Did you know that you were born with 9 things that you probably still have? We all are born with certain temperament traits that are pretty stable throughout our lives. Intensity, sensitivity, adaptability, activity level, and persistence are a few of the traits that describe parts of our temperament. Our level of activity, for example, falls somewhere on a continuum from high to low. We were born that way and will probably stay around that level for most of our life. For the list of all 9 temperament traits and descriptions, try here: http://www.ecmhc.org/temperament/traits.html
Temperament traits aren’t good or bad, positive or negative, but the compatibility of our own temperament and our child’s temperament can affect the quality of our relationships. The Infant-Toddler Temperament Tool helps parents look at our own temperament as well as our child’s. It gives us tips and suggestions to use when considering the match, or “goodness of fit” between our temperament and our child’s.
This tool is free and easy to use. There is a separate tool for infants and for toddlers. Both versions are available on the website in English and in Spanish. You can print one out, or do it right online!
http://www.ecmhc.org/temperament/index.html
This website also has two great little sets of tip sheets, one for infants and one for toddlers, based on the daily routines of dressing, meal time, play time, rest time, and diapering.
roots of resilience 