselves, ESTP personalities aren’t likely to forcibly enter their children into different kinds of clubs and teams. If their kids want to play softball, great – if not, well, they’ll just find something else to do.

ESTPs give their children freedom. They encourage them to use their own judgment (especially with the minor stuff) and to follow their hearts – to heck with what other people think. These personalities keep a close enough eye on their kids, using that knack for picking up on even the slightest changes in others’ moods and habits, that they can step in with extra guidance when things start to go wrong.

Maybe the greatest thing about ESTP parents is that they see their children as equal members of the family.

ESTP personalities do have one significant parental challenge though: Feelings tend to be seen as a bit of an irrational distraction, rather than a tool for expression and connection. If their children happen to be more sensitive, this can be a source of tension between these parents and their children. Frank honesty isn’t always the best solution to a child’s temper tantrum or a teenager’s relationship problem.

Focusing on Connection

Still, ESTPs often find that parenthood gives them all the motivation that they need to work on their sensitivity and emotional attunement. Through shared activities and experiences, these parents can create healthy, genuine bonds with their children, gaining a deeper knowledge of their children’s unique needs and dreams and ways of being in the world. People with the ESTP personality type have the added benefit of direct and understanding relationships – their children won’t feel so much like they have to hide their mistakes and challenges, the paragon of parent-child communication.