Dealing With Temperament Traits

Activity Level refers to how active your child is. The child, like my daughter, who
has a high activity level is constantly on the move. She doesn’t really walk but seems to bounce from place to place. I have to provide her with plenty of opportunities to move around. During the winter I like to play music for her to dance too since it is too cold to play outside. On the flip side a child who has a low activity level will need to be encouraged
to get up and move around so obesity doesn’t become a problem.

Distractibility is how easily your child is distracted by outside influences. When young this is a nice temperament trait for your child because you can easily distract your child by offering them a different toy or directing them to a new activity. But as your child grows being easily distracted can offer some challenges. They will easily get sidetracked.
You may find them watching T.V. when you asked them to go get their shoes. In school they will need to be reminded of exactly what they are expected to be doing. It is important to set aside a specific area with limited distractions for completing homework.

Intensity describes how your child responds. The high intensity child is loud and responds strongly to everything. They will always let you know exactly how they are feeling and demand your attention. They typically show strong emotion when happy or upset. With the low intensity child you may have to guess how they are feeling, because they don’t show their emotions as much. It is important to talk to your child so you can determine how they feeling.

Regularity refers to your child’s biological clock: the internal clock that regulates sleep and appetite. Every mother wants a child that has high regularity because they are easy to put on a schedule. They sleep and eat at regular times with a consistent pattern. The only problem comes if their schedule gets interrupted. The child who is irregular can usually adapt to whatever comes along but may get up really early, go to bed later, or not eat at regular mealtimes.

Sensory threshold relates to how sensitive your child is to physical things like sound, taste, touch, and temperature. My middle daughter is very sensitive. She is a picky eater and is very sensitive to noises. It doesn’t take much for her to burst into tears.

Approach/Withdrawal explains how your child responds to new people and situations. The approachable child can easily move into a new situation without fear. Although my middle daughter has a high sensory threshold she is very approachable; her first day of preschool she went in without any problem, barely giving me a backward glance. The next year she had new teachers at a new school and her response was the same. Children who tend to withdraw need to be helped in social situations. Arriving at an event early or accompanying a good friend can definitely help. They also tend to have a few close friends versus a larger social circle.

Adaptability describes how easily your child can adapt to changes. The child with high adaptability can easily transition from thing to thing. They will accept changes in their routine without any problem. They can easily adjust to a new situation.

Persistence refers to how long your child will work even if an activity is difficult. My son is very persistent. When he starts something he wants to see it completed. The persistent child often has a hard time asking for help so don’t wait to be asked, offer your help instead. Children who have a low persistence level will need to be encouraged to accomplish things. My middle daughter always asks me for help for things she can do herself. At four she still likes me to dress her. I often remind her that she can do it herself and then make her do it.

Mood determines how your child reacts to the world. The positive child will focus on the good things in life. They will generally be happy. Although they do have a hard time recognizing that others can be bad or accepting that bad things do happen. Children who tend to look at the negative are more serious. As a parent it is important to remind your serious child of the positive things in life. Help them find something that they can be good at and give them a reason to smile.

What child temperament traits does your young ones possess?