Parenting a Spirited Child

Understanding Child Temperament

• One in 10 toddlers is a strong-willed, challenging child, known as "spirited children."
• Spirited children are more active, impatient, impulsive, defiant, intense, sensitive, and rigid.
• Parents of spirited children need to keep them active, provide firm structure, and be patient.

Characteristics of Temperament

• Activity level: the level of physical activity, motion, restlessness, or fidgety behavior.
• Rhythmicity or regularity: the presence or absence of a regular pattern for basic physical functions.
• Approach and withdrawal: the way a child responds to new stimuli, whether rapid and bold or slow and hesitant.
• Adaptability: the degree of ease or difficulty with which a child adjusts to change or new situations.
• Intensity: the energy level with which a child responds to a situation, whether positive or negative.
• Mood: the mood, positive or negative, or degree of pleasantness or unfriendliness in a child's words and behaviors.
• Attention span: the ability to concentrate or stay with a task, with or without distraction.
• Distractibility: the ease with which a child can be distracted from a task by environmental stimuli.
• Sensory threshold: the amount of stimulation required for a child to respond.

Impact of Temperament on Children and Parents

• Every child has a unique pattern of the nine temperament characteristics.
• Many children tend to fall into one of three broad categories: easy, slow to warm up or shy, or difficult or challenging.
• Temperament affects how children adjust to their environment and interact with others.
• Understanding a child's temperament can help parents appreciate their uniqueness and deal with problems of poor "fit" that may lead to misunderstandings and conflicts.

Learn about parenting a spirited child who is strong-willed, challenging, and more intense in their emotions and behaviors. Discover tips on keeping them active and providing firm structure to support their needs.