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Temperament: Flexible, Fearful or Feisty -- Where Does Your Child one Fit In?

From the very start, your baby is born with their own style and response to the world around them. Researchers, Thomas and Stella Chess have identified three basic types of temperaments known as flexible, fearful and feisty. www.ebabymagazine.com Understanding your child means appreciating their unique personalities and ways of interacting with their world. This will better equip you as a parent in handling them into the future as this is their blueprint. From the minute they come into this world, infants are different in many ways: Activity level; Regularity of when they eat, sleep and potty; How they warm up to people and situations or withdraw; Happy or sad moods and how their moods change; Their persistence--Are they easily distracted from activities; Intensity of their reactions; Sensitivity to bright lights, loud noises and the touch; How quickly they adapt to new situations or routines; Do they like to be cuddled or not

Flexible – Also known as the easy temperament and the most common temperament trait. Easy children are calm, happy, adaptable, regular in sleeping, eating and toileting, positive moods and interested in new experiences. Parents usually find these children a breeze. Fearful – This is the second most common trait also known as the cautious temperament. These little ones may need more time and attention to warm up to a new situation or new people. Pushed too quickly, they often withdraw and sometimes cry. Parents can stay close by and allow the child to scope things out from a distance. In new situations slow-to-warm-up children will need parents to be patient and allow more time to assess a situation.

Feisty – Unlike the cautious child, this temperament trait typically doesn’t hold back. These little ones let everyone know when they are pleased and vice versa. They are intense, active, distractible, sensitive, irregular and moody. These children may be unpredictable in their napping, eating and their environment may have a powerful effect on them. Loud noises, bright lights and too many people tend to overwhelm them. These children are not as likely to fit into a schedule. The key to a happy medium for the rest of the family is to adapt to them.

While not every baby, toddler, or preschooler will fit exactly into one of these categories but perhaps in a combination of a few traits, the main importance is that each child is accepted for their individualism. Not like your first or second born, etc., but their own little personality made up of so many factors. Recognizing this, will assist you as a parent in responding with ways that can support your child’s healthy development for life and keep harmony in the family.