Is Your Child Easy or Difficult to Raise?
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Written by Robert Myers, PhD
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Nov 22, 2008 |
A + A - RESET
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Temperament is the innate behavior style of an individual that seems to be biologically determined. Although some experts feel that labeling a child too quickly as "difficult" may create a self-fulfilling prophecy of problematic parent-child interaction, knowing what kind of temperament your child has may make the difference between a happy and a troubled child - and between an accepting and frustrated parent. You can use the table below to get a rough idea on how easy or difficult your child is to raise.
Temperamental Traits
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Easy
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Difficult
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| Activity Level (how active the child is generally) |
Low |
High |
Distractibility (degree of concentration and paying attention when child is
not particularly interested) |
Low |
High |
| Intensity (how loud the child is) |
Low |
High |
| Regularity (the predictability of biological functions like appetite and sleep) |
Regular |
Irregular |
| Sensory Threshold (how sensitive the child is to physical stimuli: touch, taste, smell, sound, light) |
High |
Low |
| Approach/Withdrawal (characteristic responses of a child to a new situation or to strangers) |
Approach |
Withdrawal |
| Adaptability (how easily the child adapts to transitions and changes like switching to a new activity) |
Good |
Poor |
| Persistence (stubbornness, inability to give up) |
Low |
High |
| Mood (tendency to react to the world primarily in a positive or negative way) |
Positive |
Negative |
If your child weighs more heavily on one side of the spectrum than the other, he may be a classic example of the easy or difficult child. However, if your child is in-between and his behavior presents you with problems, you may be in need of some new management techniques.
next: Coping With Your Child's Personality
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Last Updated( May 18, 2009 )
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reviewed by:
Harry Croft, MD (Psychiatrist)
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