Understanding Temperament in Infants & Toddlers
What Is Temperament?
A child’s temperament describes the way in which she approaches and reacts to the world. It is their 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 to the world around them. Information about temperament can also guide parents and caregivers to identify children’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, adaptability to daily routines, response to new situations, mood, reaction intensity, sensitivity to what’s going on around them, how quickly they adapt to changes, and how distractable and persistent they might be when engaging in an activity. Based on these traits, researchers generally categorize children into three temperament types:
- Easy or flexible children tend to be happy, regular in sleeping and eating habits, adaptable, calm, and not easily upset.
- Active or feisty children may be fussy, irregular in feeding and sleeping habits, fearful of new people and situations, easily upset by noise and stimulation, and intense in their reactions.
- Slow-to-warm or cautious children may be less active, or tend to be fussy, and might withdraw– or react negatively– to new situations; however, over time, they may become more positive with repeated exposure to a new person, object, or situation.