The way to react to the environment, to express one’s emotions or to relate to others depends on the temperament.
While temperament is partly genetically determined, it can be influenced by family and social background. It is he who then influences the personality that develops over time and through life experiences.
What are temperament traits?
There are 9 temperament traits that are present from birth and observable in your little one. You can thus observe its level of activity, its regularity in biological rhythms, its behavior vis-à-vis novelty, or its adaptability to its environment.
The sensory reactions can also be different depending on the child, the intensity of the emotional reactions, their general mood, as well as their ability to concentrate and pay attention.
Parental attitude can influence temperament
If the temperament is innate, the way in which the parents and the entourage take care of him can also influence and modify it. For example, warm, cheerful parents with an overall positive attitude can improve their child’s impulsiveness and help them follow rules better.
Conversely, children with a more difficult temperament, who cry a lot or are angry, for example, can discourage parents and maintain this behavior.
Yet there is no such thing as a good or bad temperament, since each type can have its strengths at different ages in life. Instead, learn to respect your child’s temperament and help him to lessen a more difficult trait if you wish.
Find out more: “To each his own character, to understand his child’s temperament” by Helen F. Neville and Diane Clark Johnson, Le Livre de Poche editions.
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