Different Drummers: The Temperament Connection Dawnita Nilles Extension Agent/Family Resource Coordinator NDSU Extension Service/Region IV, CSCC Serving families in the counties of Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina & Walsh

Oh My Gosh, That’s ME!  Your foot is always wiggling  You are a party animal  You love having lots of alone time  You are shy among strangers but not after getting to know them  You can’t stand tight collars and turtlenecks  You love being on the go from sunup to sundown  You cry easily at sad movies  You think you are a “klutz”  You enjoy sitting and watching TV for hours  You think you are a calm person most of the time  You like spending days off with people  You don’t get “ticked off” easily

Temperamental Characteristics Activity Level Prevailing Mood Rhythmicity Persistence & Attention Span Sensory Adaptability First Reaction Distractibility Intensity of Reaction

Chart of Temperament Traits Low Activity Irregularity Slow to adapt Withdraws High Sensitivity Mild Reaction Low Distractibility Negative Mood Low Persistence High Activity Regularity Adapts Quickly Approaches Low Sensitivity High Intensity High Distractibility Positive Mood High Persistence

What About:  An Active Parent vs. Inactive Child  Intense Parent vs. Low Intensity Child  Highly Adaptable Parent vs. Low Adaptable Child  Low Sensitive Parent vs. High Sensitive Child

Temperament Types  Fearful  Feisty  Flexible  Extrovert  Introvert

Working with Temperament  Temperament is inborn  Understand the role of temperament  Understand your own temperament  Don’t compare or label children  Tune into temperament qualities to prevent problems  Different temperament call for different handling  Be alert to a child’s innate tendencies  Avoid guilt or shame of imperfection  Temperament traits can be assets or liabilities

“Goodness of Fit” We don’t change the child but provide a reasonable match between their temperament and their environment