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SITE : “How to Understand Your Child’s Temperament”
MAIN FACTORS for identifying different temperaments – HOW :
💠 strongly children react to people & events
💠 easily children approach new people or new situations
💠 well children can control their attention, emotions & behavior.
Temperament DIMENSIONS (Kristal, 2005)
☀︎ Activity – is a child’s general level of motor activity when awake & asleep
☀︎ Adaptability – how easily a child adjusts to changes & transitions
☀︎ Approach/withdrawal – the child’s initial response to new places, situations, or things
☀︎ Distractibility – the ease with which the child’s attention can be diverted by a variety of external stimuli, or conversely its level of concentration or focus.
☀︎ Intensity – the strength of the child’s expressive-reactions, such as happy, sad, angry….
☀︎ Mood – the basic quality of emotional state – more positive (happy, cheerful) or more negative (cranky or serious).
☀︎ Persistence – “stick-to-itiveness”, the ability to continue an activity when it’s difficult, or when faced with obstacles
☀︎ Rhythmicity – determines the predictability of bodily functions such as appetite, sleep/wake cycle & and elimination patterns
☀︎ Sensory threshold – the level of stimulation necessary to produce a response (See each one expanded)
Thomas & Chess also described 3 constellations of a child’s temperament that influence parent-child relationships & family life. (Also research at UCLA, Keogh, 2003).
♟ EASY – children are typically adaptable, mild or moderate in activity & intensity, positive in mood, & interested in new experiences.
♟ DIFFICULT – children tend to be intense, have low adaptability, & negative mood
♟ SLOW-to-WARM-UP — children upset by change, are generally ally-reluctant & withdrawn in new situations, shy with new people – although given time they adapt well 
Children who are slow to adjust, ‘naturally’ shy or irritable – are likely to experience conflict with parents, & so receive less acceptance or encouragement which can make the child feel inadequate & unworthy.
If your child is highly active & so is the mothers, that’s a great match! However, if she is a withdrawn type who likes to limit new experiences, but baby loves stimulation, they may end up with a conflict – if mom is not willing to adapt yourself a little.
However, the influence of children’s temperament or other attributes may be mitigated if parents adjust their caregiving behaviors to better fit the needs of the particular child.
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How temperament influences family life (See ALSO…..)
Individual differences in temperament & behavior styles affect how family members interact. The ‘mix’ between them has a strong effect on family life, sometimes leading to positive interactions, sometimes to frustrations & then to conflicts
“Goodness of fit” refers to the matched or mismatched temperaments between a child & various family members.
EXP: A certain reaction – such as high activity, intensity & persistence – may be tolerated & valued in boys but not in girls.
Conversely, shyness & sensitivity may be viewed as acceptable in girls, but not in boys.
CHILDREN – Some adapt quickly & easily to family daily routines & get along well with siblings.
Others, especially highly active, intense or“prickly” ones have a harder time adjusting to everyday routines & expectations, so interactions with family members often lead to friction & upset.
EXP: an impulsive child can bother an older sibling trying to finish a school project, or a distractible child, low in persistence, can frustrate parents’ efforts to get them to do homework or a household chore.
PARENTS also differ in temperament. Some are quick-reacting & intense, while others are quiet & slow to respond. Some are flexible & ‘fair’, others are rigid & perfectionistic.
AND they differ in the expectations they have about their children’s behavior, & how they view & tolerate differences in temperaments. If disruptive behavior is labeled as deliberate, parents are more likely to be irritated & angry, & easily responding with verbal & physical abuse.
EXP : A high-activity, intense child may upset & irritate a quiet, slow-paced, reflective parent.
An active, quick-responding parent may be impatient with a slow-to-warm-up child, who the parent may consider as lazy or indifferent. Or, sparks may fly when both parent & child are intense & quick reacting.
REFRAMING : A parent’s response is affected by how they interpret the child’s behavior. When seen as temperament-related rather willful misbehavior, they can reduce their negative reactions.
EXP: The parent might see an active, energetic, approaching child who is into everything as “exuberant,” rather than as “hyper” & intrusive.
OR – see a shy & slow-to-warm-up child as “sensitive” & thoughtful, rather than as unfriendly or unmotivated. (From : Greatschools.org)
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