Baby's First Year · Parenting

Why it’s important to understand your baby’s temperament?

Let’s play a game.  If I give you the definition, can you guess what word I’m describing?

The word is defined as “the usual attitude, mood, or behavior of a person or animal.”  That’s right, the word is temperament!

Temperament has a huge impact on how people react, behave, deal with emotions and even learn.

Very early on you’ll see your child’s natural temperament emerge (oh, and other children’s temperaments too).

  • Are they calm and easy to soothe or are they stubborn and particular?
  • What emotions are they going through?
  • How do they react to new things?

Temperament is one thing that has a wide range of what’s considered ‘normal’.  What’s important for your baby is that you’re able to adapt to who they are (their temperament) in a loving supportive way!

Ummm, pardon?  I don’t understand.

Basically, you need to think about your own temperament and your child’s.  If what you are doing is not supporting who they are, as their parent you need to change your actions to help them learn and grow to their full potential.  For example, a child who naturally wants to observe before they play or try something new will need you to be patient and encourage them to try new things.

Babies and children don’t know how to change to make the world an easier place to live.  As a parent, you have lived longer, are wiser and can adapt to show your baby how to live a happy and settled life.

Stay tuned for more temperament tips!

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