Understanding Temperament in Infants and Toddlers Show
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Twenty-month-old Laura just begancare in Ms. Neil’s family child care home. Ms. Neil is having difficulty integrating Laura into her program. Laura’s schedule is unpredictable—she becomes tired or hungry at different times each day—and she always seems to want to run, climb, and jumpon everything. Laura also gets extremely upset whenit is time to transition from outdoor play to lunch, orwhen Ms. Neil interrupts an activity in which Laurais engaged. It is not uncommon for her to tantrumfor 10 minutes or more at these times. Ms. Neil has had many years of experience working with youngchildren, and attributes Laura’s lack of a consistent schedule to her recent enrollment and need to getused to the program. She is also struggling with thefact that her favorite activities—quiet games, bookreading, and sensory experiences—are ones thatLaura doesn’t seem to enjoy. After several weeks of observing little change in Laura’s behaviors, Ms. Neil is frustrated. Laura’s unpredictable napping and feeding times, as well as her constant needfor physical activity and intense reactions duringtransitions, are making responsive care for all theother children difficult. Ms. Neil meets with Laura’s family, and learns that Laura’s parents haven’t had difficulty with the issues she describes. When sheasks specifically about her schedule, her parentsdescribe Laura as being a good eater and sleeper, but do report that she doesn’t have a consistent schedulefor eating or napping. They also share that Laura’s need for active physical play is typically not an issuebecause they have a large backyard and Laura hasseveral older siblings who often include her in theiractive play. Still, all of the adults are concerned about Laura’s success transitioning into Ms. Neil’s program, and want to find a way to help her. What Is Temperament? A child’s temperament describes the way in which she approaches and reacts to the world. It is her personal“style.” Temperament influences a child’s behavior and the way she interacts with others . While temperament does not clearly define or predict behavior, understanding a child’s temperament can help providers and families better understand how young children react and relate tothe world around them. Information about temperamentcan also guide parents and caregivers to identifychildren’s strengths and the supports they need to succeed in their relationships and environments. Researchers have described young children’s temperament by depicting several different traits. These traits address an infant’s level of activity, her adaptability to daily routines, how she responds to new situations,her mood, the intensity of her reactions, her sensitivityto what’s going on around her, how quickly she adapts to changes, and how distractible and persistent she mightbe when engaging in an activity . Based on these traits,researchers generally categorize children into three temperament types:
Clarifications about Temperament Not all children’s temperaments fall neatly into one of the three types described. Roughly 65% of childrencan be categorized into one of the three temperamentaltypes: 40% are easy or flexible, 10% are active orfeisty, and 15% can be categorized as slow to warm or cautious. Second, all temperamental traits, likepersonality traits, range in intensity. Children who have the same temperament type might react quite differently in similar situations, or throughout different stages in their development. For example, consider the reactionsof two infants when a stranger comes into the room. Acautious infant might look for her caregiver and relaxwhen she makes eye contact, while another baby withan easy temperament may smile or show little reactionto the stranger. In thinking about Laura’s reactions and behaviors in Ms. Neil’s care, might you categorize her temperamental type as feisty? Finally, it is important to understand that although a child’s basic temperament does not change over time, the intensity of temperamental traits can be affected by a family’s cultural values and parenting styles. For example, a family that values persistence (the abilityto stick to a task and keep trying) may be more likelyto praise and reward a child for “sticking with” achallenging task (such as a puzzle). Parental recognitionof the child’s persistent efforts can strengthen the trait, and she may become more persistent and more able tofocus over the course of his childhood. A child’s temperament is also influenced to some extent by her interactions with the environment. For example, ifa child is cared for in an environment that places a highpriority on scheduling predictable sleeping, eating, anddiapering/toileting experiences, a child whose biologicalfunctions are somewhat irregular might, over time, beginto sleep, eat, and eliminate more regularly. It is important to know that adults cannot force a change to a child’s temperament; however, the interaction between the child’s temperament and the environment can produce movements along the continuum of intensity for different traits. Why Is Temperament Important? Temperament is important because it helps caregivers better understand children’s individual differences. By understanding temperament, caregivers can learn howto help children express their preferences, desires, andfeelings appropriately. Caregivers and families can also use their understanding of temperament to avoid blamingthemselves or a child for reactions that are normal for that particular child. Most importantly, adults can learn to anticipate issues before they occur and avoid frustratingthemselves and the child by using approaches that do notmatch her temperament. Ms. Neil visited Laura in her own home and observed that Laura is constantly trailing behind her oldersiblings, and runs inside and outside the housewith few limitations. The household is a relaxed environment, where the older children help themselves when they are hungry, and Laura’s mother responds to Laura’s hunger or need for sleep whenever they arise. In contrast, Ms. Neil’s program functions on a very consistent schedule, which she feels is importantin preparing children for their later school experiences.Ms. Neil does not have much space indoors, and shefinds outdoor play somewhat difficult to manage withchildren at varying ages and developmental levels.While Laura’s family’s pattern of behavior seems to be a match to her temperament, Ms. Neil’s home does not currently represent a good “fit” for Laura, whomight be categorized as active or feisty. Developing a “Goodness of Fit” One important concept in care that supports healthysocial-emotional development is the notion of “goodnessof fit.” In the previous example, Laura’s activity, intensity, and unpredictability may reflect a mismatch between her temperament and Ms. Neil’s caregiving style and environment. A caregiver can improve the goodness of fit by adapting his or her approach to meet the needs ofthe child. Using What You Know About Temperament to Promote Positive Social-Emotional Developmentand Behavior You can use your knowledge of temperament in many ways to support positive social-emotional development inthe infants and toddlers you care for:
Personality refers to individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving. What are the Self-Conscious Emotions? The set of the self-conscious emotions include embarrassment, jealousy, empathy as well as shame, guilt, hubris and pride. What is social referencing? Term used to describe "reading" emotional cues in others to help determine how to act in a specific situation. Social referencing involves "reading" emotional cues in others to help determine how to act in a particular situation. It helps infants interpret ambiguous situations. What is an individual's behavioral style and characteristic way of emotionally responding?Temperament is defined as “the constellation of inborn traits that determine a child's unique behavioral style and the way he or she experiences and reacts to the world” (Kristal, 2005, p.
What is the close emotional bond between two people called?Attachment is an emotional bond with another person.
Which of the following people identified three basic types or clusters of temperament easy difficult and slow to warm up?According to Thomas and Chess, there are three general types of temperaments in children: easy, slow-to-warm, and difficult. Easy children are generally happy, active children from birth and adjust easily to new situations and environments.
What type of emotion includes embarrassment guilt pride and shame quizlet?Pride, shame, embarrassment and guilt are examples of self-conscious emotions, the emotions don't appear to develop until self awareness appears around 18 months of age.
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