Child Personality Types

Child Personality Types

Anyone who has spent time with or around children will notice that each one has a special personality all of their own. Children, like adults, have different traits that make up their personalities. Experts have researched this phenomenon in detail and classified children into different categories. Some experts have named more than three categories, but Peter L. Manigone has chosen three that most experts agree with. These categories have been named "flexible," "fearful," and "feisty." Children generally may have similar interests, but the way they interact and deal with these interests displays their personality type.

The first personality type is called flexible. This is the most common of the three types. About "40 percent of all children fall into the flexible or easy group" (Mangione). These children usually handle feelings of anger and disappointment by reacting mildly upset. This does not mean that they do not feel mad or disappointed, they just choose to react mildly. These actions mean the flexible child is easy to take care of and be around. According to Mangione, they usually "adapt to new situations and activities quickly, are toilet-trained easily, and are generally cheerful." Flexible children are subtle in their need for attention. Rather than yelling and demanding it, they will slowly and politely let their caregiver know about the need. If they do not get the attention right away, they "seldom make a fuss." They patiently wait, but they still make it known that they need the attention. These children also are easygoing, so routines like feeding and napping are regular (Mangione).

Flexible children may be referred to as "good as gold" because of their cheerf...

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...re most like. Whatever their temperament, children need to be treated according to their individual needs. When these needs are met appropriately the child will be happier, and those around the child will feel better also. Knowing the general personality types and how to react to them will help to make the caregiver's job much easier and aid in the relief of unnecessary stress.

Works Cited

"Facts About Temperament." Temperamentproject n.d. 25 Oct 2000.

Mangione, Peter L. The Different Temperaments of Infants and Toddlers. J. Ronald Lally. Dir. Janet Poole. Media Services Unit, California Department of Education. California Department of Education.

Viorst, Judith. "Is Your Child's Personality Set at Birth?" Tennessee Electronic Library. (Nov. 1995) Online. InfoTrac OneFile, A17618832.