Upload
annabel-barker
View
237
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Understanding Temperament
and Establishing
“Goodness of Fit”
Each one of you has inside of yourself an image of the child
that directs you as you begin to relate to each.
This theory or belief within you pushes you to behave in certain
ways; it orients you as you talk to the child, listen to the child
and observe the child. It is very difficult for you to act contrary
to this internal image.
Your image of each child is different based on what you believe
about them. You will behave differently based on this belief.
The quality and quantity of relationships among us as
caregivers reflects our image of each child.
Your Image of the Child
What does Temperament have to do with the image we create of each
child?
“Who Is My Child” Video
http://www.readyforlife.org/videos/whoismychild/
A Caregiver’s Story
18 month old Sophia enrolled in Mrs. L’s family day care
program a few weeks ago. Mrs. L, however, is having
difficulty integrating Sophia successfully into her program.
Sophia’s schedule is unpredictable—she becomes tired or
hungry at different times each day—is very active, gets
upset during transitions, and often results in tantrums.
After several weeks of observing little change in
Sophia’s behaviors, Mrs. L is frustrated.
Sophia’s unpredictable napping and feeding times, as
well as her constant need for physical activity and
intense reactions during transitions, are making
responsive care for all the other children difficult to
provide!
Think-Pair-Share Activity:
Mrs. L is not sure if Sophia is a really good fit for her program?
Have you ever had a child in your program that presented such difficulties?
In the case of Sophia what would you recommend to this provider?
The story continues…
Mrs. L decided to make a home visit. Once there she
learns that Sophia’s parents have not had difficulty
with the issues she describes.
When she asks specifically about her schedule, her
parents describe Sophia as being a good eater and
sleeper, but do report that she doesn’t have a
consistent schedule for eating or napping.
They also share that Sophia’s activity level is typically
not an issue because they have a large backyard and
Sophia has siblings who often include her in their active
play.
Still, all of the adults are concerned about Sophia’s lack
of success transitioning into Mrs. L’s program, and
desire to find a way to help her.
Maybe taking a look at Sophia’s temperament style might be
worthwhile?
What Is Temperament ?
• A child’s temperament describes the way in which they
approach and respond to the world. It is their personal
“style.”
• Temperament influences a child’s behavior and the way
they interact 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 respond and relate to the world around them.
Information about temperament can guide parents and
caregivers to identify children’s strengths and the supports
they need to succeed in their relationships and environments.
There are 3 basic temperament styles and they are
determined by the mix of 9 different traits. Each of us is a
combination of these traits and thus our approach to the world
is different and unique.
9 Temperament Traits
Researchers have described young children’s temperament by depicting several different traits. These traits address:
•A child’s level of activity,
•Their adaptability to daily routines,
•Their response to new situations,
•Their mood,
•The intensity of their reactions,
•Their sensitivity to what’s going on around them,
•How quickly they adapt to changes, and
•How distractible and persistent they are when engaging in an
activity.
It is suggested that approximately 60% of all children fit into one of three
temperament types: easy, active or slow-to warm-up. The remaining 40%
reflect a combination of more than one.
Easy or flexible children tend to be happy, regular in sleeping and eating habits,
adaptable, calm, predictable in their behavior and are not easily upset.
Active or feisty children are often fussy, irregular in feeding and sleeping habits,
fearful of new people and situations, easily upset by noise and stimulation,
intense in their reactions and low in adaptability.
Slow to warm-up or cautious children are often less active , tend to be fussy,
may withdraw or react negatively to new situations; yet over time can become
more positive with repeated exposure to a new person, object, or situation.
3 Basic Temperament Types
When you think about Sophia’s reactions and the behaviors
she exhibits in Mrs. L’s care, what temperament traits
would you say Sophia has?
How would you characterize Sophia’s temperament?
What temperament type do you think Ms. L is?
Considering that we all have inborn temperament traits do
you think that Ms. L and Sophia can possibly develop
“Goodness of Fit”?
Think-Pair-Share Activity
Turn to the person next to you and discuss:
Why is your Temperament and the temperament of each child in your
care worth considering ?
How might temperament information empower you as a caregiver and strengthen
your program?
• Since temperament is apparently inborn and reflects how we each approach the world, awareness of each child’s temperament traits can help you better understand children’s individual differences.
• By understanding temperament, you can learn how to help children express their preferences, desires, and feelings appropriately.
• You can also use their understanding of temperament to
avoid blaming themselves or a child for reactions that are normal for that particular child.
• Most importantly, you can learn to anticipate issues before they occur and avoid frustrating themselves and the child by using approaches that do not match their temperament.
Why Is Awareness Temperament Valuable?
The story continues…
During the home visit Mrs. L observed that Sophia
runs inside and outside her home with few
limitations.
Sophia’s home appears to be a relaxed
environment, where the children eat when they
want, and her mother responds to Sophia’s hunger
or need for sleep upon demand versus having a
regular schedule.
In contrast, Mrs. L’s program functions on a very
consistent schedule. Mrs. L has limited space both
indoors and out and is challenged by the variety of
needs of children in her care.
While Sophia’s family’s pattern of behavior seems
to be a match to her temperament, Mrs. L’s home
currently does not represent a “good fit” for
Sophia.
An important concept in caregiving that supports healthy
social-emotional development of children is the notion of
“goodness of fit.”
Sophia’s activity level, intensity, and unpredictability may
reflect a mismatch between her temperament and Mrs. L’s
caregiving style and environment.
Though the child and adult may approach the world very
differently caregivers can improve “goodness of fit” by
adapting their approach, to better meet the needs of the
child.
What is “Goodness of Fit” and How can We Improve it?
You can use knowledge of temperament in many ways to support positive social-emotional
development of the infants and toddlers in your care.
Using temperament information as a tool for understanding is a win-win strategy. The more you know about it the more responsive your caregiving
can be.
Note- using temperament information as a tool to support understanding is a process…
The Process of Using What You Know About Temperament to Promote Positive Social-
Emotional Development and Behavior
The Process continued:
Using temperament as a tool begins by reflecting on your own temperament traits and preferences.
Understanding your own temperament can help you to identify the “goodness of fit” for each child in your care.
Knowing more about your own temperament traits will also help you to take the child’s perspective. For example, a caregiver who enjoys loud music, and a lot of activity might try to imagine what it would feel like to spend all day in a setting that was calm, and quiet.
This reflective process can help you become more attuned to the experience of each child within your care.
Additionally you can more easily determine what adjustments might be needed to create a “better fit” for each child.
The Process cont.
Creating open dialogue and meaningful partnerships with families leads to increased understanding of each child’s temperament.
We encourage you as a caregivers to share what you have learned about temperament with the families you serve and provide information about temperamental traits.
To identify individual temperament traits, ask parents to help you describe their child’s activity level, response to new situations, persistence, distractibility, adaptability, mood, intensity, sensitivity, and regularity. In this way you can learn about the child’s temperament and the family’s cultural values.
Work with families to them identify their child’s temperament style.
Refrain from judging a child’s temperamental traits as “good” or “bad” behavior, and work with parents to clarify each child’s individualized approach to the world through a positive lens.
It is Valuable for Caregivers to Understand the contribution each child’s temperament makes to the
group
For example:
• The active , spirited or feisty children are often leaders and or initiators of play!
• A slow to warm-up or cautious child may observe situations carefully and help you notice things you hadn’t seen before!
• The flexible or easy child may take new play partners on easily!
• You can support each child’s self concept by recognizing, valuing, and integrating the unique traits that each child has, rather than trying to change a child’s them.
Take time to share with families what you have learned about developing “goodness of fit,” with their child and mention strategies that have proven to be successful.
As you learn which traits are highly valued by each family, you can partner with them to determine an appropriate balance between the child’s temperament, the family’s preferences, and the policies of your program.
Recognize how quality caregiving practices support all children’s development, yet certain practices might be especially valuable for certain temperament types.
There are several good sites on the internet that offer recommended strategies for working each temperament type.
So what about Sophia?
The story continues…
So what did Mrs. L do…?
Mrs. L reflected on her own temperament and how it might affect the children in her care, each of whom exhibited distinctively different temperaments.
Mrs. L realized that she values a predictable schedule and is most drawn to calming, quiet activities.
By developing a partnership with Sophia’s family, she learned more about Sophia’s home and her unique temperament traits. She was then able to better understand why Sophia may have reacted the way she did while in her care.
She made the decision to work on adapting her program to better reflect Sophia’s temperamental style.
Caregiving Adaptations to Support “Goodness of Fit.”
Mrs. L organized additional outdoor play and active opportunities into her schedule for Sophia.
She observed Sophia closely and learned to recognize her need to sleep or eat, and made accommodations to individualize eating and sleeping schedules for her.
She offered Sophia many advance reminders when transitions were about to take place, and was patient and understanding when Sophia experienced intense emotions.
Soon, Sophia appeared to be much more comfortable in
Mrs. L’s family child care home, and was able to better
use her energy to build strong and positive
relationships with Mrs. L and the other children.
Through understanding her own temperament, the temperament of the children,
and their parents’, Mrs. L created an environment that better met all everyone’s
needs.
Ultimately, the temperament tools that she used (including: increased knowledge
and understanding of temperament, reflection, discussion, observation and
adaptations) positively impacted her own experience, the experience of Sophia and
the other children in her care.
Guidance on strategies that support “Goodness of Fit” between a child and their
caregivers is free and available on-line. One specific temperament tool that has
proven to be user friendly and informative is the IT3 (Head Start Center for Early
Childhood Mental Health Consultation- (CECMHC) Temperament Tool.
http://www.ecmhc.org/temperament/
Temperament Tool
For Use With Families
Demonstration of the IT3 Temperament Tool
http://www.ecmhc.org/temperament/
Please see handout for example of IT3 Tool and Examples of Results
The IT3 Temperament Tool For Your Own Use and For Use With Families