Recognising and respecting your child’s temperament is quite important. It helps in creating a supportive environment for their emotional well-being and healthy development. It also shows them that you are encouraging their unique identity, and they would feel safe around you. Whether your child is naturally calm or tends to have big reactions, understanding their temperament allows you to adapt your parenting approach to suit them best.
Being a parent can be quite a daunting task, especially when you are trying to figure out your kid’s new and unique identity. From the moment children are born, they are unique and different. They have different likes or dislikes and different reactions to things that are around them. All of this is due to their natural temperament.
In this article, we have prepared a guide for you to help you understand what are temperaments, know your child’s temperament type, and how to deal with it. This will help you respond to your child’s temperament and make you feel more confident and prepared as a parent. You can even adjust your parenting style to fit their needs.
Let’s explore practical ways to build a positive relationship with your child, no matter their personality type.
Major Characteristics of Temperament:
- Activity level:
- Regularity:
- Approach and Withdrawal:
- Adaptability:
- Intensity:
- Mood:
- Attention Span:
- Distractibility:
- Sensory Threshold:
While some kids are calm, others like moving here and there constantly. Their activity level often affects how they sleep. As a parent, you can allow them to play. They will gradually stop once they start to “burn off.” However, if your child has a low activity level, do not criticise them. Rather, try to indulge them in small tasks that they can finish easily.
While some kids like following a schedule, others have a really hard time sticking to a routine. Be it bathroom habits, eating, or sleeping, these basic routines can be unpredictable for some kids.
When children meet new people, visit new places, or experience new changes, they have varying reactions. Some children easily blend in without hesitating, others are reserved, and some have a hard time blending in.
This depicts how well some children adapt to circumstances or changes. For some, it’s easy, but for others, it’s not as easy. If your child adapts slowly to new things, try making small changes. Make sure that they have a consistent routine that they can follow.
The intensity of emotions is a characteristic of temperament. Some children feel certain emotions are really intense, while others are quite laid back.
The mood of children is unpredictable most of the time. Certain children are cheerful and positive, while others tend to be a bit more negative. Try encouraging positive responses.
Some kids can focus on an activity for hours. But others have much shorter attention spans and get distracted quickly.If this is the case, try giving the instructions regularly, but be gentle while doing so. Give them breaks if they are not able to focus constantly. Praise them if they finish a task. Praising your child can do wonders!
Noises, movements, busy environments – these distractions might hardly be a problem for some kids. For others, they might make it really hard to concentrate.
Loud sounds, bright lights, certain textures – these may really bother, upset, and overwhelm some children. On the other hand, some kids may seem bothered by high levels of sensory input, be it in any form.
How To Support Your Child?
Temperament and parenting are greatly influenced by each other. Understanding your child’s temperament is like having a guide to their behaviour. It’s a personality trait that’s mostly set from birth and not something that they or you can really control. Recognising this pattern is very important. It can help you stay patient and avoid stressing out both you and your child.
No matter how unique your kid’s personality is, there are some basic rules that can help you be a supportive parent. Taking full advantage of moments to teach them and showing them the right way to behave when things get tough is really important. Your child is always watching and learning from how you act, whether you’re dealing with a flat tyre or a messy kitchen. Make sure you teach them the right way to react under such circumstances.
For kids with more challenging personalities, trying to understand them and responding in a helpful way can lead to better behaviour. However, it may take some time. As they grow up, things that once looked rather difficult can turn into great qualities like enthusiasm, determination, charm, and passion. It’s also important to realise that your own personality affects how you get along with your child. Some combinations just click better than others.
Looking at the positive side of negative traits can be a game-changer. Instead of calling it stubbornness, you could see it as persistence. Instead of fidgetiness, you could view it as having lots of energy. Seeing things this way helps both you and your child.
You can’t force your child to be a certain way. You need to adjust your parenting according to your child’s personality. Doing this creates an environment where they feel accepted and supported. Encouraging them to take on challenges that fit their temperament can lead to surprising achievements and milestones in their development.
The key is to understand and accept your child’s temperament. It’s not about changing who they are. It’s about nurturing their unique selves and guiding them to grow and discover themselves at their own pace.
Preschools are a great support system when it comes to nurturing a child. It creates a supportive space that celebrates their inborn traits, empower them to truly flourish and thrive. Kangaroo Kids International Preschool is just the right place to make your child blossom. To know more, you can get in touch with us!
