Temperament is the term that describes the types of “automatic” emotional reactions and emotional habits that we have. Both “nature” and “nurture”[1] play a role here; our genetic make-up plus our experiences create our temperament. A unique temperament first shows up in babies and while it can evolve over time, the temperament that is expressed in those early years is strongly linked with personality later in life[2].

During the early years, it is often possible to predict a child’s intensity and type of emotional reaction to people and situations. That is because temperament is stable[3] during this time plus, parents tend to emphasize it by providing or avoiding experiences and interactions according to how they naturally fit with their child. For example, a very active toddler might often be engaged and encouraged in more rough and tumble play as compared to a quieter, less energetic peer. 

The two main aspects of temperament are reactivity and self-regulation. Reactivity refers to the speed and strength of emotional responses (positive or negative). Self-regulation refers to how a child manages their own energy level and emotions.

Within the two parts of reactivity and self-regulation, temperament has nine variables[4]. Every child has their own unique blend of these variables.

• ACTIVITY LEVEL - how physically active is your child?

• RHYTHM and REGULARITY - how regular is your child’s eating, sleeping and toileting?

• APPROACH/WITHDRAWAL - What is your child’s first response to something new; acceptance or rejection?

• DISTRACTIBILITY - does your child stay focused when there are lots of other things going on around them?

• EMOTIONAL INTENSITY - how much energy is in your child’s responses to people and situations?

• MOOD - what’s the typical balance of behaviours; happy or unhappy?

• ADAPTABILITY - how easily does your child switch gears, moving from one activity to another?

• SENSORY THRESHOLD - how sensitive is your child to physical stimuli such as sounds, touch, temperature?

• ATTENTION SPAN and PERSISTENCE - how much time can your child devote to an activity even when obstacles or distractions are present?

Originally identified in the 50’s[5], the early research does, in fact, label temperament as easy, difficult and slow to warm up, but often labels can do more harm than good if misinterpretations lead to inappropriate judgements. Furthermore, the labels don’t acknowledge that there are advantages and challenges with all types of temperaments.  For example, a child who is difficult to distract and is troubled with transitions can work well in a noisy classroom, a strong-willed child is challenging to a parent in some situations, but more likely is less persuaded by peer pressure.

How does temperament influence my child’s Heart-Mind well-being?

Understanding temperament provides parents and caregivers insight about how best to build strong relationships by helping them to appreciate a child’s natural tendencies and giving them cues about their own behaviour choices. It is just one piece of the puzzle that helps us understand and respond to children. Relationships, experiences and the environment come together and influence temperament over time. Adults can help a child understand their own temperament, not with a good or bad label, but with acceptance and self-respect.