All babies are hardwired with certain personality traits, and the ones your child was born with will help dictate whether he laughs or cries in the face of change, keeps going when frustrated, and maybe even how soon he tries to walk.
But that’s only part of it. The other half of the equation is how you respond to his unique propensities. Say you have a shy baby. If you give him a chance to warm up when your Aunt Rita and Uncle Phil come over, he may be blowing raspberries all over them by the time the visit wraps up. But try thrusting him into their arms and he may not go near them again before kindergarten.
Researchers believe that each child starts life with an inherited set of nine personality traits. The specific combo he comes bundled with puts him into one of three categories: easy, slow to warm up, and challenging.
But don’t freak out! Even though you can’t change your baby’s inborn personality any more than you can change your spouse’s annoying habits (though that doesn’t stop us from trying!), you can help him realize his full potential by providing him with the opportunity to experience and discover what best suits him.
How soon will you know what your baby’s like? Some traits are obvious almost from birth; others will become apparent by 3 or 4 months. And some may evolve in intensity. For instance, his low frustration level may improve as he gains confidence in his abilities, or his desire for activity may subside a bit as his attention span grows. Even the most challenging traits can become less problematic as a child learns to cope with life’s ups and downs and figures out what makes him happy — in conjunction with your support and guidance, of course.
For entire story and tips on recognizing traits, go to: Parenting
