Understanding Temperament Beth Andrews Teacher, Parent GATE Coordinator, IUSD

What Is Temperament? • Children are born with their natural style of interacting with or reacting to people, places, and things. • We all know children who are more challenging to deal with than other children, starting at birth.

The realization that many behavioral tendencies are inborn, and not the result of bad parenting, is perhaps one of the most important insights parents gain from learning about temperament.

Understanding Temperament • By understanding temperament, the parent can work with the child rather than trying to change his or her inborn traits.

Understanding temperament helps adults know • What behavior to expect from the child • How the child will react in various situations • How to respond more effectively

Temperament Theory: A brief historical overview

The Ancient Greeks • Blood – cheerfulness • Phlegm – sluggishness or apathy • Black bile – gloominess • Yellow bile - anger

• 17th century – individual differences in behavior no longer due to inborn nature, more to do w/ environment • 19th century – continued emphasis on external forces to explain temperament (Freud’s psychoanalytic theory) • early 20th century – behaviorist theory focused on the processes of conditioning and reinforcement, (role of environment)

Mid 20th century - researchers began to question this extreme environmentalism: • Bell & Sameroff recognized that infants’ behavior influenced parent-child interactions • Chess & Thomas noticed some children with behavior problems had received “good parenting,” while some well-adjusted children had received “bad parenting.”

These events suggested that both nature (inborn differences) and nurture (parenting) influence development Temperament reemerged as an influence on child development

Various theoretical approaches agree temperament: •is biologically based •refers to individual differences •is modifiable by environment •exhibits a relative degree of stability over time

Temperament Traits •The examination of a child's temperament generally occurs when the child's behavior is difficult. •Clinicians use interviews, observations, and questionnaires that measure the nine temperament traits indicating mild to intense responses or reactions. By understanding temperament, we can work with the child rather than trying to change inborn traits.

Nine Temperament traits Energy/Activity

Regularity/ Rhythmicity

Persistence/ Attention Span

Perceptiveness

First Reaction/ ApproachWithdrawal Sensitivity/ Sensory

Adaptability

Mood

Intensity

Nine Temperament Traits •Activity: Is the child always moving and doing something OR does he/she have a more relaxed style?

•Rhythmicity: Is the child regular in his/her eating and sleeping habits OR somewhat haphazard?

•Approach/withdrawal: Does he/she shy away from new people or things?

•Persistence and attention span: Does the child give up easily OR does he/she keep on trying? Can he/she stick with an activity for a long time OR does his/her mind tend to wander? Is the child easily distracted OR can he/she shut out external distractions and stay with the current activity?

• Perceptiveness: Is the child perceptive (aware of) to his/her environment and others w/i the environment? Sensory threshold: Is he/she bothered by external stimuli such as loud noises, bright lights, or food textures OR does he/she tend to ignore them?

• Adaptability: Can the child adjust to changes in routines or plans easily or does he/she resist transitions? Mood: Does the child often express a negative outlook OR is he/she generally a positive person? Does his/her mood shift frequently OR is he/she usually eventempered? Intensity: Is the child tense or laid back? Is there a sense of tension in the air w/ the presence of this child?

Temperament Pie Each of us has a unique, special temperament. The same is true for our children. Each temperamental trait your child exhibits is like a slice of the child. Understanding these traits gives us insights into how to interact with the child. Modified and Adapted by Nan Baumgartner from: Basic Parenting, Foundation Resources, Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service

Chess & Thomas’

Difficultness concept • Children with certain temperament traits were more likely to develop behavior problems (difficultness cluster) -

high intensity withdrawal from novel slow adaptability low regularity negative mood

Approx. 65% fit into one type of temperament

Easy or Flexible Children = 40% • are generally calm, happy, regular in sleeping & eating habits, adaptable, and not easily upset. • because of their easy style, parents need to set aside special times to talk about the child's frustrations and hurts because he or she won't demand or ask for it.

Difficult, active, or feisty = 10% • are often fussy, irregular in feeding and sleeping habits, fearful of new people and situations, easily upset by noise and commotion, high strung, and intense in their reactions. • need areas for vigorous play to work off stored up energy and frustrations and need some freedom of choice. Preparing these children for activity changes and using redirection will help with transitions.

Earth Quake Activity This is sometimes how difficult, active, feisty children react to their environment

Slow to warm up or cautious = 15% • are relatively inactive and fussy, tend to withdraw or to react negatively to new situations, but their reactions gradually become more positive with continuous exposure. Sticking to a routine and your word, along with allowing ample time to establish relationships in new situations, are necessary to allow independence to unfold.

Most children have some level of intensity… but one dimension will usually dominate. • The child's will develop and behave in acceptable ways, determined by the adults abilities to identify, recognize, and respond to his/her unique temperament.  By doing so, the adults can adjust their parenting methods to be a positive guide in their child's natural way of responding to the world.

Things you cannot change • • • • • • •

Male or Female Facial Features Intelligence Temperament Talent What the child enjoys Body type

• • • • •

Skin Color Hair Color Height Maturation rate Incurable or chronic disease • The way children think at different ages

Labels and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy The child does not respond to negative labels and they drain our energy We can help by influencing self-perceptions  Kids are apt to live up to what they believe/ perceive to be expected of them.

Each label has a potential strength…

A New Perspective Negative

Positive

 Aggressive

Assertive Expressive Creative Dramatic Honest Curious Careful Persistent Selective

 Loud  Manipulative  Wild  Mouthy  Nosy  Anxious  Demanding  Picky

A New Perspective • Does re-labeling the child’s behavior make the behavior acceptable? • Definitely not. All children need to experience the consequences of their behavior. It is the adult’s responsibility to help the child realize when their temperament has become inappropriate.

• Guide and teach acceptable ways of dealing with intense emotions.

The potential possibilities of any child are the most intriguing and stimulating in all creation. -Ray L. Wilbur

Parenting with Temperament in Focus

• Parents also need to get a clear picture of their own temperament traits and pinpoint areas in which conflicts with their child arise due to temperament clashing.

Temperament friction between parent and child It is more reasonable to expect that the parent will make the first move to adapt. When a parent or caregiver understands the child's temperament, he/she can organize the environment so that "goodness of fit” happens.

Principles to keep in mind as you strive to achieve this fit: • Be aware of your child's temperament and respect his/her uniqueness without comparing him/her to others or trying to change your child's basic temperament. • Be aware of your own temperament and adjust your natural responses when they clash with your child's responses

Communicate, Explain decisions and motives, Listen to the child's points of view and encourage teamwork on generating solutions, Set limits to help your child develop selfcontrol, Respect opinions but remain firm on limits, Be a good role model, children learn by imitation, Enjoy the dance. It will be a dynamic dance that will last a lifetime.

Temperament is… • based on a biological makeup • a child's natural way to react to people and the environment • their behavioral style • unique to each child’s style • affected by a child’s life experiences, but the style basically remains the same

Temperament IS only one aspect of the child – others are gender,age, birth order and learning modality Adults can influence the situation and environment… and the outcome

Goodman, R., & Gurian, A. (1999). Parenting styles/children's temperaments: The match. New York University Child Study Center, AboutOurKids.org. Graham, J. (2001). Temperament. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Bulletin #4358. Olson, M. (1996, Spring/Summer). Ten keys to unlocking temperament. Arizona State University Research Magazine. Turecki, S. (1985). The difficult child. New York: Bantam Books. Sheedy Kurcinka, Mary(1991, 1998) Raising Your Spirited Child, New York: Harper Collins