Over the last week, we have been discussing parenting styles. While it is important to be aware of your parenting style, it is equally important to be aware of your child's temperament.
But what is child temperament? When we think of temperament, most of us think about strong willed children, laid back children and similar descriptors. In fact, there are nine traits that make up temperament. Research on child temperament began in the 1950s with the work of Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess. The researches found that these traits were present at birth and continued to influence a child's development throughout life.
In a nutshell, temperament is a set of in-born traits that organize a child's approach to the world. They are instrumental in the development of the child's distinct personality. These traits also determine how the child goes about learning about the world around him.
The key here is to remember that these traits are inborn. We can't change them (as much as we would like to)! Problems arise when a parents overall parenting style and their child's temperament clash. I'm hoping that by discussing both topics in more detail (for those of you who missed it, check out the September archives for the posts regarding parenting style) you will walk away with a greater understanding of the interplay between the two.
We will discuss the nine temperament traits in the near future. Until then, have a great weekend all!
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